Service provision for vulnerable people in contact with policing: a strategic view from Bradford

This place-based study mapped services used by vulnerable people in contact with the police across Bradford, through interviews with senior managers in public, private and third sector organisations. It sought to understand the nature and make-up of service provider networks and their relations with vulnerable people who access services. It complements the Centre’s data science programme which harnesses administrative datasets from public services through the Connected Bradford Research Database. The project team found that ‘vulnerability’ as a shared language can potentially unite services. However, the focus on vulnerability can foster tensions and unintended consequences for organisations and people who use services. The extent to which services are involved in central service provision networks, funding constraints, and people’s escalating complex needs also pose challenges to effective holistic service responses.