Front-line review leads to wellbeing pledge

12 July 2019

The Home Office has vowed to embed wellbeing at the heart of policing and free up front-line officers’ time for core policing activities.

It comes as the report into last year’s Front-Line Review of policing, which puts forward six recommendations for reform, was launched by police minister Nick Hurd this week.

Al Wollaston, general secretary of Hertfordshire Police Federation, has welcomed the Home Office’s pledge on wellbeing and has called for more to be done to support officers.

“I know people were dubious about whether the front-line review would truly engage with those actually working as police officers and police staff but it would appear it did. Now we need to see the Home Office, police leaders and other stakeholders actually deliver on the report’s recommendations,” he explained.

“The Police Federation has been saying for many years that police officers and police staff are suffering because of the pressures of trying to maintain an effective service for our communities despite ever-shrinking numbers and ever-increasing demand.

“We cannot pay lip service to wellbeing; we have to support our people who, day in, day out, are putting their lives on the line to protect the public.”

The Front-Line Review was announced by Home Secretary Sajid Javid when he spoke at last year’s Police Federation conference in Birmingham.

As part of the review, a total of 28 workshops were held in England and Wales with all 43 forces being involved. Issues raised by those taking part included the fall in officer numbers, the increase in demand, the general feeling of being undervalued, a disconnection between the front-line and senior decision-makers and some scepticism about the new wellbeing agenda.

Launching the review report, Mr Hurd said: “We wanted to hear directly from the front-line of policing and the messages were clear. The need for more people. The call to stop wasting police time. The desire for more of a say in the decisions that affect the front-line. The need for more time and support for both training and wellbeing.

“We have listened and now we are taking action with our partners to make sure police officers, staff and volunteers have the support they need, wherever they serve. This is on top of the increased investment to recruit more officers.”

 The report’s recommendations include:

• New guidance empowering police to push back against responding to inappropriate requests for attendance, often health or welfare-related, and where the police have neither the right skills or powers to respond
• A commitment to look into shift patterns with a view to give officers more time for wellbeing, as well as personal and professional development
• Bringing police chiefs and their staff together to find solutions to the front-line’s frustrations over internal bureaucracies, including administration and inefficiencies, to free up time; and
• National Inspections assessing how well forces promote staff wellbeing.

John Apter, national Federation chair, has called for all stakeholders to work together to ensure the recommendations prioritise mental health and wellbeing.

He explained: “I see this Front-Line Review as the start of something which must make a positive difference. The success or failure of that will depend on the Government’s will to push this through.”

Led by Mr Hurd, the research team partnered with the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to hold the review workshops and gather evidence on a wide range of issues affecting the working lives of officers, staff and volunteers with key themes including wellbeing, professional development, leadership and innovation. 

Progress against the recommendations will be assessed next year.

The report.