Hitting Numbers Hitting Health The impact of austerity

Hitting Numbers, Hitting Health: The impact of austerity and reducing officer numbers on well-being Dr Joan Donnelly and Mary Elliott-Davies Research and Policy Police Federation of England Wales Joan. donnelly@polfed. org and mary. elliott-davies@polfed. org www. polfed. org @PFEW_HQ

Reduced numbers § In the past 4 years the service has experienced a central budget cut in excess of 20 per cent § a loss of approximately 16, 000 police officers § the equivalent of the entire six forces of § Devon and Cornwall § Avon and Somerset § Wiltshire § Hampshire § Surrey, and § Sussex.

“Cuts have consequences” …. But what exactly are they? …. Who do they affect? …. How big are they?

Scoping the issues § In Feb 2015 focus groups were held with front line officers to gain insight into officers’ experiences of § Current officer staffing levels and factors affecting this § The impacts of officer staffing levels on officers and the general public § The data from the focus groups were analysed and clustered into common themes to explore the relationships between reduced officer numbers and outcomes § A thematic model was developed to illustrate all themes that emerged and the way that they interact with each other

Data analysis Global themes § The demand capacity balance § Internal pressures § External pressures § Outcomes

Internal pressures § Headcount ‘[there are] Just not enough officers to cope with incidents and still carry on with normal policing activities. ’ § Resource management for example, opaque and inconsistent ways of determining minimum staffing levels, shift rota management ‘Staffing levels are bigger problem in the evening, after 5. Won’t really be solved by better shift patterns, a big part of the problem is not the number of front line cops but the numbers of civilian staff and specialist officers. ’ § Planned and unplanned absences ‘Officers being dragged to court then being told that they’re not required – this takes up a lot of time. Some places use virtual courts but you still have to wait around and then the case is adjourned or something. ’ § Guidance and tools

External pressures § Impact of partner agencies deficits “Other agencies have made choices and have dropped the level of certain services because of cuts. The police haven’t…and now doing the work of other agencies as well” § Public and partner agencies expectations “Communities expect low level crime to be dealt with by the police” § Political and criminal change E. g. political will to investigate historic crimes, and changing legislation

Outcomes § 3 main groups of outcomes were found 1. Officer welfare hazards “Personal stress. You are expected to do something, but you can’t” 2. Reduced performance “If officers aren’t visible on the streets there is an increased opportunity for crime” 3. Public welfare hazards “Public is put in danger as there are not enough officers so thy have to wait longer for attendance at (e. g. ) violent domestic situations”

For more information please see: Elliott-Davies, M. , Donnelly, J. , Boag-Munroe, F. , & Van Mechelen, D. (2016). ‘Getting a battering’ The perceived impact of demand capacity imbalance within the Police Service of England Wales: A qualitative review. The Police Journal: Theory, Practice and Principles, 89, 2, 93 -116.

§ These results have lead to several separate workstreams that aim to explore the following: 1. The relationship between demand capacity and officer welfare hazards – quantitative research 2. A qualitative study to explore the welfare support in forces 3. The relationship between demand capacity and police performance 4. A practical study to examine the nature of demand, taking into account key stakeholder expectations and the changing context – aimed at ensuring the right numbers of officers for the tasks

Work stream 1: The relationship between demand capacity and officer welfare– quantitative research

Demand officer welfare 1. What is the current psychological and physiological welfare profile of police officers within England Wales? 2. Are the following related to demand & capacity: • Increased physical risk for officers • Increased stress and fatigue • Increased sickness, and; • Reduced morale. § If so, how do these hazards relate to officer headcount, and the demand & capacity balance.

Response Profile § Survey period: February 2016 § 17, 434 responses. Analyses conducted on 16, 841 cases after data cleansing. § Some respondents did not answer every question. Some graphs in this presentation therefore contain fewer responses. § 43 Forces represented

Demand Capacity www. polfed. org @PFEW_HQ

How would you rate your workload over the last 12 months? 100 Proportion (%) of Respondents 90 80 70 66 60 50 40 30 33 20 10 0 1 Too low / Much too low About right Too high / Much too high

Proportion (%) of Respondents Job Demands & Capacity 100% 90% 80% 28 80% 70% 60% 50% 37 40% 30% 10% 0% 35 9 7 17 11 11 50% 40% 20% 13 70 84 78 20% 10% 0% Sometimes We have time to We generally have There are enough engage in proactive enough officers to officers in my policing in my manage all the team/unit for me to team/unit demands made on us do my job properly as a team/unit Never/Seldom Strongly Disagree/Disagree I have unrealistic time pressures Often/Always Agree/Strongly Agree Neither Agree nor Disagree

