Page 14 - WMPF Federation JUNE-JULY 2019-flip_Neat

It could run alongside a piece about PTSD – have I sent
you that???
Peer support Trying to get a pic to go with this.

TRiM: ensuring a consistent

approach Force-wide

review of the trauma risk scene. But this is not the case at all. It usually “While there was a policy this wasn’t
management (TRiM) support offered comes into play some time between 48 aligned across a wider wellbeing strategy
A to officers and staff and the hours and a week after the event,” says and wasn’t clearly understood.,” says
subsequent identification of a lack of Lorraine. Lorraine, who has worked with senior
awareness of what it does and doesn’t entail “Once a TRiM practitioner has spoken to managers, line managers, TRiM managers
has led to new policies and procedures being the individuals involved, they will use their and practitioners and others – including the
put in place. assessment to generate a score which will Force chaplains – to help develop clearly
These will be backed up by the help identify if further help or a follow-up defined procedures to ensure there is an
recruitment and training of more TRiM will be needed. The process is confidential over-arching support mechanism for officers
practitioners, the roll-out of awareness and details of the sessions are not shared and staff.
training sessions and the provision of extra although a line manager may be made TRiM should be used, she explains, to
information on the Force’s wellbeing portal aware if urgent support is needed.” identify the need for management support,
as well as an input to CPD events. Under Force policies, trauma is defined encourage a self-referral to the 24/7
“We have found that the delivery of TRiM as: Employee Assistance Programme or trigger
support is patchy across the Force. We have An event which includes exposure to death, a de-brief session based around
some pockets of best practice where officers’ threatened death, actual or serious injury or normalisation which, in turn, will allow
and staff’s individual needs are being actual or threatened sexual violence. individuals to understand if their feelings fit
identified and met but then we have also The exposure may occur directly within the ‘normal’ range given the
heard of instances where the TRiM processes (through witnessing the event in person) or circumstances.
have just not kicked in,” says Lorraine Horner, indirectly (learning of a close friend or There is an in-built acknowledgement
the Force’s wellbeing manager. relative’s trauma - this should be a that the very nature of policing means those
“There seems to be a lot of mystery considerably close relationship and the working in the service will be faced with
surrounding what TRiM does and doesn’t do trauma will have linked to an on duty traumatic situations but with that comes a
as if it’s some kind of dark art so we want to incident). means of supporting those struggling to
tackle that and also ensure there is a more However, Lorraine, who took on the come to terms with what they have seen or
consistent approach throughout the Force. wellbeing manager’s position in May this dealt with.
We want to give people clear expectations year after two years as the occupational “It can involve a potentially challenging
of what TRiM should deliver.” health service delivery manager, points out conversation led by a line manager who will
TRiM is not intended to be a diagnostic much depends on the people involved: be trained to ensure their language is
tool but should be used to gauge someone’s “Individuals’ reactions differ so for TRiM it is appropriate and sensitive and therefore not
reaction to an incident based on assumed not only defined by the event but also adding to the stress of the individual,”
symptoms of trauma and then review those defined by the individual. This would be Lorraine says.
reactions in the short, medium and long term. identified at a de-brief with the line manager “Conversations will be centred around
The aim is to provide the person involved having a conversation with the individual. how can we help them and how they can
with a means to manage their own reaction “It is easy to focus on major incidents help themselves.”
and understand it in the context of what is and tragic outcomes but TRiM can be used The process also involves a period of
considered normal in the circumstances. It is for near misses and a collection of smaller what is termed as ‘watchful waiting’. After a
not intended to actually provide support or incidents which have taken a toll on the period of 28 days from the date of the
advice but should identify if someone does member of staff equally as much as in incident, a psychological screening
need extra support and signpost where that response to a major incident.” questionnaire will be sent to officers and
may come from. A major incident earlier this year staff affected and this will be used to see if
“There seems to be a misapprehension highlighted an inconsistent approach to any further actions or referrals are required.
that TRiM is something that is instigated in TRiM prompting a review of the processes “We do not want to see anyone slip
the immediate aftermath of a traumatic and the subsequent regeneration of the through any nets,” explains Lorraine,
“ helping people who, due to their job, have
initiative.
incident with people perhaps rushing to the
“Ultimately, wellbeing should be everyone’s
job but we do need a formalised process for
It is easy to focus on major incidents and tragic
been faced with a traumatic situation.”
outcomes but TRiM can be used for near misses and
There are currently five TRiM managers

across the Force area backed up by a larger
a collection of smaller incidents which have taken a
team of TRiM practitioners. Refresher
courses will be offered and a recruitment
toll on the member of staff equally as much as in
process will begin with training factoring in
the need for those offering the support to
response to a major incident. be resilient themselves due to the vicarious
trauma they may suffer.
14 federation June/July 2019 www.polfed.org/westmids
“