NEWS


‘THE KEY IS TO HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHY THEY FEEL UNWELL’


M


y dad was a cop in Lincolnshire and took his life in 1974 while on duty – I was six at the time. Even


after almost half a century, that sentence is a tough one to write. Due to cultural attitudes towards


suicide, my twin brother and I didn’t find this out until we were 16. I do, however, recall the impact his death had on my early life in the form of visits the family received from his colleagues, the support we had from the Federation, Christmas hampers, trips to the football, birthday presents and so on. It was only when my marriage ended, and I found myself in a dark place, that I began to reflect on the reasons why my dad may have taken his own life. Fortunately, in my case I was able


to take advantage of the support of colleagues, including the FME who directed me towards my GP and medication. Having reluctantly sought advice and assistance, I was able to function effectively and care for my two young children who resided with me. In 2011, I applied to be a hostage and crisis negotiator (90 per cent of this role involves talking to people in crisis), drawing on my own experiences and awareness to offer support to those really struggling with their personal circumstances. I use the techniques involved daily when supporting and representing members. The critical feature of the approach is to listen.


As my career progressed, I increasingly


thought of my dad and other officers who had taken their own lives. These considerations encouraged me to become an advocate for improved mental health awareness and led me in the direction of the Federation. I became a rep in 2012 to drive progress in psychological wellbeing and put support in place for members in the absence of an effective Force response. Having qualified as a mental health


first aider and worked with MIND as a Blue Light Champion, on becoming Chair of Lincolnshire Federation I ensured that the mental health provision for our members was accessible and effective. I’m also a trustee of the Police Treatment Centres in Harrogate and Auchterarder. Having attended their psychological wellbeing course, I can recommend this as a means of identifying and coping with mental health concerns. Recently, I had one officer referred to


me by his sergeant after he’d told her he wanted to move from his current role. She thought there was more to it and, when I met him, it was obvious there was an issue. He was anxious and unkempt, and presented as really unwell. He disclosed that, after years of struggling with trauma, he’d reached a point where he couldn’t see a way out. We were able to help him see that


he was unwell and not isolated, and that there were options available for him –


Phil Clark


Phil Clark, who chairs Lincolnshire Police Federation, writes for POLICE magazine about a personal family tragedy that drives him to seek help for colleagues sufering mental ill-health.


medication, counselling, a visit to a Police Treatment Centre, and the opportunity for chats in the office. It hasn’t been an easy ride for him, but now the support is there so when he does reach a crisis point, we can see him through it. Another officer came in to tell me


about a problem he was having. Halfway through he started to tell me about how he was sure he was being followed. I sat with him and called each department with a surveillance capacity to reassure him nothing was going on. This provided the reassurance for him to feel able to reveal further details of his condition. He was clearly mentally unwell and at


the point of exhaustion. We encouraged him to talk to his GP and got him into counselling then back to work. Only later did he disclose that on the very day he’d talked to me, he had some very dark thoughts and, as a last resort, thought that he would engage with Fed office before acting on these. The key is to help people understand


why they feel as they do, recognising they’re unwell, and helping them go forward and seek some assistance. I am acutely aware that this situation is similar across all Federation branches. It’s a cliché, but suicide is a permanent


solution to what are often temporary problems. So, please talk to your Federation rep, talk to your GP or talk to your force.


37 I POLICE I AUGUST 2021


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