More Help Needed For Officers Struggling With Their Mental Health

POLICE forces must be more proactive by stepping in to help to officers who are facing difficulties with their mental health and wellbeing, the Police Federation has said.

According to the Federation’s Demand, Capacity and Welfare Survey, 74% of officers were aware of force-provided reactive support services for mental health and wellbeing.

Less than half were aware of proactive support services offered.

“One thing our force is very good at is reacting to mental health,” said Steve Kent, Chair of South Yorkshire Police Federation.

“With our own counselling in the Federation, which we just started last month, and the force expanding its budget on counselling, we have got counselling covered. We’ve got systems in place like TRIM, which I actually think is excellent. All the things in place for when people have crossed that line and need us.

“What we’re not so good at as a force, and we can always improve on, there is an appetite to do this but it’s how we get there, is dealing with the root cause. We’re good at dealing with the exhaust pipe, but not what we put into the engine, and that’s the thing.

“We need to address and deal with the effect of officers needing to do forced overtime, officers not having meals. They’re the type of thing that build up to this crescendo.

“We are really good at dealing with people who are already broken or breaking. We need to do better to stop them getting broken in the first place. You might think it’s odd I’m focusing on this, but the thing I keep saying to the chief, and it’s almost like becoming my Shawshank Redemption moment when I keep badgering the library for books, is get people to have their meals, get people off duty on time, as much as you can. If you do that, you’ll crack it.”

171 South Yorkshire Police Officers took time off for mental ill health in the past year.

Steve added: “When you couple the fact you’ve not had a meal and you’ve got off late 4 times, and you’ve just been to a horrific incident that might be involving a child or something like that, that is what is breaking our officers.”