Officer Staffing Proportion of Respondents If your team/unit has a minimum staffing level, how often has this been met in the last 12 months? 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 4 43 32 21 Never/Rarely Sometimes Often/Always Don’t Know Proportion of Respondents 73% of respondents indicated their team/unit had a minimum staffing level. 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 11 18 71 18 17 18 19 64 64 The way officer staffing I have been told how We can get help from levels are determined in our officer staffing officers in other my team/unit seems to levels are determined teams/units if we are be effective struggling to meet the demands placed upon us Strongly Disagree/Disagree Agree/Strongly Agree Neither Agree nor Disagree

Welfare www. polfed. org @PFEW_HQ

Stress § § § Work-related stress was assessed with the question: In general how do you find your job? Non-work-related stress was assessed with the question: In general how do you find your life outside of work? Each involved a 5 -point response scale: not at all stressful, mildly stressful, moderately stressful, very stressful, extremely stressful 100 90 80 70 60 % 50 40 30 20 10 0 Recent non-police studies Recent policing studies 38 16 36 14 UK Workforce 2010 (HSE UK Civil Servants 2014 figures) (N=5, 655) Current study 39 10 West Midlands Police 2014 (N=1, 333) Devon and Cornwall Police 2015 (N=870) Proportion (%) of respondents that find their job very or extremely stressful Proportion (%) of respondents that find their non-work life very or extremely stressful Current Study

Mental Wellbeing § § 100 90 80 70 60 % 50 40 30 20 10 0 Graph shows proportion of respondents indicating they never or rarely experienced each aspect of wellbeing within the previous two weeks. Findings are compared below to a large-scale survey of the general adult population. 62 60 19 28 10 Feeling useful optimistic Current Study 11 Feeling relaxed 34 20 6 16 4 Dealing well with problems Thinking clearly 6 13 3 Feeling close Able to make to others up own mind 2012 -13 North West [England] Mental Wellbeing Survey. (N=11, 157).

Attendance Behaviours www. polfed. org @PFEW_HQ

Absence & Presenteeism § Absence: Among respondents who reported sickness absence in last 12 months, 29% indicated that one or more days of that absence was due to stress, depression or anxiety. Presenteeism: Proportion of respondents that attended for work in the last 12 months despite feeling sick leave was justified 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 10 22 35 16 68 Never 49 Once 2 or more times Attended for work despite feeling they should have taken sick leave due to physical should have taken sick leave due to stress, health state low mood, anxiety, or other problems with mental health and wellbeing

Help Seeking for Psychological Problems www. polfed. org @PFEW_HQ

Help Seeking Have you ever sought help for feelings of stress, low mood, anxiety, or any other difficulties with your mental health and wellbeing? Prefer not to say 6% Yes 39% No 55% 50% of those who had sought help had done so within the last 12 months.

Help Seeking – Managerial Support § 63% of officers who sought help for mental health and wellbeing problems disclosed this to their line manager. Among those who chose not to tell their line manager, 34% cited as a reason a desire for their colleagues to not find out. Proportion (%) of Respondents § 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 39 68 25 Strongly Agree/Agree Neither agree nor disagree 16 36 16 Our discussion was I was given the right treated with support confidentiality Strongly Disagree/Disagree

Help Seeking – Line Manager Training § 3, 878 respondents were a line manager Were you given any training on how to support someone who chooses to disclose having difficulties with mental health or wellbeing? Can't recall 6% Yes 21% What was the quality of that Poortraining? / Very poor 18% Good / Very good 23% Adequate 59% No 73%

Conclusions thus far… 1. Widespread perception among officers of demand-capacity imbalance. 2. Policing is stressful. What aspects of work are perceived as stressful? 3. The mental wellbeing of police officers is considerably poorer than found in the general adult population. 4. A large proportion of officers have sought help for mental health and wellbeing. 5. Mixed perceptions of support provided for mental health and wellbeing problems. 6. There is considerable scope to improve line manager training in supporting colleagues with mental health and wellbeing problems.

Next steps – this study § The relationship between perceptions of demand (workload and expectations) and measures of welfare will be explored using regression techniques § Further reports will be produced over the coming months

Next steps – other work Workstreams 2 -4 § A qualitative study to explore the welfare support in forces (ongoing) § The relationship between demand capacity and police performance (ongoing) § A practical study to examine the nature of demand, taking into account key stakeholder expectations and the changing context – aimed at ensuring the right numbers of officers for the tasks

Further Information Mary Elliott-Davies Research Practitioner Police Federation of England Wales T: 01372 352105 E: mary. elliott-davies@polfed. org www. polfed. org @PFEW_HQ