Resilient Senior Leaders Programme
Recent Updates
We are the winners of the Excellence in Health & Wellbeing award at the Association of Business Psychology Awards 2022
The Problem...
Wellbeing is a priority area for UK Police forces, particularly during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Promotion to superintendent rank, with its complex and competing pressures, can leave officers vulnerable to stress and burnout. The cumulative legacy of repeated exposure to traumatic incidents during a 30-year career can heighten the risk of developing anxiety, depression and PTSD symptoms, magnified by the isolation of leadership roles. Those who report depression link this with occupational stressors including workload, demand and a macho-organisational culture where there remains a stigma around mental health issues.
The Statistics...
There were high levels (63%) of reported mental health issues, stress, low mood and anxiety with 91% of respondents stating difficulties were made worse through work (Police Federation of England and Wales, 2019).
As demonstrated by the Superintendents’ Resilience Survey (2019), over three quarters (77%) of senior officers reported an excessive workload.
This can have a negative impact on officers’ mental health with the majority of suicides in work occurring in the five years prior to retirement (Violanti et al., 2011). After retirement police veterans’ rate of suicide is 3 times that of the general population (Violanti et al., 2013), with 5 years lower life expectancy (Brandl & Smith, 2013; Caudill & Peak, 2009).
What Can Be Done?
The training programme is always bespoke to the needs of the force, and as such, our initial needs assessment shapes the way that Superintendents will experience the programme.
Needs Assessment
We start by interviewing Senior Police employees to understand the needs of the force at the current time.
Peer Support Training
Select individuals will engage in training to become a 'Peer Supporter', equipping them with the right skills to engage with and help others in the force.
Reflective Practice Sessions
These sessions will be a safe, open space for Superintendents to discuss and share with others, reducing stigma around asking for help