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A new monthly Family Support Evening to welcome loved ones of new joiners into the world of policing has been launched.
The first session was held at headquarters on Wednesday (28 February) for families and friends of new officers – including Specials – and staff who have recently joined the constabulary.
Force Welfare and Blue Light Co-ordinator Ruth McRoy said: “We all know that policing is a job like no other but the family and friends of those who have recently joined us may not be aware of the big impact it might have on their loved one, and on them too.
“Policing roles can sometimes be challenging and the incidents we deal with can sometimes be distressing. While there are plenty of days where we get great job satisfaction and a feeling of making a real positive difference, this also comes with difficult days.
“Therefore, it is important to raise awareness of how loved ones can support those new to policing, what warning signs to look out for if someone is struggling and the additional support available both in force and elsewhere.
“It’s also the simple things, for example if your partner forgets to pick up the milk on the way home or is late returning home, it could be because something else from their day/night is on their mind or they had to stay late to complete or handover a job.
“It’s now more widely recognised that policing can have an impact on your entire family and/or friends rather than just the person that has joined.
“So, it’s important to know where to go to get advice. The national police wellbeing service, Oscar Kilo, now has a section of its website dedicated to family life (opens in a new window), covering mental health, communication, sleep, finances and other topics.
“In force we have a comprehensive package of welfare support available to our workforce that is widely promoted as well as specific inputs to teams to help them to prioritise their welfare.”
Force Wellbeing Strategic Lead Chief Superintendent Jon Simpson said: “We pride ourselves on being a family force and I am delighted that we are now expanding our wellbeing support to families of officers and staff, so they in turn can understand the pressures of policing and better support their loved ones through their careers.”
Thinking about joining policing? We have a variety of officer and staff roles available. Find out more one our careers website.