Page 26 - WMPF Federation June-July 2021_Neat

Conference Day 2 - Farley Auditorium

Wellbeing: ‘It’s the

simple things that

need to change’

ational wellbeing lead Hayley Aley
says that ‘even the smallest changes
Nmade across the force will have a
huge impact’ on the welfare of officers, as
she joined a conference session called
Wellbeing – Whose Responsibility Is It?
Hayley’s comments were part of a
discussion that focused on the wellbeing of
officers, which highlighted the demands of
the job, pressures felt by staff and solutions
that could help combat wellbeing issues.
Looking ahead, Hayley said she hoped to
not be sitting here next year, ‘saying the
same thing over and over’.
“We’ve only just opened the box, looking
at what pressures are affecting officers,” she
said, adding: “We need to look at the things
that need to change to prevent mental
health and the physical issues people are
feeling. We need to prevent people from
walking away from the workplace because National wellbeing lead Hayley Aley. Steve Butler.
they can’t cope.
“It’s the simple things that need to Wellbeing Service (NPWS) service director at left the Force and, among other questions,
change, the day-to-day jobs. Those quick Oscar Kilo, who said it is vital officers who were asked what had contributed to their
changes will have a long-term impact on the open up about mental health are supported. decision to leave.
organisation.” “We’ve given officers the confidence to “Very recently, within the last month, we
Hayley was joined by Met officer and talk,” he said, “The data tells us that people had one notification saying that it was down
national wellbeing secretary Belinda are becoming more confident in sticking to workload, pressures of the job and
Goodwin, who said that wellbeing can be their hand up and saying they’re struggling paperwork kept increasing,” he said,
broken down into four parts, including with mental health. We need to be able to explaining that these comments had come
mental health, physical wellbeing, financial support them.” from someone who ‘takes pride in being an
wellbeing and general wellbeing. Several members of West Mercia Police active officer’.
“We have to stop just talking about it,” Federation spoke up about the wellbeing He added: “Taking criminals off the
she said, “We need to make fundamental issues felt across the Force, with the branch streets, that gave him the motivation, but it
changes to impact the wellbeing across secretary, Steve Butler, highlighting some of was very rare that he could do this. He found
forces.” the feedback he had received following a that, more often, he was stuck to his desk.”
Steve referenced another participant,
Constable Andy Rhodes, National Police recent survey. this time a sergeant, who said he had
Also joining the conversation was Chief
Those participating in the survey had all

“ had ‘only just been promoted’ and was
become ‘fatigued by the job’ adding that he
It’s the simple things that need to change, the
already ‘ready to leave’.
day-to-day jobs. Those quick changes will have

Steve ended by saying: “Let’s not lose
sight of why we need to get this right. If
a long-term impact on the organisation.
these officers break, the significance of these
breaks is huge.”
“
26 federation June/July 2021 www.polfed.org/westmids