Next week is ‘response policing week’ and are supporting the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC), the College of Policing, and the Police Federation, to deliver a range of initiatives, co-ordinated specifically to support, develop and recognise the role of response officers.
As part of this our fleet of wellbeing vans will be out and about in forces including Kent, Cumbria, Lancashire, Humberside, Thames Valley, Nottinghamshire, Cambridgeshire and GMP. If you see one in your force please pop over, say hello to your wellbeing team, have a chat and find out how you are being supported both locally and nationally.
Two of the forces Nottingham and Humberside have kindly shared with us how they will be using the vans during response week.
Anwaar Ahmed from Nottinghamshire Police said: “Each afternoon during response week we will be taking the Oscar Kilo wellbeing van to different response hubs across the force. By going to different locations, we hope to reach as many response officers as possible.
“This is going to be a fantastic opportunity for officers to meet and talk to practitioners from our wellbeing team, TRIM coordinators and our police chaplain. Also accompanying the van will be representatives from the Police Federation, the Police Treatment Centre and Copper Pot credit union. We hope that by visiting the van, officers will get a better understanding of what these services offer and the part they play in wider policing.
“Our occupational health unit will be on the vans offering health checks, this is always popular amongst our staff as it gives them a good overview on their health, and if any concerns are raised we can signpost for further treatment.
“Anyone visiting the van will be offered refreshments, they will be able to pick up literature about wellbeing, Copper Pot, Police Mutual and TRIM. We will also be giving goodies such as water bottles, key rings, pens, stress balls.”
Humberside Police Wellbeing Coordinator Stephen Mirfin said: “The wellbeing team will be visiting five of our stations across Humberside with the Oscar Kilo wellbeing van. The team will be providing all the usual information with support from our force chaplain, positive action team, OK9 wellbeing dog and handler and our welfare and benevolent fund. There will also be representatives from the Police Treatment Centre, UNISON, Police Federation and the NHS.
“There will be tea, coffee and biscuits on offer, and we will be giving officers and staff the opportunity to have a quiet chat with one of the team or just take five minutes to relax for a short while. The team will be conducting blood pressure checks, along with an array of supporting agencies in attendance to complement our own resources.”
To find out more about what’s on during response week and to see a list of the live sessions available and to book your places, visit the College of Policing website here:
Find out more about our wellbeing vans and how to book them
Further resources
Fortis Therapy wellbeing interviews