Page 36 - Top Cover Issue 9

36 TOP COVER ISSUE 9

PFOA NEWS

The Welfare Support Programme (W.S.P.) is the new distinctive system of support
for officers that has been developed by the Police Federation of England and Wales

(PFEW) and the Police Firearms Officers Association (PFOA) and is ready to offer

officers and their families a more personal way to deal with life’s pressures.

ost people don’t ‘cut it’ is what comes after the incident these support systems sometimes don’t fit
join the police to – where the officer and their actions are everyone’s needs and can leave families
become famous. looked at and scrutinised and where they of the officer feeling separated from
They don’t join to achieve unwanted ‘overnight stardom’, the support that, after all, is primarily
become household through their names and actions being focused on the officer. Something was
names and printed in press articles or discussed in needed to support officers and their
Mhave their lives the media by the ‘hindsight’ experts or so families together and not only when the
scrutinised by the general public but called policing experts. officer was involved in a PIP but when
choose to become police officers from the officer was cut off from colleague
a sense of public service, duty and the support or just when they needed that
desire to protect their communities from extra platform on which to rely when
criminals and bullies. To carry out their “Overnight stardom things weren’t going as they should.
role, police officers are trained to deal can be harmful to your Federation figures for last year show
with situations that range from giving that 40 officers took their own lives – 11
simple advice to dealing with major mental health. Yeah. whilst they were suspended. These are
incidents and everything else in between haunting figures and perhaps reveal that
and, most of the time, the training gives It has ruined a lot of although there are a number of systems
the officer a sound platform from which people.” Clint Eastwood available for officers, there is still a broad
to carry out their role. But as police gap in the care and welfare of officers
officers all know, the ‘job’ has a habit of that needs to be addressed urgently. The
turning sour very quickly and a simple PFEW recognised this and entered into
call to someone shouting in the street Post Incident Procedure (PIP) and discussion with Mark Williams from
can turn out to be a scene where a victim Trauma Risk Management (TRiM) are the PFOA to find a solution. The result
has been seriously wounded and officers some of the options available to support of the meeting was the creation of the
have to use lawful force to detain the officers and, together with Federation Welfare Support Programme (WSP) that
suspect, maybe with hand strike, maybe support, occupational health, colleagues started on June 1st and is available for
with a baton, maybe with a Taser or a and families, they develop into a support the use of all federated ranks and their
firearm. After all, officers are trained network that helps identify issues at an families across the country.
in openhanded skills, batons and some early stage or assist in monitoring the The WSP offers a 24 hour, 365 days
officers in Taser and firearms; but all officer through what is sometimes a a year telephone support line for officers
are trained in the law around the use of lengthy investigation into their actions. and their families where they can speak
force. Where the training doesn’t really Although excellent in what they do, directly to our trained staff regarding the