The Police Treatment Centres today became the latest organisation to join the growing number of emergency service employers, associations and support organisations showing their commitment to ending mental health stigma and discrimination in the workplace by signing the Blue Light Time to Change Associations pledge.
Photograph by Sam Oakes Photography
The signing took place at St Andrews, and representatives from the Police Treatment Centres pledged their support to the Blue Light Programme, promoting a better understanding of mental health problems while offering support and wellbeing advice to their members, staff and volunteers.
Patrick Cairns, CEO of the Police Treatment Centres said “Statistics show that police officers are more likely to experience a mental health problem, but that they are less likely to take time off work as a result.
In recent years we have seen a growing number of police officers presenting with these type of conditions at the Police Treatment Centres (PTC), and we anticipate that these numbers will continue to grow in the future. This is such an important issue for us at the PTC, that we want to ensure that we prepare all of our employees in the best possible way to deal with mental health issues, both for their own benefit, and in order to ensure that we support all of our police patients as effectively as possible.
The Mind Blue Light Pledge is an important pillar in this work, and that is why we are the PTC are proud to sign the Blue Light Pledge as a sign of our commitment to supporting better mental health awareness and support for all our staff, and all of our patients”.
Although the majority of our patients attend for physiotherapy, an increasing number of patients attend the centres for support following stress or illness. The Police Treatment Centres are currently developing a comprehensive and holistic new psychological well-being programme, which will significantly improve treatment of these types of conditions.
The Police Treatment Centres joins the wide movement of emergency service employers, associations and support organisations that have pledged to tackle mental health stigma and discrimination, including Derbyshire Fire & Rescue, Kent Fire and Rescue, Kent Police, Leicestershire Police, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, Staffordshire Police, Surrey Police, Sussex Police and Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust.
Paul Farmer, Chief Executive of Mind, said: “Not only are many of our blue light personnel struggling with their mental health, but they’re less likely to seek support or have time off sick than the general workforce. Good mental health should be a priority in any workplace but it is especially important that people exposed to traumatic of life-threatening situations - such as those working within the police, ambulance, fire and search and rescue services – receive appropriate and timely support.
We recognise the vital role organisations and associations that support the emergency services can play in promoting mental health and challenging stigma.
By signing the Blue Light Associations pledge the Police Treatment Centres is helping to fight stigma and promote positive mental health for their staff, volunteers, and the emergency services they support.”
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