- Conference
- 2019 Police & Justice Service Group Conference
- Date
- 16 May 2019
- Decision
- Carried
Many of our members work with the public in the best and worst of situations. Our call management staff can be dealing with a missing from home one minute and a murder the next. Very often our call management staff are the first port of call for those intending to complete a suicide and the police are their last chance for help. Our Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) can deal with abused children and adults or be dealing with the aftermath of a murder or suicide. This exposure has an impact upon their mental health and wellbeing and will ultimately have consequences if not checked.
Those staff working in control rooms are just as prone to the effects of post-traumatic stress as any other operational employee. Employers have a duty of care to ensure the health and wellbeing of their employees, and this includes their mental health. This conference believes that the employer should have something in place to assess workers who are at most risk. The provision of clinical support should be considered to provide intervention and support when needed. It is not sufficient to leave it to chance.
Conference therefore instructs the Service Group Executive (SGE) to:
1)Contact police branches to gain information about the incidence of mental health related sickness within operational Police staff roles;
2)Request information from branch about what is in place within their forces to support mental health and wellbeing for operational staff;
3)Based on responses received, develop advice and guidance for branches on how to encourage forces to put measure in place to support our members.