Cambridgeshire Police Federation chair Liz Groom has welcomed the launch of a new mental health crisis line for police officers and staff.
The crisis line is now live and has been set up by Oscar Kilo, the National Police Wellbeing Service, with the national roll-out following a successful 12-month trial in the North East.
“Policing is now recognised as being the profession with the highest mental health-related sickness rates and I think everyone within the police service is concerned about this and the tragic number of officers who take their own lives,” says Liz.
“The mental health crisis line has been established to ensure that police officers and staff struggling with their mental health or having suicidal thoughts have somewhere to turn to for confidential help.
“It will be operated by fully trained counsellors who, critically, understand the world of policing and the pressures and challenges of a career in the police service.
“Police officers and staff deal with traumatic events each and every day as they go about their duties, serving and protecting their communities. That can understandably have an impact on their mental wellbeing. But, of course, they may also be facing difficulties in their personal lives and they do not go away just because they put on a police uniform. Under that uniform, they can still be coping with relationship, financial or other issues in their home life.”
The crisis line counsellors will provide immediate help in a crisis, keep the callers safe and stable as well as signpost them to more support based on their individual needs, including counselling, therapy or other services.
Call handlers will share their name and then ask for information about the caller’s situation. This is purely to assess the situation, and this information will not be shared – it is completely confidential. No information will be shared with the Force, occupational health or line management.
If there is cause for concern regarding any caller, a follow-up call will be scheduled.
Oscar Kilo is providing the service in partnership with TASC, the Ambulance Staff Charity, drawing on its experience of delivering a similar service for ambulance and fire service personnel.
The mental health crisis line will run alongside the specialist bereavement counselling service designed to help those affected by the suicide of a colleague.
Oscar Kilo aims to ensure that everyone working in policing has access to first-class wellbeing resources. It has developed a suicide prevention consensus statement and national suicide action plan, progressed the Police Covenant, supported the appointment of chief medical officer and advanced a national health and wellbeing strategy for policing.
As part of its Copped Enough campaign, the Police Federation of England and Wales is campaigning for fair pay, support for frontline risks, with an allowance recognising the dangers officers face and a plan focussing on officer retention but is also calling for better protection and mental health support, so officers are not forced to suffer in silence.
Liz added: “The mental health crisis line number is 0300 131 2789. I would urge all officers and staff to make a note of that number, it only takes a few seconds to add it to your contacts in your phone. You may never need to use it, but perhaps you will notice that a colleague is struggling and you could help them get the help they need if you have the number to hand.”