Mental health crisis line will help officers

12 August 2024

Rob Bowles was commenting after North Yorkshire became one of the pilot areas for the initiative which is part of the provisions of the Police Covenant and could be rolled out nationwide once demand has been assessed.

“We very much welcome this scheme and we are pleased that our region is part of the initial pilot. As a Federation, we have been saying for some time that more needs to be done to support the wellbeing of police officers and staff," he said.

“Policing is a demanding and challenging role and officers are often dealing with traumatic and stressful situations.

“They need to be able to access support if they feel they are struggling and I hope this crisis line will be part of a range of options to be made available to them.”

Struggling

Andy Rhodes, director of the National Police Wellbeing Service (NPWS), said: "Policing is a unique and rewarding but sometimes very challenging job. It is a profession associated with high levels of stress, fatigue and trauma exposure. This can take its toll on your mental health.

“But things can get really tough for lots of different reasons – it’s not always about the job. Our officers and staff deserve to have access to reliable mental health support when they are in crisis – no matter the cause.

Andy Rhodes, director of the National Police Wellbeing Service (NPWS).

“This line is about saving lives. It’s about providing people with an independent, confidential and safe place to go when they are in crisis and feel they have nowhere else to turn.”

The crisis line will be operated by the wellbeing arm of the Ambulance Staff Charity (TASC) which already provides crisis lines to ambulance staff and the fire and rescue service.

The service aims to offer up to six sessions of counselling and would support people with access to the NHS for further support.

The NPWS will build a business case for the crisis line over the first year, detailing costs before a tender goes out for 2024/2025.

The Police Covenant was enshrined in law as part of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022. The covenant is the Government’s pledge to recognise the bravery, commitment and sacrifices of those who work or have worked in policing.

It focuses on physical protection, health and wellbeing and support for families.