The Government has pledged to do more to support the families of police officers and staff, as well as people who have left policing, in the latest Police Covenant Annual Report.<\/p>\n
The report said the Home Office will develop more support for police families, saying: \u201cResearch commissioned by NPWS [the National Police Wellbeing Service] suggests that there is a detrimental impact on the families of those working in policing compared to other professions. This is related to the high-pressure nature of the work, level of accountability and unpredictable nature of the demands of the job.\u201d<\/p>\n
It also noted that there was currently no post-service employment gateway for police officers and staff, and that there needed to be a \u2018leavers toolkit\u2019.<\/p>\n
South Yorkshire Police Federation Chair Steve Kent said that he welcomed these initiatives and supported the Police Covenant, but that \u201cit will only be worth the paper it’s written on when it’s acted upon\u201d.<\/p>\n
He continued: \u201cIt’s got to be far-reaching, and it absolutely does have to support families and leavers, because people leave the police damaged, there’s no two ways about it, and as a result of that their partners and family members are damaged.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe policing world has a vicarious effect on loved ones and marriages. It can cause problems in terms of people being stressed and depressed outside of work, so it absolutely needs to be recognised.\u201d<\/p>\n
Steve said that poor mental health in police was \u201can epidemic\u201d. He said: \u201cThe vast majority of officers who speak to me admit that they’ve got anxiety of some form and that they’re worried and stressed. That has to be at the forefront of conversations, and the more we talk about this, whether in the Police Covenant or elsewhere, the better, because at the moment there’s no appreciation for the working environment that cops find themselves in.\u201d<\/p>\n
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