Dyfed Powys Police to take a positive step in tackling trauma - 14 May 2007
Dyfed Powys Police is to roll out a trauma programme for its 2,200 staff in a bid to help reduce the effects of stress following workplace experiences.
The Trauma Risk Management initiative (TRiM) is being piloted this year after a rise of the awareness of possible effects of traumatic stress upon police officers. It is modelled on support services used by the British military.
As part of the initiative Dyfed Powys Police has trained over 20 volunteers from its staff – selected for emotional maturity and showing an interest in employee wellbeing – to lead structured conversations in a bid to help officers deal with trauma.
Having to deal with serious incidents, including road traffic accidents, violent assaults, murder and suicides, can lead police officers to suffer from deep psychological conditions that could cause serious harm if left untreated. Not intended as therapeutic intervention, TRiM is designed to monitor and encourage people to seek support before their psychological condition possibly deteriorates.
The pilot is being evaluated through the Healthy Minds at Work project, a £5million European initiative that aims to tackle stress and anxiety in workplaces across Wales.
Pioneered within the armed forces in the late 1990s, TRiM is a post-incident management system. It is carried out by practitioners who talk to those affected by trauma approximately three days after events, to give time for the initial shock to dissipate.
Andrew Edwards, Assistant Chief Constable, said: “Introducing TRiM is a big step but one that we believe will help our staff tremendously. We have worked closely with Devon and Cornwall Police who are utilising TRiM so that we can work to quickly embed the initiative firmly within the organisation.
“Wellbeing amongst our staff is a highly important priority, and with Dyfed Powys having to police more than half the land mass in Wales, we need to ensure that we support officers so we help them deal with stress and avoid absence from work.”
Healthy Minds at Work, is a partnership between disability employment specialist Remploy, Unison Cymru, and a range of public, private and voluntary sector organisations. Launched in September 2005 and supported by the European Social EQUAL Fund and Remploy, the project has worked to develop strategies that help individuals to deal with stress related issues and stay in employment. It also helps employers by enabling them to keep skilled staff and avoid substantial recruitment and training costs of replacements.
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