LEARNING TRAUMA IMPACT PREVENTION TECHNIQUES

impact prevention techniques (TIPT) training.

The three days of training held at Bolton Police Station in June was provided by former police officers Mark Chambers and Lee Jackson, of the Police Care UK charity, and Dr Jess Miller, the author of ‘The Policing Mind’ who developed the training course.

GMP and representatives from the Wellbeing Board welcomed the team to learn quick, simple and effective techniques to boost the brain’s hippocampus and make sense of difficult and traumatic situations, to build resilience to future trauma exposure and minimise the risk of developing a disorder from trauma.

The techniques have been developed following extensive research by the University of Cambridge and Police Care UK.

In 2018 a total of 70 new recruits from GMP were at the forefront of the research and participated in a study following the Manchester Arena attack, to test the feasibility of post-incident trauma processing techniques using a Randomised Controlled Trial (RTC) design.

The study showed that the use of trauma techniques greatly improved wellbeing and recall after incidents.

It also showed that trauma techniques established a sense of safety and closure around incidents, and that they were teachable and well-received by the new recruits.

The techniques are safe and effective in increasing a person’s ability to make sense of difficult experiences at work.

Discussing the techniques, Lee Jackson said: “For a person who doesn’t work within the police, they may experience three or four traumatic experiences within their lifetime. This could include a bereavement or the breakdown of a relationship.

“Serving police officers can be exposed to 300 to 400 traumatic events during their career. No-one can experience that amount of trauma without experiencing some sort of side-effects.

officers and police staff who have been part of distressing and traumatic events in their line of work.”

The trauma impact prevention techniques include mapping techniques – mapping a sense of ‘where’ – timelining a sense of ‘when’, the ‘positives and the dull’, the ‘safety cue’ and the ‘what elses’.

In the coming months a cadre of GMP trainers who are approved to deliver the training by Police Care UK will start to roll it out to student officers.

This will enable officers to address challenges faced by the workforce, including exposure to traumatic incidents and situations.

As part of the strategy developed by GMP’s Wellbeing Board, the Blue Light Wellbeing Framework (BLWF) identified the opportunity to improve the programmes provided by GMP to build resilience.

The BLWF is a self-assessment tool that sets the wellbeing standard for the emergency services. The objective is to encourage personal responsibility through the provision of education and resources to empower officers and staff to take an active role in promoting their own health and wellbeing.

For further information about trauma impact prevention techniques, please visit www.policingtrauma.sociology.cam. ac.uk/techniques

Free real food lifestyle programme

Our Wellbeing Team were delighted to be joined by ambassadors from Public Health Collaboration (PHC) during the two-week Wellbeing on Tour.

The charity is dedicated to empowering people to take control of their health and saving the NHS money.

PHC does this through multiple projects.

We are living longer, but sadly almost half of the UK population now regularly take prescription drugs and almost 75 per cent of 45 to 74-year-olds and 59 per cent of 25 to 44-year-olds in England are overweight or obese.

The charity’s aim is to inspire people and educate them about the fact that most chronic diseases can be prevented and reversed by maintaining good metabolic health through sustainable diet and lifestyle changes.

PHC shares a vision of a healthier future for all, and it all starts with the food we eat.

Real food does not come with ingredients – real food is ingredients!

PHC runs a free eight-week real food lifestyle programme for weight loss and metabolic health. This can be accessed through the Ambassadors Programme at phcuk.org.

Thank you and happy retirement

June saw Will Chatterton chair his last Counter Terrorism Policing North West wellbeing meeting before he retires. He has led CTPNW’s wellbeing committee for many years, achieving Silver Workplace Wellbeing Charter status.

At his last meeting he was presented with a certificate from Andy Rhodes, Director of Oscar Kilo, the National Police Wellbeing Service, to acknowledge his contribution to wellbeing.

It has been a pleasure for our Wellbeing Team to support Will, and the team and our Wellbeing Co-ordinators wish him a long and happy retirement.

Samaritans’ Talk To Us campaign

Monday 24 July (24/7) is Samaritans Awareness Day, because the charity is there to listen 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

On this date and throughout July Samaritans will be running its Talk To Us campaign to remind people that the charity is there for anyone who needs someone to listen.

Every year in July Samaritans branches in the UK and the Republic of Ireland hold local events to raise awareness that the charity is on hand at any time of the day or night to listen to anyone who is struggling to cope.

Whatever you are going through, you can call Samaritans for free any time, from any phone, on 116 123.

Bereavement support options

As July sees the wellbeing calendar theme move from bereavement to mental health, we would like to remind you of the support available to you if you are struggling with a loss.

• Peer support: GMP has a network of wellbeing volunteers who use their own personal experiences to offer a non-judgemental, confidential listening ear. You can be put in contact with a peer supporter or resilience coach by emailing wellbeingvolunteercoordinators@ gmp.police.uk

• Health Assured: You can contact our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) provider for free and in confidence 24/7 on 0800 028 0199. As well providing advice and information on a range of issues, Health Assured can arrange for you to speak to someone about a bereavement you are going through.

• Cruse Bereavement Support: Cruse specialises in listening support for people who are grieving. You can call the charity for free on 0808 808 1677.