Well-being expert says depression and anxiety results worse than norm for UK policing
Senior police officers have told a personal resilience survey that they face “bullying behaviour” from managers who out-rank them with serious implications for employee well-being.
The survey, conducted by Police Superintendents’ Association (PSA), also found a worrying long hours culture driven by a desire not to look weak further damaging officers’ health.
Of the survey respondents, representing 82 per cent of PSA members, 41 per cent reported that their senior management’s approach to supervising performance was “harsh and unhelpful”. More worryingly, 28 per cent reported seeing “bullying behaviours” by officers ranked at chief of police level or by direct line managers.
Occupational therapist Emma Donaldson-Feilder, who presented the survey to the PSA’s annual conference, commented: “If you are working long hours and feeling stressed, it is really hard to manage people well. How can you look after yourself in order to look after the people you manage?”
She warned that a “macho culture” prevented superintendents and chief superintendents from asking for support or admitting when then could nolonger cope.
And more than half (55 per cent) of respondents said that they work hard so their seniors and colleagues would not view them as weak.
“The long working hours, depression and anxiety [found by the survey] is considerably worse than the norm across UK policing," added Donaldson-Feilder.
In response Lancashire Constabulary’s deputy chief constable Andrew Rhodes told the Police Oracle website that there was no “one size fits all approach” for supporting individual wellbeing and resilience.
“One of the big issues is around performance culture and the behaviours that drive that culture. We have got a real command and control culture – it is fast, quick, and we sacrifice engagement. Changing the performance culture has been a big opportunity and one we take with our eyes wide open. Well-being is the greatest risk to our organisation but also the greatest opportunity.”