The role of a welfare support officer is not a new one, developed initially by South Wales Police and the Met it is already being implemented in numerous forces across the country.
In its simplest terms, being a welfare support officer for a colleague is exactly what many of us would expect it to be, an offer of support, a point of contact and where necessary a voice or representation within the organisation.
Working with experts from South Wales police and the Met we have pulled together some generic guidance around the role of a welfare support officer and how to implement and develop the scheme locally.
We are not aiming to replace any local provision or procedures and will not be offering training, but what we have done is pulled together some useful advice, aimed at forces who are looking to implement the scheme and the individuals who are interested in the role.
For forces who don’t have a welfare support officer program in place, or need additional support with their programme, this online resource will assist with the setting up your scheme, getting the correct paperwork in place and developing your local training. We can also put you in touch with forces who have already got successful schemes in place.
If you are in the role or thinking about volunteering as a welfare support officer in your force, there’s a great section on what is expected of you, your force, and more about the departments you may have to deal with. You can use this guidance to learn more about the role or to refresh your knowledge if you’re already in the role.
This is not a training course, it is an online resource which can be used alongside the support, information and training you will receive locally.