Investment is only way to help mental illness

THE only thing that can protect police officers from the host of mental illness they are experiencing is more cash, Essex Police Federation has said.

Chairman Steve Taylor was speaking after a round-table event was held by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary, the policing minister, officers and other experts in a bid to tackle the problems associated with mental illness, stress and trauma. 

Steve said: “This is better late than ever. Forces are trying to do the right thing here, regardless of how late that thing is.

“When it comes to welfare provision, I doubt there is a force in the country that wouldn’t reflect they were some of the first services to get cut and scaled back, and the consequences for this is dire.

“So, no. I understand the cynicism but we have to welcome the progress that we’re making in this field because it’s so desperately important when there’s so few of us trying to do so much more.”

In July 2017, the Home Secretary awarded £7.5 million from the Police Transformation Fund over three years to pilot and, if it is successful, fund a dedicated national service to help provide enhanced welfare support. The new service will complement the support already delivered at force level to serving police officers and staff.

After the meeting, a spokesman said: “The roundtable, chaired by the minister, focused on how the government can assist police chiefs in their statutory duty to manage the welfare of their officers.”

Steve added: “The wider point is that it’s the government and it’s forces that are making officers ill. They’ve got a responsibility to look after them.

“Chief constables are not magicians. They have been backed into the corner to make some pretty tough choices when it comes to provision and resource. The remedy is finance – the remedy is more financial support.

“By all means, reinforce for our chief constables that they have a duty to look after their officers. But to do so, without offering a solution, is like standing outside the greenhouse and just throwing bricks at it. Why won’t you step into the greenhouse with the rest of us and work towards practical solutions?”