Wellbeing... Who cares?

Wellbeing‌who cares?

Individual and organisational wellbeing in the context of a trauma-informed national programme of change

Jo Ramessur-Williams Michelle McManus

Why wellbeing: it is not a new issue?

Wellbeing data Data for Welsh forces 2013-2017 A Freedom of Information request showed 86 officers across the four Welsh police forces were too ill to work in June due to mental health issues.

In June 2013, it was just 37 - marking an increase of more than 130% Source: BCC Freedom of Information request

Leadership role & wellbeing: PIF results • • • •

Clear desire & understanding of benefits in ACE-informed approach High demand of the day job limits opportunities & time to engage Conflicting messages from leaders about priorities.

Lack of resources to pick up ‘lower risk’ issues, reinforcing reactive, crisis-driven responses.

– Schools conflict = levels of support for pupil wellbeing versus academic standards required; – Police conflict = crime issues & public perceptions, versus high demand of vulnerability with limited powers & pathways of early help.

“This is why we want to really peel back and look at wellbeing as a prerequisite to effective learning” (R4)

Why wellbeing: it is not a new issue?

Honest & open

Safe: do no harm Engage

Trust

Appropri ately support

How the programme is supporting learners • Clear understanding of role of researchers prior to them attending training • If they agree to being interviewed by researchers, hard copy of internal and external support agencies specific to that force available • During training, self care referred to by ACE coordinators and MIND blue light training referred to • Facilitate group discussion during training around secondary and vicarious trauma and associated coping mechanisms • Post training welfare check carried out by supervisor on those who have attended • Links to internal and external welfare services available on force intranet • In conjunction with leads, development of compendium of external support agencies bespoke to force

Why wellbeing: it is not a new issue?

• Comprehensive examination of wellbeing: – 152 interviews (qualitative review) – 21 training sessions, 265+ (quant review overlay and influence of other factors)

What are officers saying?

“I think there is a lot of Officers who suffer with a lot of depression who are on – I mean I am on tablets for anxiety and everything – I think it’s quite surprising really how a lot of people actually really need to use some of them. I think there could be more things available for Officers, I think sometimes there is this expectance I think because we wear this uniform that we don’t suffer with depression of anxiety or mental health problems but we do” PCSO

What can impact on wellbeing?

• Bureaucracy • Workload • Support available to individual • Support available to team • Confidence in the system • Physical access to support • Wellbeing being a ‘tickbox’ activity • Support of supervisor • Impact of seeking support to promotion prospects

Don’t take our word for it “if say you went through some traumatic event and you suffered mentally with that, then for instance, going down the line then, how would you be looked upon potentially whether you were just going to a new department, being promoted” PC

“I’ve been here a while now so if there is anything with regard to wellbeing I won’t use the organisation. Only because there will be records of it, there will be a report somewhere that someone could read and I’ve got no confidence in the organisation that I work with so for me, I will always use my own GP or whatever other services are available to me.” PS

ACE TIME training: Benefits to individuals Enhanced understanding of what ACEs are and how common they are in society

Understand that ACEs do not have to determine an individual’s life course

Person

Enable professionals to apply an ACE lens in their own lives to support their own wellbeing

Facilitate development of their own resilience/protective factors and apply them in their day to day life

Potential outcome WITHOUT ACE TIME training

Incident Health harming activity

Respond to behaviour

Officer goes off sick

Incident escalates

Complaint made against officer

Use of force required

Potential impact …

Increase in: • • • •

Complaints Officer sickness Overtime Time officers are off for as engaging in health harming behaviour • Workload for those on the same team

Decrease in: • Staff wellbeing • Public confidence and satisfaction • Job satisfaction and related motivation • Time officers serve

Potential benefits of ACE TIME training for organisations: Incident Consider root cause of behaviour

Less health harming behaviour

Hypothesis Deescalate incident

Less sickness

Less complaints

Less use of force

Potential benefits of ACE TIME training for organisations:

Potential benefits of ACE TIME training for organisations:

Outcomes …

Final thoughts …

Operationalising it ‌

CI Dyfed Bolton Sharon Fernandez

Questions Michelle.mcmanus@wales.nhs.uk Jo.Ramessur-Williams@wales.nhs.uk dyfed.bolton@Dyfed-Powys.pnn.police.uk Sharon.Fernandez@wales.nhs.uk