Report Summary
On Friday 21 April 2023, the Scottish Police Authority convened a conference on mental health and trauma in policing. This programme details the format of the day along with the speakers from various organisations in Scotland and beyond, and led to an interesting end-of-day plenary discussion and agreement on next steps.
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Welcome
The safety and wellbeing of our people is at the heart of our commitments. A career in policing is rewarding, but can also be incredibly challenging. Our Joint Strategy for Policing states:
“The emotional wellbeing of our people is as equally important as ensuring their physical wellbeing. We want our people to feel supported and empowered to seek help from colleagues and support services no matter the situation. There is a range of support available to our officers and staff. We will ensure that these support channels are easily accessible and available to all in their time of need”.
In order to demonstrate our commitment to understanding and addressing issues regarding the impact of trauma we must listen to lived experience and discuss our current practices, this, coupled with expert research and insight will ensure that any new approaches to support and advice for our officers and staff are evidence-led.
The three key considerations for the event are:
What can Police Scotland and the SPA learn from elsewhere?
What works well in Police Scotland and the SPA?
What could Police Scotland and the SPA improve on?
Conference Host
Fiona McQueen CBE
Scottish Police Authority
