The RESLEAPS Programme
Funded by Movember and Gilette, the University of Leicester’s Resilient Senior Leaders Programme is a prevention programme for police Superintendents, which fosters a trusting culture and creates a safe space to share concerns…
OUR AIMS
To Increase...
Psychological wellbeing, resilience and self-compassion
To Reduce...
Symptoms of anxiety and depression
To Improve...
Psychological safety and rates of PTSD
To Build...
A trusting and safe workplace culture
What We Do
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. With the impact of COVID, we have developed flexible methods in engaging with forces, such as using Microsoft Teams, though we prefer to meet in-person.
Reflective Practice Sessions
These sessions will promote safe, open space and protected time for Superintendents to reflect on the challenges and difficulties they face in their roles together. 6 one-hour sessions will be facilitated by the delivery team.
Peer Supporter Training
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. This takes the form of 8 modules, and takes the form of a 'buddy' system, pairing a new-to-rank Superintendent with a soon-to-be retiring Superintendent.
Why Use a
Buddy System?
Following our pilot programme with Lancashire Police Constabulary, our findings highlighted that amongst the cumulative trauma experienced over a 30-year career and high workloads, two key areas of vulnerability were noted.
These were Superintendents that are new to the rank in the force, and those that are close to retiring from the force. Both key points are areas that represent massive life changes to the individual, both with commonly reported lack of preparedness.
Issues such as loneliness in role, imposter syndrome and being thrown in the deep end were common amongst new-to-rank Superintendents. However, feeling undervalued, loss of status and purpose were common amongst those soon to be retiring.
By pairing up a new-to-rank Superintendent with a soon-to-retire Superintendent, information can be passed from old to new, giving a sense of purpose to those retiring whilst reducing anxiety and imposter syndrome to the new-to-rank.
Testimonials
For much of the time I kept these feelings and their consequences to myself. However, following the introduction of the Leicester Uni-led peer support programme in my force that changed, as did my outlook and coping approach towards retirement and life after the cops.
Now ten months into the “after life” it has been a bumpy ride, for various reasons. But, I still fall back on the mechanisms worked through in our peer sessions. I have also maintained regular communication with members of the group to check-in and share experiences and challenges as our post policing journey continues.
I think it’s been beneficial to get to know people you wouldn’t normally know… we’ve seen the benefit of it in the Supers’ association because we’ve had more honest conversations, in that meeting since that happened, I think we’ve seen the benefits of some of that already