I joined the Police in 1991 as a Special Constable in Blackpool, then in 1996 I joined as a regular officer. I spent my first ten years on response and Roads Policing, before going into CID where I've worked ever since.
I'd always viewed people struggling with mental health/stress as being “soft". My view was pretty much along the lines of “You're in the cops, you're going to see some unpleasantness, so toughen up and get on with it" – only I would've put it a little more bluntly. I packed away 99.9% of the grim stuff we see day-to-day in this job, but never really dealt with or processed any of it properly. I certainly didn't talk about it.
In 2012/13, this all finally caught up with me and I had a full-on “shedder". The trigger event for me was being one of the first officers on scene at a child drowning as the night DC and desperately trying CPR with colleagues to save his life until the paramedics arrived. We were unsuccessful and the child died that night. It sounds terrible, but this wasn't the worst thing I've seen in my police career and I carried a lot of anger that it wasn't something more serious that had tipped me over the edge.
I was subsequently diagnosed with (and treated for) work-related PTSD. Even ten years ago, there wasn't nearly as much support for staff; things are much better now, although I still think even more could be done. There wasn't much of a support structure other than “Speak to your line manager" or “Occy health". Which is fine, if you have a good relationship with your line manager, not so much if you don't. I was fortunate enough that I had colleagues and friends who I did trust in the organisation, so they were my first port of call and they did the initial groundwork to help me get the assistance I needed, internally and externally.
All of this led to my interest in wellbeing and getting trained to be a peer supporter. I wish something like this had been available when I was struggling. We are a large enough organisation that whatever someone is going through, it's almost guaranteed someone else will have been through very similar, so will have an idea of how you're feeling.
While peer supporters AREN'T counsellors, we are able to offer guidance, suggestions and signposting to where people can get help, both internally and externally. There's no one size fits all solution, but being able to speak to someone who's been through something similar might open one’s eyes to what pathways could be available to get help. Peer support isn't just for health (mental or physical), but for a whole range of issues, not necessarily job related, like debt, caring, school issues, family issues, etc.
I am also an Ambassador for the Police Treatment Centres (who I can't say enough good things about). Many people don't realise the PTCs not only offer physical rehab, but in recent years have offered Psychological Wellbeing Treatment. I don't know anyone who's been to either of the centres at Harrogate or Auchterarder who has ever said they haven't benefited from going.
In 2017 I had a motorcycle accident, which left me with life changing injuries (I had a fractured pelvis, fractured right ulna and radius and shattered right femur). After 21 years of paying into the PTCs, I'd never been but since my accident, I've definitely had my money's worth! For police officers, attendance is counted as duty time, so it doesn't count towards any sick leave. Serving officers normally get a two week block for both physical and psychological rehab, but this can be split into single weeks. Depending on the nature of injury and clinical need, further stays can be authorised and I've been lucky enough to benefit from this. I'm fifteen surgeries in (14 to reconstruct my femur) and hopefully getting towards the end of my treatment with the NHS, but I'll continue to make use of the PTC.
The PTC facilities are fantastic. There's a full team of registered physiotherapists, who are used to dealing with “police specific" injuries, such as torn rotator cuffs or twisted knees/ankles. They understand the mechanism of these kind of injuries, but also the best treatments for them. As well as the physios, there are classes targeting specific injuries, a pool, hydrotherapy pool, a fully equipped gym and additional classes like Pilates, yoga etc. The Psychological team are equally well qualified and have a great understanding of what makes cops tick, how and what breaks us and how best to fix us. I only wish I'd had this option when I was struggling with my mental health, but I'm certainly not going to complain that I've “only" been for physical rehab. On my first visit I walked in on crutches, two days later I was down to one and when I left, I could manage without any.
Although the PTCs were originally solely for serving/retired officers, they've gradually increased the eligibility criteria, including specials, CDOs, police staff investigators and CSIs. The great news is that ALL police staff can benefit from joining from 1 January 2024. The payment is just £7.80 a month, so I think it's an absolute bargain for such a great facility.
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