Dogs Providing Welcome Boost To Officer Wellbeing

WELLBEING and support dogs at South Yorkshire Police are assisting officers suffering from stress, trauma and burnout.

The initiative was introduced as part of a wider move to offer better welfare support for the front line.

The dogs are all much-loved pets of police officers and staff members, and following a training and a suitability assessment they are available for visits to different teams and colleagues across the force to provide a wellbeing boost.

They can be deployed to meetings and de-briefs following serious incidents, to help get people talking in the aftermath of often traumatic events.

South Yorkshire Police Federation Chair Steve Kent said: “The officers I’ve spoken to who have seen the dogs coming in and have actually said it’s a really good move, that it changed the tone of the day and put a smile on their faces.

“The feedback we have been getting is that the dogs just changed their general feeling about the place. So it’s actually been quite warmly received by the officers who have seen the wellbeing dogs so far.

“It’s a bit of positive distraction. But I think we need to see this as just one aspect of the whole wellbeing agenda.

“Dogs alone are not going to solve the problem of wellbeing in the force but the initiative is one of those little things that help to add to the atmosphere.”

Chief Constable Lauren Poultney said: “Our police officers and staff work incredibly hard to keep our communities safe, and will often be exposed to danger, trauma and stress in their line of duty.

“In recent years, police forces nationwide have recognised the value of dogs in helping the workforce with their wellbeing. When a dog scampers into a room, the atmosphere instantly changes and people want to fuss over the dog. It is an incredibly simple but effective way of encouraging our teams to open up when they’re having a difficult time.”