PFD report

Cherylan CLULOW · Prevention of Future Deaths report

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Issued 12 Jan 2021•Dorset

Report record

Published report and response evidence

This page connects the concerns raised in this report with statements found in recipients’ published responses. A link shows a clear evidence connection; it does not assign responsibility.

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Concerns
4

Raised in this report

Recipients
1

Named on the report

Responses found
1

Of 1 recipient

Stated actions
3

Described in responses

Recipients and published responses

Source document

Full report text

This is the full text from the original published report.

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Concerns and recipient responses

Select any concern, action or position to view the source wording.

Concerns raised4

  1. Lack of training and dissemination of information on obtaining fire drop keys
    Part of recurring concern: Failure to ensure police officers receive and retain required training and operational guidance
  2. Failure to provide Police Officers with reliable emergency access to shared accommodation
    Part of recurring concern: Failure to ensure emergency services have reliable, timely access to shared accommodation
  3. Lack of formal information and steps for sourcing fire drop keys
    Part of recurring concern: Unreliable officer access to and familiarisation with required operational instructions
Responses linked to these concerns

Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.

Actions described in response An action is something a recipient says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to a concern raised.3

  1. Action

    Procure and issue keys and fobs to all frontline officers for emergency access to local-authority communal buildings.

    Stated by Dorset PoliceStated in progressThe respondent said that this action was in progress when they made their response on 14 January 2021.
  2. Action

    Identify vulnerable residents in privately owned communal premises, obtain relevant keys and fobs, and store access arrangements locally with linked incident-management instructions.

    Stated by Dorset PoliceStated in progressThe respondent said that this action was in progress when they made their response on 14 January 2021.
  3. Action

    Circulate a reminder to frontline officers on police powers of entry, including lawful forced entry in relevant emergencies.

    Stated by Dorset PoliceStated plannedThe respondent said that this action was planned when they made their response on 14 January 2021.

Respondent positions A position is what a recipient says about a concern when it does not describe a specific action.1

  1. Position

    The variety and volume of keys and fobs make sourcing every item for privately owned premises unrealistic.

    Stated by Dorset PoliceUnable to actThe respondent said that a constraint prevented them from taking the relevant action.

Source evidence

How this individual concern was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. Response links show a clear evidence connection; they do not assign responsibility.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Lack of training and dissemination of information on obtaining fire drop keys

Wider context from the report

“(1) The Police Officers who were tasked with the initial attendance could not gain access beyond the communal doors. (2) The Police Officers did not believe it was proportionate (based on the information which they had) to force entry through the communal doors which required specialist input. They were aware that a colleague had purchased for himself a fire drop key (to be used in emergency situations which could be used to override the communal lock door. There was a delay in gaining access to the address of the deceased. (3) The Police Officers had no formal information as to where they could source a fire drop key. There was no knowledge of formal steps to be taken to access to a fire drop key particularly as access to communal properties is that more difficult to gain. (4) There appears to be no general distribution of such keys or key fobs to Dorset Police Officers in order to gain access to shared accommodation by officers in an emergency situation 24 hours a day, 365 days per year. (5) There appears to be no training or dissemination of information as to how such keys can be obtained. ”

Is this part of a recurring concern?

Yes — Failure to ensure police officers receive and retain required training and operational guidance.

Open source report

Source evidence

How this individual concern was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. Response links show a clear evidence connection; they do not assign responsibility.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Failure to provide Police Officers with reliable emergency access to shared accommodation

Wider context from the report

“(1) The Police Officers who were tasked with the initial attendance could not gain access beyond the communal doors. (2) The Police Officers did not believe it was proportionate (based on the information which they had) to force entry through the communal doors which required specialist input. They were aware that a colleague had purchased for himself a fire drop key (to be used in emergency situations which could be used to override the communal lock door. There was a delay in gaining access to the address of the deceased. (3) The Police Officers had no formal information as to where they could source a fire drop key. There was no knowledge of formal steps to be taken to access to a fire drop key particularly as access to communal properties is that more difficult to gain. (4) There appears to be no general distribution of such keys or key fobs to Dorset Police Officers in order to gain access to shared accommodation by officers in an emergency situation 24 hours a day, 365 days per year. (5) There appears to be no training or dissemination of information as to how such keys can be obtained. ”

Is this part of a recurring concern?

Yes — Failure to ensure emergency services have reliable, timely access to shared accommodation.

