Inaugural response policing wellbeing and recognition ‘Week of Action’

South Wales Police will be supporting an initiative by the National Police Chiefs’ Council Response Policing portfolio to recognise and celebrate the work of response police officers which launches today (Monday 15 March).

A special emphasis during this week of action will be on wellbeing, and making officers aware of the resources available to them that can help to address important issues such as fatigue and resilience.

The NPCC has worked with Oscar Kilo, the National Police Wellbeing Service (NPWS), the College of Policing and the Police Federation, to deliver a range of wellbeing and resilience initiatives, co-ordinated specifically for response officers’ needs. These will be complemented by activities organised locally by South Wales Police.

South Wales Police Chief Constable Jeremy Vaughan said:

“Officers in response teams are the backbone of the policing service we provide to the residents of South Wales. They are often the first on the scene when incidents occur and deal with a wide range of issues, including complex and sometimes confrontational situations.

“The officers never know what situations they’ll be faced with when they begin their shifts, they do incredible things every single day to keep our communities safe, and because of that I am particularly proud them and the service they deliver”.

“No two shifts are the same, and the officers in these roles come from many different backgrounds but work together as a team to help keep south Wales safe. This week will seek to raise awareness of this important area of policing and the valuable contribution our response officers make.”

National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Response Policing, Deputy Chief Constable Serena Kennedy added:

“The aim of the week of action is for response officers to be heard and valued, to see their workplace successes celebrated, to know that their wellbeing is important and to understand how and where to seek support when it is needed.”

National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Wellbeing, Chief Constable Andy Rhodes concluded:

“Response officers work in incredibly demanding roles and regularly see the very best and the very worst of humanity. It is so important that we do what we can to support them.

“These officers have told us, through national surveys and through their own forces, that wellbeing, resilience and fatigue are big issues that they are facing. We want them to know that we are here to help, and during this week of action, a range of resources created specifically with response officers in mind will be made available across the country.

“It is important to know that this is not just a one-off event; we want to use this week as an opportunity to let officers know that support is available to them and to their forces, all year round.

“The wellbeing of officers and staff is a priority for all police chiefs. We are always listening and support will always be there for those who need it.”