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Funny you mention the police, they are already stretched with what they rightly say are the responsibilities of the social services. But the social services aren't given the resources or the infrastructure to tackle those responsibilities.
Funny anecdote (not funny at all). One of mrs_com's service users (not a KC client) - an autistic 18 year old young man who you would swear was 12 or 13 by appearance and demeanour - disclosed something which at that point in time meant he absolutely could not go home. This was at 6pm so mrs_com rang me to say she would be working late to get him the right help. I was at a loose end so I said I would come and wait with her while it was sorted so she could send other staff home (I am enhanced DBS cleared). She spent until 1 in the morning arguing with both children and adult social services duty social workers as each side was saying he didn't meet their criteria. The second you're 18, you're not a child. If you leave a roof over your head out of choice (for whatever horrible reason) you're not an urgent adult case. So this lad had nowhere to go. There was no way we were sending what was essentially a child out into the streets so we took him to the police station (a legitimate safe place) and sat with him while he slept on a metal bench in reception until one of mrs_com's centred opened in the morning.
That was fucked and it was difficult for two "fully functioning" adults to even know where to start to look for help (social services out of hours numbers, hostels, secure accommodation, charities etc). Leave that to an inexperienced and vulnerable young person whose head is six ways from Sunday and you've either just signed their death certificate or HMP intake form.
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stevo_com
Kidneys
There's the police service, luckily that's seen sustained investment and recruitment.
Oh, wait.
In all seriousness what, really, are the Tories planning on doing if it does all go to shit, vis a vis rioting in the streets etc? They've butt-fucked every institution and service designed to help and protect society - can they simply think that the inevitable crunch can't/won't affect them?