Dyfed Powys Police supports Mental Health Awareness Week and Dementia Awareness Week

Dyfed Powys Police is supporting the Awareness Weeks which take place between 16th-22nd May this year.

The theme of the Mental health Awareness Week is relationships, as good relationships are considered essential to maintaining good mental health. This includes working relationships within the force, relationships with the public and personal relationships.

Dyfed Powys Police recently published its Strategic Equality Objectives for the next four years and two of the objectives support mental health issues inside and outside of the organisation. They are

• To provide a high level of service when responding to cases of persons experiencing mental ill health or crisis;
• To promote health in the workplace through raising awareness of mental ill health and distress preventative measures, with a view to reduce absence on the grounds of psychological sickness.

Deputy Chief Constable Liane James said:

“Having specific objectives helps keep everyone’s mind focused. It’s really important we deliver a service that is accessible to all our communities and is mindful of all our communities’ needs. It is also important that our Officers and Staff are supported to deliver a standard of service that remains amongst the best nationally.”

Our local Neighbourhood Policing Teams continue to support Dementia Friendly communities throughout the Force by becoming recognised Dementia Friends, with a number of officers becoming Dementia Friends Champions in order to allow them to deliver the inputs themselves. Several departments within the Force have already received the input, including our Force Communications Centre, and our Hate Crime Support Officers are receiving the input as part of their annual refresher training.