Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what training her Department provides to senior officers in the (a) Metropolitan Police and (b) Hertfordshire Constabulary to assist and support police officers who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.

It is the responsibility of Chief Officers supported by the College of Policing to ensure the welfare of their employees which includes supporting officers with specific welfare needs by signposting to relevant services and additional support. This responsibility also includes ensuring that good management systems are in place to support officers in their work.

The Strategic Command Course (SCC), which prepares police officers and staff for promotion to the most senior ranks in the service, includes specific content on staff wellbeing and the importance of supporting staff as well as being a theme that runs throughout the course. The style of delivery includes practising techniques such as peer coaching.

The College of Policing have produced specific risk-management guidance to forces regarding how to assess and manage areas of policing where there is a higher level of exposure to psychological hazards known to be associated with an increased risk of anxiety, depression, primary and secondary trauma.

Specific sections of the National Policing Curriculum in the new degree apprenticeship, for police constables, also cover health and wellbeing in which post traumatic stress disorder is covered specifically.

In July 2017, the Home Secretary awarded £7.5million from the Police Transformation Fund over three years to pilot and, if it is successful, fund a dedicated national service to help provide enhanced welfare support. The new service will complement the support already delivered at force level to serving police officers and staff, covering mental health advice and welfare support.