Event Summary

Fiona McQueen welcomed delegates to the events and set the context for the day before handing over to Deputy Chief Constable Fiona Taylor and Scottish Government Criminal Justice Committee Convenor Audrey Nicoll MSP for opening remarks which focused on a recognition of the challenges often faced by officers and staff in delivery of their duties and the ongoing focus of both Police Scotland and the Parliament on officer and staff wellbeing.

All opening remarks recognised the impact that delivery of core responsibilities within the policing system can and does have on the mental health and wellbeing of officers and staff, and the need to address these challenges in the widest possible sense – recognising the collaboration and collective action required.

Session one of the day gave an overview of the nature of trauma and its impacts. Delegates heard from Dr Karen Goodall of the University of Edinburgh and Gill Moreton from the Rivers Centre of NHS Lothian. Karen’s presentation on trauma informed approaches in policing drew on relevant research projects conducted with officers, explaining how exposure to adverse childhood experiences can increase likelihood of mental health conditions and is associated with higher work stress within policing. Gill gave delegates an overview of the lifelines Scotland model which is an approach to supporting the wellbeing of Scotland’s emergency services community, through a public health and preventative approach to helping officers and staff stay well.

In the final input of session one delegates heard from four colleagues from across the policing system. Scott, Jason, Laura and David shared their own personal and lived experience on how exposure to trauma in delivery of their role impacted on their mental health and wellbeing. They stressed that often it’s not one ‘big event’ but a culmination of the day to day which impacts on individual wellbeing.

Session two looked at how organisations currently approach workforce trauma, with inputs from SPA Forensic Services, Scottish Ambulance Service, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, Police Scotland and Walking with the Wounded. Delegates heard about current supports such as Trauma Risk Management (TRiM), peer support networks, staff engagement, and post incident supports. Speakers also outlined current wellbeing strategies in place across organisations, and work to focus on the proactive building of resilience across the workforce.

After lunch delegates heard (through video input) about practice in other jurisdictions from Jess Miller, Police Care UK, and Vernon Herron of Baltimore Police Department. This focused on sharing insights from research and practice from different systems.

Delegates then had the opportunity to reflect on all they had heard over the course of the day, focusing on what we can learn from elsewhere, what currently works well and what we could look to improve on.