Mother and Son Receive Police Award for Neurodiversity Work

A mother and son from Cornwall have been formally recognised by Devon & Cornwall Police for their work to improve support for neurodivergent individuals across the force.

Marie Hutchinson-Ralph and Malachi Tasker-Ralph, both prominent members and advocates of the neurodivergent community, were presented with a Chief Superintendent’s Certificate on Wednesday 11th February at a local ceremony in St Austell.

Working with Police to Improve Understanding

Marie Hutchinson-Ralph and Malachi have worked collaboratively with Devon & Cornwall Police for a number of years. Together, they have delivered bespoke training sessions, webinars and led local projects aimed at improving communication, care and response to individuals who are neurodivergent.

PC John Holland, who has worked alongside them, said:

“Our officers will of course attend emergencies and/or chat to people who are neurodivergent whilst out in the community.

“That’s why work like this is vital – Marie and Malachi provide a powerful insight through their lived experience to the force around policing, which forms part of the invaluable training they have supported in delivering to our officers and staff.

“Listening to the voices of everyone in our communities is essential – it means we can police our communities in the way they want to be policed, always putting the person at the centre of our response and building inclusive relationships.”

Marie and Malachi have supported the force with inputs around ‘thinking about people who think differently’. More recently, they led a ‘Keep calm, it’s only Tourettes’ webinar for the College of Policing, attended by officers and police colleagues from around the UK.

Neurodiversity IDs Launched

The pair were also advocates for the launch of the ‘Neurodiversity IDs’ in 2025. These green wristbands can be worn by individuals who are neurodivergent. When scanned by emergency services, they provide vital information about the person so responders on scene can give the right help at the time.

Recognition and Wider Impact

Speaking after receiving the award, Marie and Malachi said:

“We are deeply honoured to receive this recognition from Devon & Cornwall Police.

“It means a great deal to us both, not only personally but for the wider neurodivergent community whose insights and experiences shape positive change.

“True progress happens when communities are listened to and worked with and when collaboration replaces assumption and learning is shared in every direction.

“We’re grateful to everyone within the force who has engaged with this work with such openness and care, and we look forward to continuing to build safer, more understanding, and inclusive communities together.”

Following in his mother’s footsteps, Malachi also recently received the British Citizen Award Medal of Honour for Services to Education (BCAe) in recognition of his work raising awareness for Tourette’s and autism acceptance in the UK. They are the only mother and son to receive the award.

Chief Superintendent Scott Bradley, who presented the certificate, said:

“Malachi and Marie’s inputs have given and continue to give us the knowledge we need to make sure our response and communication is appropriate from the very first moment we engage any member of the public.

“We know that we haven’t always got it right in the past, but we are continually striving to do better and be better so that we can progress and improve the service we provide to the neurodivergent community.”

Devon & Cornwall Police said they will continue working with neurodivergent communities in Cornwall and with the National Police Autism Association to support neurodiverse individuals both within the force and in the wider community.