Federation responds to increase in mental ill health sickness among Kent officers

19 June 2019

Response to increase in mental ill health sickness among Kent officers

Stress, post-traumatic stress, anxiety, depression, mental ill-health, well being generally are terms that we hear more and more frequently in all areas of our lives but particularly in policing over the past few years.

Comparing figures for Kent over the past two years has shown an increase in officers being absent with mental-ill health concerns of 19.7%, this is higher than the national average of 10.4%. We need to understand why this is and understand the impact of modern-day policing on its primary resource, its people.

All organisations must invest in their key assets to function, with 85% of its assets being people it's clear what this is for policing.

For several years now, we have seen demand on the police service and those who work within it grow at a rapid rate, the types of crime and issues officers deal with change from the traditional crimes such as burglary to now include cybercrime and, quite rightly, a focus on vulnerable victims.

We’ve seen unprecedented funding cuts to police resources but growing expectations in the service that policing will deliver, resulting in inevitable changes to the way policing is structured and delivered and, in the way officers are scrutinised.

In addition, we have seen increased awareness of mental ill-health problems. In terms of Kent Police, we have seen a genuine investment by the force to maintain welfare and occupational health services. That includes training for supervisors and managers in this area to reduce the ‘stigma’ attached to mental ill-health and to encourage officers and staff to come forward and ask for help.

Why raise this now? Since coming into post as Kent Federation Chairman, officer mental health and wellbeing has been my top priority. I wanted to see better recording and recognition of it and to continue to improve what was offered by the force to officers.

The reasons for this are varied but essentially, given the challenges officers now face, I wanted to ensure they received the help they were entitled to, to help address ill-health and the causes of that ill-health as early as possible and reduce the chances of officers going off sick.

This is important as once off sick with mental ill-health it's far harder to come back into the workplace and generally takes longer. This is no good to the individual but also impacts on that individuals’ colleagues as they take on yet more work.

I think it's fair to ask why is this such an issue now? Surely policing has always been a more traumatic job just by its very nature? I totally agree with this, but changes over the past few years have seen shift patterns finishing at ever increasingly unsocial hours, technological improvements have led to officers spending more time away from police stations and their colleagues especially with the increase in single crewing and lone working.

Other traditional support mechanisms have also reduced, it's not uncommon to be remotely ‘supervised’ by Sergeants and Inspectors, to not get a break and see colleagues. The removal of bar areas and canteens and a reduction in police stations also now mean the chance to engage with colleagues has reduced significantly. This is important because it removes the ability to ‘diffuse’ with colleagues who’ve shared the same experience, when you add this to going home in the middle of the night on a late shift it means there isn’t even the option to talk to family or friends.

It’s therefore vital that the traditional mechanisms of support are replaced to help officers cope with the demands and complexities of modern-day policing.

Much is already done in Kent which has seen continued investment in its occupational health and welfare services, trauma risk management process (TRiM), Feel Well, Live Well training programme and training for supervisors and managers to help them recognise signs of possible mental ill-health.

In addition, information is available for officers and staff on the internal intranet system and networks of colleagues set up to look out for each other such as the blue light champions initiative are all vital in helping officers and removing the stigma of reporting mental ill health. There is also more work in progress with increased welfare and risk screening for more roles within policing.

Kent Police Federation has also helped bring additional changes into the organisation with an agreement to the Federation's nine-point stress plan being signed up to by the Chief Constable which has already seen improvements in the way data is shared with the federation and sets out clearly the standards in this area that Kent Police want to achieve. In addition, the federation has worked with HR and health and safety within the organisation to improve risk assessments and refreshed risk assessments for those returning to the organisation after a period of absence.

Yet there is always more that can be done. Currently, Kent Police Federation is pressing to see the introduction of an independent 24/7 helpline for officers to be able to report in confidence if they feel they are struggling to cope, the helpline would be able to assist with initial signposting to help officers straight away.

It is also intended to help Kent Police understand where the stressors are within the organisation to address and reduce them. Additionally, with mobile technology an ever-growing part of policing life, apps on the phone assisting officers with advice and guidance on mental ill-health and wellbeing should be available to them.

I would also like to see the Home Office ‘Common Goal for Wellbeing’ adopted and embedded at every level of the organisation and this can start to be achieved through changes to the PDR appraisal system and at culture boards across the county. Investment is also being looked at for ‘quiet rooms’ across the policing estate for officers and staff and these are again a vital way of providing different ways to help staff cope with the complexities of modern policing.

To go back to the increase in officers reporting mental ill-health concerns, not just Kent but across the country, it is a concern that it is growing, and it must be addressed urgently.

It’s a complex picture and it involves people all of whom have different needs. The reasons for the rises will vary but it may well be a case of improved reporting and growing confidence in officers seeking help that has led to the rise.

However, we cannot simply accept this and carry on, we must accept that fundamental changes to policing and the way it now delivers its vital service to the public has changed and that we must protect policing’s primary asset, its people, in the best way we can. Ask any officer what the best thing about policing is, all will answer ‘the people they work with’. As a Federation Chairman it's those people we work with’ that I want to assist in every way I can.