Open source report

Source evidence

How this individual concern was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. Response links show a clear evidence connection; they do not assign responsibility.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Lack of formal information and steps for sourcing fire drop keys

Wider context from the report

“(1) The Police Officers who were tasked with the initial attendance could not gain access beyond the communal doors. (2) The Police Officers did not believe it was proportionate (based on the information which they had) to force entry through the communal doors which required specialist input. They were aware that a colleague had purchased for himself a fire drop key (to be used in emergency situations which could be used to override the communal lock door. There was a delay in gaining access to the address of the deceased. (3) The Police Officers had no formal information as to where they could source a fire drop key. There was no knowledge of formal steps to be taken to access to a fire drop key particularly as access to communal properties is that more difficult to gain. (4) There appears to be no general distribution of such keys or key fobs to Dorset Police Officers in order to gain access to shared accommodation by officers in an emergency situation 24 hours a day, 365 days per year. (5) There appears to be no training or dissemination of information as to how such keys can be obtained. ”

Is this part of a recurring concern?

Yes — Unreliable officer access to and familiarisation with required operational instructions.

Open source report

Source evidence

How this individual concern was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. Response links show a clear evidence connection; they do not assign responsibility.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Lack of general distribution of fire drop keys or key fobs to Police Officers

Wider context from the report

“(1) The Police Officers who were tasked with the initial attendance could not gain access beyond the communal doors. (2) The Police Officers did not believe it was proportionate (based on the information which they had) to force entry through the communal doors which required specialist input. They were aware that a colleague had purchased for himself a fire drop key (to be used in emergency situations which could be used to override the communal lock door. There was a delay in gaining access to the address of the deceased. (3) The Police Officers had no formal information as to where they could source a fire drop key. There was no knowledge of formal steps to be taken to access to a fire drop key particularly as access to communal properties is that more difficult to gain. (4) There appears to be no general distribution of such keys or key fobs to Dorset Police Officers in order to gain access to shared accommodation by officers in an emergency situation 24 hours a day, 365 days per year. (5) There appears to be no training or dissemination of information as to how such keys can be obtained. ”

Is this part of a recurring concern?

Yes — Failure to ensure emergency services have reliable, timely access to shared accommodation.

Open source report

Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Procure and issue keys and fobs to all frontline officers for emergency access to local-authority communal buildings.

Verbatim wording from the response

“Accordingly, the decision has been made that all frontline Dorset Police officers will now carry keys and fobs when on duty. It is my view that this will serve to avoid delays in sourcing such items and allow for quick access to relevant properties in emergency situations. The process of procuring these items is already underway and I understand that they can be issued to frontline officers quickly (and, I believe, within a month).”

Source location

2021-0009-Response-from-Dorset-Police-Redacted
Page 2 · response
Published 14 January 2021

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Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Identify vulnerable residents in privately owned communal premises, obtain relevant keys and fobs, and store access arrangements locally with linked incident-management instructions.

Verbatim wording from the response

“To compensate for this, we are in the process of identifying specific vulnerable individuals who live in similar but privately-owned communal premises, with a view to obtaining the relevant keys and fobs to facilitate access to those specific properties where required. Due to the volume of such items, where privately-owned premises are concerned we will store the relevant keys and fobs in a police station local to the address in question, and link instructions for obtaining the relevant item to the record that we hold for the vulnerable individual in question on our police incident management system.”

Source location

2021-0009-Response-from-Dorset-Police-Redacted
Page 2 · response
Published 14 January 2021

Open published response

Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Circulate a reminder to frontline officers on police powers of entry, including lawful forced entry in relevant emergencies.

Verbatim wording from the response

“It is my understanding that the keys and fobs are extremely simple to use; essentially, they function as a key. Accordingly, no training should be required. I can however confirm that a reminder on police powers of entry will be circulated to all frontline officers in due course, including on the organisation’s intranet. This will be used as an opportunity to remind frontline police officers of powers available to the police in terms of forcing entry to properties in situations such as that encountered by the colleagues who attended Cheralyn’s address prior to her death.”

Source location

2021-0009-Response-from-Dorset-Police-Redacted
Page 2 · response
Published 14 January 2021

Open published response

Source evidence

How this respondent position was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

The variety and volume of keys and fobs make sourcing every item for privately owned premises unrealistic.

Verbatim wording from the response

“Our enquiries have led us to conclude that the sheer variety of such items used in privately-owned properties would mean that it is difficult (to the point of being unrealistic) to source every such item. In simple terms, I understand that there is no such item as a ‘skeleton key’ in this context. In this respect, it is of note that, as I understand it, the fire service do not carry or have access to such items on a similar basis, and will instead force entry to such addresses when required.”

Source location

2021-0009-Response-from-Dorset-Police-Redacted
Page 2 · response
Published 14 January 2021

Open published response
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Information checked against the published report and official responses · Data reviewed 7 Sep 2026 · About data quality and limitations

Data last updated 7 September 2026