Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that police officer initial training equips officers with adequate mental resilience.

The Government recognises the significant psychological demands of policing and is committed to ensuring officers are supported throughout their careers, from initial training through to retirement. The College of Policing sets clear standards for forces through the National Policing Curriculum for initial training. This includes required content on preparing officers for the operational and emotional demands of the role.

We are also taking further action through the Government’s Police Reform White Paper, including strengthening trauma prevention and early intervention and providing protected time for trauma and suicide prevention training for new recruits and supervisors to help build resilience and ensure officers receive the support they need throughout their careers.

While the Home Office is not undertaking research in this area directly, we continue to fund the College of Policing’s National Police Wellbeing Service, which works to develop and promote evidence-based approaches to psychological wellbeing and trauma support.

The presumption is that misconduct hearings, held for officers facing serious allegations of gross misconduct, should be open for the public and media to attend. This is in keeping with a general principle that discipline proceedings are as open, transparent and fair as possible for both the public and parties to the procedures.

However, by exception, misconduct hearings may be held in private, or reporting restrictions may apply when circumstances outweigh the public interest. This could be to protect sensitive operational or national security material or to safeguard individuals involved.

It is critical that officers involved in disciplinary procedures receive the support they need and that due process is maintained in accordance with principles of fairness and natural justice. The Police Reform White Paper commits to improving the consistency of wellbeing support across policing, including introducing more consistent wellbeing checks throughout officers’ careers to help identify and respond to wellbeing needs at an early stage.