Supporting the Health and Wellbeing of the Police Service

It's important for me to take time to visit police officers and staff based in stations and departments across the Service, to have the opportunity to speak with and perhaps more importantly, listen to them personally.

Yesterday, I had the chance to visit our Occupational Heath and Well-being department, which is responsible for the delivery of health protection, promotion and monitoring. The department also provides psychological well-being, musculoskeletal, medical and nursing and physical and health education services.

The department's main aim is to improve the health and well-being of police officers and police staff by delivering a range of proactive and responsive services. The unit began delivering occupational health services in the early 1980's with just a few members and was sadly in response to the very difficult policing environment being faced by the Royal Ulster Constabulary at that time.

Today a fantastic range of services is provided by a team of around 40 healthcare professionals and support staff. The unit is very much seen as a model of good practice nationally and internationally and I was absolutely delighted to see them recently receive first place in the Health and Wellbeing category of the CIPD People Management Awards 2011.

Policing by its very nature is a physically and mentally challenging occupation. Whilst we have some very experienced and resilient people, the officers and staff of your police service see and do things that most other people will never ever have to encounter or experience.

Some of the incidents members of the Police Service deal with or attend can have very significant and long term consequences for them personally. It is therefore absolutely critical that we have the right people with the right skills in place to identify health concerns at the earliest opportunity, to provide support and assistance to our people when they need it most.

More often than not these people are in the background and less visible to the public than many parts of this organisation. But that does not mean they are any less important.

Not only is it important that we look after our people when they need assistance, but it is equally important to ensure that, as a public service, we do everything possible to ensure that our people are fit, healthy and happy at work in order to better deliver that personal, professional and protective policing service that the public expects.

Our officers and staff deserve the very best support we can provide and I know that the Occupational Heath and Well-being department are a critical and essential part of your police service.

For an organisation in a uniquely challenging environment, they provide a world class service of which we are all very proud.