Co-producing an emergency services well-being strategy in the UK (LEPH2018)

Perhaps it is important to firstly outline a few of the multiple sources of pressure that Emergency Service Responders (ESRs) are experiencing in the UK. This may well be, and seems reasonable to assume, the status quo throughout the US, Canada, and Australasia. Primarily, they inhabit a world in which their safety and success requires them to be constantly alert and attentive to the smallest indication of a hazardous situation or an important piece of information. These demands can lead to a chronic state of hyperarousal. The pressure to remain constantly vigilant and engaged, while challenging and exciting, can lead to psychological exhaustion and burnout if not managed correctly. Furthermore, and as alluded to in the seminal work by Gilmartin (2002), ESRs post-duty can experience detachment, tiredness, isolation, and apathy in what he refers to as “the hypervigilance recovery period” (p.49). Additionally, there are hindrance stressors that emanate from governmentimposed austerity measures. By way of example, in the UK these measures have resulted in reductions in services across the ESR piste (Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services [HMICFRS], 2017; National Audit Office Report on NHS Ambulance Services, 2017). The challenges of all this, together with technological advances in the way ESRs operate, have led to increases in reported stress (Tehrani & Hesketh, 2018), and have contributed to a landscape that requires more effective well-being interventions to help the workforce. To address this critical wellbeing requirement, the Blue Light Wellbeing Framework (Hesketh & Williams, 2017) was introduced in the UK. This framework helps ESR organizations to become cognizant of good practice in relation to six key areas known to impact on the well-being of ESRs. The framework is sector-specific, and is grounded in academic research together with Public Health England expert guidance. The framework clearly demonstrates the UK police service’s commitment to officer and staff well-being, focusing on six key areas: Absence Management, Leadership, Creating the Environment, Mental Health, Protecting the Workforce, and Personal Resilience. To supplement these six aspects, which are included within the framework, further guidance was provided to fill a lacuna in the areas of Psychological Risk Management (Hesketh, Tehrani & Harrison, 2017), Responding to Trauma (Hesketh & Tehrani, 2018) and PTSD (Hesketh, Brewin, Tehrani, Harrison & Miller, 2018). The overarching focus is on creating a positive working environment, one in which both officers and staff can draw meaning and purpose—the underpinnings of workplace well-being.