“The Revitalised service is an excellent way of demonstrating our commitment to the health and well-being of our members. It offers great value for money and is highly recommended.”

Overview

The Police Superintendents’ Association of England and Wales (PSAEW) is the professional Association that represents the senior police officers in the 43 Home Office Police Forces, British Transport Police, Civil Nuclear Constabulary and Isle of Man Police in the rank of Superintendent and Chief Superintendent. Their members are the senior operational commanders and managers delivering local policing, specialist investigations and operations and support services within police forces.  

Background

In the early 1990s, the PSAEW noticed a downturn in the health and well-being of its members. The ever multiplying and challenging demands in the workplace and diminishing resources seemed to be having a negative impact on Superintending ranks. 

Poor well-being and long working hours presents various risks to the Police Service including: 

Health Risks: poor ongoing physical and mental health, risk of serious illness or even death, lack of/poor quality sleep and fatigue.

Performance and Effectiveness Risks: poor concentration and memory, poor decision-making and less clarity of thinking, poor time management, organisation and planning.

Impact on Outlook: low self-esteem and confidence, doubt over whether doing a good job/making a difference, dissatisfaction with work and home.

Impact on Others: marriage breakdown, impact on children, poor relationships in the workplace, poor relationships outside work and breakdown of social life. 

Wellbeing at work is important in the Police Service from a range of perspectives:

• Improved wellbeing of staff will reduce the costs associated with sickness absence
• Fewer staff are likely to leave the Police Service, retire early or take ill-health retirement if wellbeing is improved
• Healthy staff perform better, are more efficient and are better at handling interpersonal demands, such as dealing with members of the public
• Under Health and Safety legislation, the Police Service has a legal responsibility for the health and wellbeing of all employees. In addition, the way the Service treats its own staff should be a role model for the way officers treat the public (with respect and care).

Solution

As a result of the health issues that were identified and the clear benefits to be derived from adopting a wellbeing and work-life balance, the PSAEW developed a new ‘Be a Better Superintendent’ toolkit with a range of advice and tips for how to:  

• Perform better
• Feel better
• Live better
• Lead better
• Be Better Superintendents  

Launched in 2008, the aim of the toolkit is to help Superintendents and Chief Superintendents consider the impact of their behaviour on those they manage and to help them, through their management approach, to improve the well-being of their staff. Superintending ranks can set an example to managers in all ranks in the Police Service. 

In addition, through the toolkit, the PSAEW is taking a leading role and encouraging other Forces to consider their wellbeing. 

An integral component of the toolkit is access for all PSAEW members (and their families) to ‘Revitalised’ – a unique web-based resource offering personally tailored health support to help improve health and fitness. 

The system offers a combination of individually tailored support and guidance, along with access to general information covering all areas of wellbeing. It also helps users to positively change their lifestyle, improve fitness and health and control levels of stress. Importantly, the system is entirely confidential, can be used as little or as often as preferred, and can be provided to nominated friends and family members. 

Using the Revitalised system, the PSAEW were therefore able to provide a range of benefits to Superintending ranks including: 

• A Personal Training Plan (PTP) that can be carried out at home with no specialist equipment focusing on 3 distinct components of fitness – Cardio Vascular, Conditioning and Flexibility.
• A personalised Weight Management Programme (WMP) with information and advice in all areas of diet and nutrition – helping members to reach and maintain a healthy weight.
• Achievable goals are set for each member and performance is monitored through monthly feedback and regular assessments.
• Series of ‘10 minute wellness plans’ – updated monthly to focus on a different element of wellbeing, helping members to achieve health & relaxation benefits each day in 10 minutes.
• Positive Stress Management techniques – helping to manage & reduce the negative effects of stress.
• General information & support updated every month in the Advice Centre – managed by a panel of featured experts who members can contact for additional help & support through a free ‘Ask the Expert’ service.

Find out more…

If you would like to find out more about the PSAEW and the ‘‘Be a Better Superintendent’ toolkit’, please go to www.policesupers.com

If you would like to find out more about this case study and the Revitalised system, please go to: www.revitalised.co.uk