Family Liaison Coordinator Ian Lawrence named Police Staff Member of the Year at National Police Staff Awards
Thursday, March 13, 2025
Family Liaison Coordinator Ian Lawrence has been named Police Staff Member of the Year for his work on the investigation into two former healthcare professionals who unlawfully drugged patients at a Blackpool Hospital in 2018. The investigation has been running for almost six years and involves over 100 patients and their families. In 2019, the investigation faced significant budget cuts which resulted in the release of the Family Liaison Officers. Following this, Ian volunteered to provide the ongoing family liaison support on his own.
Over 1,100 nominations were received across seven award categories for the inaugural National Police Staff Awards. The awards recognise the significant impact that police staff have in policing and celebrate where that work is helping to deliver policing priorities. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper was in attendance at the awards ceremony which took place at The College of Policing, Ryton-on-Dunsmore on Thursday 6th March 2025.
Deputy Senior Investigating Officer (SIO) Laura Lawler, who nominated Ian for the award, said:
“As the Deputy SIO, I meet the families with Ian on a regular basis, and without fail they are always full of praise about the support they receive from Ian. He really does do a fantastic job.
"For the past five years, Ian has been outstanding in how he has maintained contact with the victims and families. Maintaining their trust and confidence in this long-standing investigation has been our absolute priority, and Ian has certainly gone above and beyond in ensuring that this has been achieved.”
Winner Ian Lawrence said: “I am deeply honoured and grateful to receive this National Police Award. The role of a Family Liaison Coordinator is a vital and important role in a major police investigation, and I feel privileged to continue supporting the families in this investigation.”
