- Conference
- 2025 Police, Probation and CAFCASS Conference
- Date
- 16 June 2025
- Decision
- Carried
In the period 2011-2022 there were 242 suicides of serving police officers and PCSOs in England and Wales. Additionally, 27 communication operators, 17 probation officers and 10 people who worked in child abuse roles.
The STEP (Suicide Trauma Education Prevention) campaign has been launched by the Hampshire Police Federation which looks to reduce the number of people in policing taking their own lives.
Conference notes the diverse nature of policing and the roles within that are completed by Police Staff who are exposed to trauma regularly in the course of their normal duties. Unfortunately with the ever increasing workloads, understaffing and lengthy misconduct investigations the amount of trauma police staff are exposed to is increasing.
The STEP campaign raises awareness of the amount of trauma that those in policing face however the focus is currently largely on police officers. Hampshire Police Federation are keen to work with UNISON to raise awareness amongst police staff keeping us within the heart of the campaign alongside police officers.
Conference calls on the the SGE to:
1. Survey Police, Probation & CAFCASS branches to see what trauma support currently exists for their members, who this is offered to and when;
2. Support the current work of the Hampshire Police Federation to promote this campaign to all UNISON Police, Probation and CAFCASS branches.