Wellbeing and mental health in policing

Dear Convenor

Ahead of an evidence session scheduled for 11 September 2024, I am writing to provide an update to the Criminal Justice Committee on efforts to strengthen the wellbeing and support available to officers and staff working within policing.

In January 2024, the Authority updated the Criminal Justice Committee that significant engagement, discussion and action had taken place across the policing system to shine a light on mental health, wellbeing, and support available to our workforce.

Since then, there have been further developments including an independent review of Police Scotland’s Health and Wellbeing Framework by Thrivewise, organisational health and wellbeing specialists and a Frontline Focus Wellbeing Review by HMICS.

The findings of these reviews have been considered in detail by Police Scotland, and the Authority’s People Committee. Along with the range of insights gathered over the last two years, the recommendations in both reports have informed a single Wellbeing Action Plan developed by Police Scotland to focus and strengthen the wellbeing support available to our entire workforce.

The Authority’s People Committee is satisfied that the Plan captures the range of wellbeing activities needed and expected of a large modern police workforce. These activities, along with agreed reporting mechanisms, will support ongoing monitoring and provide evidence of progress to future People Committee meetings.

Police Scotland is a large organisation, both in terms of budget and workforce – comparable to some of the Scotland’s largest private companies. As a Board of non-executive members, the Authority’s oversight of workforce wellbeing centres on three specific areas:

1. Leadership: Ensuring there is a clear, public commitment from the Leadership Team and senior staff that the wellbeing of the people working within policing is a priority.
2. Strategy: Assessing whether clear organisational plans are in place to address wellbeing.
3. Delivery: Measuring progress, overseeing, and reviewing how staff wellbeing is measured, reported, and acted on.

The Authority is in no doubt of the leadership commitment to prioritise the wellbeing of the policing workforce. Police Scotland’s Chief Constable Jo Farrell has made an unequivocal commitment to workforce wellbeing which is shared by her Deputy Chief Constables, Assistant Chief Constables, and Divisional Commanders.

The Authority is confident that there are a range of wellbeing activities and initiatives currently available to support our workforce. National initiatives such as, Lifelines Scotland or Trauma Risk Management (TRiM), are balanced alongside local initiatives such Trauma Impact Preventative Initiatives (TIPT) or Paddlewell used in the Highlands and Islands, which support officers and staff to decompress and process traumatic incidents.

The development of a Wellbeing Action Plan will set out how the leadership commitment will be realised with specific, actionable, and measurable steps. The Authority expects Police Scotland’s reporting to our People Committee to evidence progress in delivering planned actions and demonstrating resulting impact. This will take further sustained effort over time, however the Authority has assessed that Police Scotland now has the foundations and commitment to improve wellbeing across the service.

The results of the current Employee Engagement Survey will be key in providing a current baseline against which future improvement can be measured. An update on the results and follow up actions will be reported to a future People Committee.

You requested an update on the following which I have summarised below: