Page 38 - Top Cover Issue 9

38 TOP COVER ISSUE 9
38 TO P COVER ISSUE 9
PFOA NEWS

The WSP has been live from the 1st the NLP coaching and they agreed benefit of our hard working members,
June 2015 and so far 58 officers have to the request. NLP coaching is an who on occasions, have to deal with very
registered with them from 16 forces that excellent way of addressing our callers’ extreme situations.”
has resulted in a number of calls from concerns and the PFOA has a number The WSP will lead by example. British
officers and their family members asking of coaches who can carry out this work police officers provide the best policing in
for support or advice. The WSP has should they be required. Using PFOA the world for the British public in their
been able to take their concerns directly coaches has a number of advantages as time of need, so isn’t it right and proper
to a Federation single point of contact they are all serving or ex-police officers that our police officers can expect in their
(SPOC) for each force and together and therefore have an understanding of time of need, the best support available
develop a plan of action to address the policing and it’s system; they follow the to them? The WSP will be there for them
concerns of the callers. The action plans same confidentiality rules adopted by the and we intend to develop our services
between the WSP and the SPOC change WSP and the PFOA so thereby ensuring and work with our support partners to
from call to call but, as an example to that confidentiality within those rules is create a first class organisation that gives
the large differences in concerns, one guaranteed and, finally, they have great officers and their families the care they
case entailed an urgent call to a SPOC as experience in supporting police officers really need when they really need it. The
the officer required immediate support and their families from their work with WSP is a two year pilot scheme which
as WSP staff were concerned about the the PFOA over a number of years. is directly funded by the PFEW and the
officer’s mental health, and another call Tom Cuddeford, Deputy Chair, PFOA, and it is vitally important that
was from a family member asking for Joint Branch Board, West Midlands during this period it grows to benefit
advice on how to cope with changes at Police Federation states “Since the officers and their families therefore
home due to the officer’s suspension. introduction of the Federation Welfare ensuring that the deep financial cuts
The wide range of calls received so far Support Programme in June this year, across the public service do not remove
addresses the need for the service and as West Midlands Police Federation the crucial support required by officers
highlights our key function in offering SPOC, I have started signposting and they can continue their work safe in
immediate independent support and eligible members to the Programme, all the knowledge that someone is ‘watching
advice to our callers and then helping of whom have really appreciated this their back’.
them take it forward with the Federation channel of support, above what the Policing is changing and the likelihood
and other support services. Force offers officers. I have just come off of gaining ‘overnight stardom’ will only
Assisting an officer with NLP the telephone to one of our members, increase as officers take on more dynamic
coaching showed a further example of the who has also received coaching from roles and subsequently encounter the
good liaison between the WSP and local the Programme. He informs me that scrutiny from the Independent Police
Federation branch board. After talking it was a weight off his mind to be able Complaints Commission that follows
with the officer, the WSP contacted the to talk to someone totally separate to when an incident occurs. Officers have
officer’s SPOC and identified to him the on-going Investigation regarding a never stood alone under such scrutiny
issues that were affecting the officer death in custody and felt far better after and now the WSP will stand with them
and offered a solution through NLP speaking to the very engaging coaching and their families ensuring they have
coaching. The SPOC approached the individual. As SPOC I will definitively the best support available – ‘We care
branch board with a request to fund be promoting this Programme for the we do’ ■

If you would like further
information on the WSP
please e-mail
Stuart Haythorn,
Welfare Support Officer for
the WSP on
stuart@pfoa.co.uk
or call on
07841 583631