National charity launches tailor-made mental health toolkit for officers

12 April 2021

An online toolkit has been created by the leading national charity Mind to support police officers and emergency service workers with their mental health during the ongoing pandemic. 

The toolkit, which will be available until February next year and will be updated over the coming months, has been launched to provide high quality mental health support and information.

Mind research has shown that two thirds of police staff believe their mental health had got worse – and in many cases, much worse – since the start of the pandemic. 

In addition to the new demands of the job, two thirds of police said they were concerned about passing coronavirus on to their friends and family, and 42 per cent said their mental health was affected by news and media coverage. A third of emergency services staff told Mind they didn’t look for help because they didn’t think their issues were serious enough.

Hertfordshire Police Federation chair Geoff Bardell has welcomed the launch of the toolkit and Mind’s efforts to offer support.

“Working in the police – and other emergency services - can be highly demanding when life is normal but many of our frontline officers have put their health at risk on a daily basis to protect the public during this pandemic. Tt comes as no surprise to hear that some people are struggling,” he explained.

“I’m pleased to hear that Mind is working with the emergency services to ensure officers and staff are getting the support they need. It is equally important for our members to know that the Federation is always here if they need help.” 

The new toolkit will help police officers manage their mental health, take care of themselves and also encourage them to reach out to family, friends and colleagues who might be struggling. 

The toolkit, which will build on Mind’s existing support for emergency service workers, will evolve based on feedback from the police community, and the charity will be adding new resources and sources of help when they become available throughout the year.

More information on the Blue Light Programme and the toolkit, along with advice and support, is now available on the Mind website.