Wellbeing update from the Home Office – but why 2021?

MEASURES aimed at improving police officer and staff health and wellbeing have been set out in a new document from the Home Office – but cops have questioned why they don’t need to be implemented until 2021. A

Common Goal For Police Wellbeing aims to ensure that every member of the police service feels ‘confident that their welfare and wellbeing is actively supported by their force’.

And that officers have ‘access to appropriate support for their physical and mental health needs.’

The report says this should be achieved by 2021.

Police Federation Vice-Chair Ché Donald who attended the meeting said: “This is a positive step forward to improving the welfare support available to officers up and down the country. The timescales for officers to see and feel this support on the ground will be key to convincing them that the Chiefs mean action.

“Resilience in the police service is at an all-time low – with unprecedented cuts and officers being asked to do more with fewer resources – it’s no surprise that this is having an overwhelming negative impact on their health and wellbeing.

“Findings from our demand, capacity and welfare survey revealed that a concerning 80% of officers said they suffered from stress, low mood and anxiety. 92% of which said their psychological difficulties had been caused or made worse by work.

“Police officers are exposed to horrific things on a daily basis which undoubtedly have a significant impact on their mental health and wellbeing. Things that others wouldn’t even experience in a lifetime. But because ‘it’s their job’ it seems there is an expectation for them to brush it off – but police officers are not immune and early intervention and support is crucial in ensuring their long-term welfare and the overall sustainability of our police service.

“I am positive that we are making progress and we have a shared vision in place for the future of police welfare but more needs to be done sooner to ensure that all forces have appropriate and consistent welfare provisions in place to look after the people who we rely on to keep us safe.

“Chiefs should be investing in their current welfare provisions regardless, cost is no excuse. If you think welfare provision is expensive, it pales in comparison to the cost of sickness.”

In order to achieve its goal the report wants forces to focus on prevention and early intervention, to make sure standards are consistent across constabularies and for innovative ideas and best practice to be freely shared.

Policing Minister Nick Hurd wrote that the report follows a number of meetings he’s had with high ranking officers and police focused groups and organisations.

“I hosted a roundtable discussion drawing together a range of organisations with a stake in police wellbeing… to consider how the Government can help police chiefs in their duty to support officers,” he says in the document’s foreword.

“A key outcome was a need to agree a shared vision for police wellbeing. We need to be really clear on where we want to be in the future and begin the work to get there. We want to act quickly and have a chosen 2021 as the timescale to deliver this goal.”

The report also sets out the responsibilities around improving wellbeing in the sector and it tasks Chief Constables and PCCs with ensuring that the measures are put in place.

Evidence from frontline staff will also be sought through the College of Policing’s Welfare and Wellbeing project while HMICFRS will be capturing evidence of progress through its PEEL assessments and Force Management Statements.