The Herbert Protocol in Essex: What It Is and How Families Can Set It Up
If someone you love is living with dementia, there is a simple form you can complete now that helps Essex Police if the person is ever reported missing. It is called the Herbert Protocol, and in Essex it is completed online on a website called Safe and Found.
We have put this guide together for sons, daughters and other family members who want to know what it is, who can fill it in, what goes in it and what to do if the person cannot be found.
What is the Herbert Protocol?
The Herbert Protocol is a form that holds key information about a person with dementia, completed in advance. Essex Police explain that people with dementia may sometimes become lost, and that if the person goes missing they will access the information you have supplied directly from Safe and Found.
It is a UK-wide scheme. Dementia UK describe it as a scheme that helps the police and other emergency services find a person living with dementia who goes missing. The name comes from George Herbert, a war veteran with dementia, and the idea started with Norfolk Constabulary.
Who can fill it in?
Essex Police say a carer at a care home, family, friends or the person themselves can fill in the form. Dementia UK suggest involving the person with dementia wherever possible, and completing it on their behalf in their best interests if they cannot.
Essex Police ask that you get permission from the person at risk or their relatives before you complete a form. If that is not possible, a care home may complete it if it is in the person's best interests.
What goes in the form?
The exact questions are on the Safe and Found form itself. Across Essex Police, Dementia UK and MedicAlert UK, the kind of information it holds includes:
A description of the person and a recent photograph
Medical information and details of any medication they take
Important phone numbers, including family contacts
Places they used to live, socialise or work, and places where they find comfort
Daily routines, regular walking routes and any communication needs
How to set it up in Essex
Go to the Essex Police Herbert Protocol page (linked at the bottom of this article) and follow the link to the Safe and Found website.
Create a profile and complete the form online.
Make sure other family members, friends and carers know that it exists and where to find it.
Essex Police's page describes the online form on Safe and Found. Some other areas also offer a paper version, so if you live outside Essex, check with your local police force.
Keeping it up to date
The form is not a one-off. Essex Police say you can update the online form at any time if there are changes, like the person's medication or daily routine. Carers First describe it as a working document, so keep it up to date and keep it safe.
What to do if the person goes missing
Search the house or home, including the garden and any outbuildings.
If you do not find them, call 999 immediately.
Tell the call handler that a Herbert Protocol profile exists.
Be ready to say where and when the person was last seen and what they were wearing. If you do not know everything, the police will still send officers out.
Dementia UK also make the point that you do not need to wait 24 hours before contacting the police, and that you should not delay contacting them while you search.
How Essex Home Support can help
We are a friendly, non-medical home help and companionship service covering Essex. We are not part of Essex Police or the Herbert Protocol scheme, but we are always happy to chat if you are looking after someone with dementia and would like to talk through the support available at home.
You can call us on 07719 634112 or message us through our website.
Sources
This article is general information, not legal or medical advice. Always check the official Essex Police page for the latest guidance.
