Oscar Kilo the National Police Wellbeing Service has developed a new short film and mental health awareness package called ‘Purpose’. It is part of a package being offered to police forces across the country as a way to create awareness, spark debate and self-reflection.
Purpose is a short but powerful film based on real-life experiences of working police officers and has been developed by a team of people who are all experienced in policing.
Interviews were carried out with a range of officers, psychologists and experts to establish a broad view of the challenges faced by officers and staff. The themes are also reflective of the issues identified through national police wellbeing surveys.
It also touches on some of the themes of the Police Covenant including the importance of peer support and the impact of the job on the families of officers and staff too.
The story follows a new recruit ‘Alfie’ as he begins his career as an officer. The focus starts on his background and childhood, before picking up on key themes such as fatigue, trauma exposure, bureaucracy, and the importance of line management. It also brings in other day-to-day challenges that aren’t necessarily connected to work but can also take their toll.
Andy Rhodes is the Service Director for the National Police Wellbeing Service. He said the film is called Purpose because there’s a reason why most people join the police. He explained, “Policing can be very much linked to our experiences, and what we’re searching for in our careers is often about wanting to be connected to something that’s important and full of purpose.”
The Oscar Kilo team has worked with a psychotherapist and trainer who has vast experience of working in policing to top and tail the film to guide the thinking and help break it down into helpful themes, Andy added.
“It is intended to help people watching think about what’s going on in their own lives and hopefully help them spot any warning signs early, because quite often we will normalise these things and don’t see that cumulatively, they are starting to have an impact on us.“
This resource is intended to act as a platform to encourage officers and staff not only to be more self-aware but also encourage thinking and discussion on how systems and processes could work better to support officers and staff and provide an opportunity for signposting and support.
www.oscarkilo.org.uk/resources/toolkits-and-campaigns/purpose
Photo credit: Shutterstock.
