Tri-Service Safety Officer

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The Tri-Service Safety Officers (TSSO’s) role is to provide early intervention, prevention, and an operational response.

They work collaboratively with Devon and Cornwall Police (DCP), Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS), South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT), Cornwall Council’s Anti-Social Behaviour Team and Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT).

The role is a vocation in its own right, providing a unique and innovative approach to resolving community safety matters by jointly targeting and identifying issues.

The role targets and aligns with all the agencies priorities in relation to protection, prevention and response. The development of the ‘TSSO’ role builds sustainable and strong working relationships with partner agencies. One of the main aims is to assist the existing emergency services resource through reducing demand and releasing resources to complete other priorities.

Tri Service Safety Officer duties

Respond to 999 emergency calls for CFRS and SWASFT
Deal with ‘non-immediate’ DCP community safety matters
Complete multi-agency home safety visits
Resolve complex neighbourhood policing issues
Work with the local Anti-Social Behaviour caseworker
Integrate within the neighbourhood policing team
Assist with completing neighbourhood enquiries (non emergency 101 calls made to police)
Work in collaboration with community mental health teams

The TSSO role allows for the opportunity to identify additional areas of concern together with fire safety, safeguarding, anti-social behaviour, protection matters, youth intervention and health, safety and wellbeing, allowing an officer to reduce the risks directly or assist with making agency referrals and arranging multi-agency meetings.

The TSSO role provides the three emergency services with a presence in otherwise hard to reach communities. They are able to risk assess, and problem solve key issues within the local community. Having access to multiple data affords quick problem solving and intervention. The early intervention work that the TSSO’s carry out reduces demand and impact on the 3 emergency services. They also reduce demand of key partners within the public, private and voluntary sector, and their local communities.

Following a successful pilot with Cornwall Partnership (NHS) Foundation Trusts (CPFT) Community Mental Health teams in 2025, TSSO officers are now completing visits on behalf of CPFT. This collaborative working has allowed the further development of safeguarding the most vulnerable within our communities and emphasising the importance of multi-agency working.

There are currently 14 locations where TSSO’s are based in Cornwall;