Police officers who put themselves in harm’s way to protect their communities will get access to expanded crucial services to help them deal with the demands of working in dangerous and traumatic environments.
Officers fighting crime in their communities put their lives at risk every day and are repeatedly exposed to traumatic incidents in high-pressure environments. The consequences can be extremely damaging for their physical and mental health. Post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health conditions are highly prevalent amongst frontline officers.
Around 150,000 clinical psychological risk assessments and ‘lighter touch’ mental health checks will be available each year for officers and staff in operational roles, signposting them quickly to the best support when they need it most.
New guidance will help forces to roll out trauma tracking systems to record officer and staff exposure to traumatic incidents. This will help senior leaders to identify and support those at the highest risk at an early stage, so they are not left to manage the effects of repeated trauma alone.
Crime and Policing Minister, Sarah Jones, said
Our police officers and staff put their lives at risk and operate under immense pressure each and every day. They demonstrate exceptional courage and resilience to keep us safe, and it is crucial we protect them in return.
As we deliver our reforms to policing, we will ensure that their wellbeing is prioritised, protected and never treated as an afterthought.
These support services will be expanded as a result of a £2.4 million government investment. This will support delivery of the wellbeing measures in the government’s Police Reform White Paper, ensuring that officers and staff have the support they need to keep the public safe.
Frontline officers will be able to better manage the demands of high-pressure incidents and shift work through a new sleep, fatigue and recovery app, ResetU, which will be made available to all forces.
In addition, the funding will support the continuation of the Mental Health Crisis Line for officers and staff, giving them access to confidential and urgent support when they are struggling.
These support services will be expanded as a result of a £2.4 million government investment. This will support delivery of the wellbeing measures in the government’s Police Reform White Paper, ensuring that officers and staff have the support they need to keep the public safe.
The funding will be given to the National Police Wellbeing Service (NPWS), which will lead the delivery of these measures, ensuring that officers and staff receive the same standard of support whichever force they serve in.
Andy Rhodes, Service Director for the National Police Wellbeing Service, said
Policing asks a huge amount of the people who serve the public. Officers and staff work in high-pressure environments, are repeatedly exposed to trauma, risk and fatigue, and often carry the impact long after an incident has ended. They deserve support that is practical, confidential and available before problems reach crisis point.
This police reform funding is a significant step in strengthening that support across England and Wales. Through the National Police Wellbeing Service, it will help expand access to psychological health checks, trauma tracking, ResetU and the Mental Health Crisis Line, giving officers and staff more ways to understand their wellbeing, manage the demands of the job and get the right help earlier.
Our focus is prevention and early intervention. By identifying need sooner and helping people access the right support at the right time, we can reduce the risk of issues escalating into crisis, while also easing pressure on forces, occupational health teams and other support services.
The implementation of these measures will be phased and developed with policing. This will ensure that they are practical for forces to roll out and deliver the best possible support to the officers and staff who will use them.
Dal Babu, former Chief Superintendent at the Metropolitan Police, said
Police keep our communities safe, running towards danger without a second thought for their safety, as we members of the public move towards safety. The new funding by the Home Office to support front line police officers with their wellbeing is to be welcomed.
As a former Chief Superintendent, I personally witnessed officers and staff deal with death, violence and distressing incidents and often being unable to access support. This government is helping our officers to receive the support they rightly deserve.
