ONLINE SUPPORT
BLUE LIGHT APP SPRINGS INTO ACTION
A Hampshire detective chief superintendent has collaborated in a unique new project that will see the development of a smartphone app focused on mental health for police officers
Public service workers’ unions and federations are highlighting workplace mental health. Studies show that employee mental health is adversely affected by abuse within the public sector, long hours, and the cost-of-living crisis. Detective Chief Superintendent and
Strategic Domestic Abuse Lead Fiona Bitters has worked with Bournemouth University on a new app for Hampshire employees and officers, which has been designed and tested by staff. It provides a portable wellbeing toolkit, giving officers accessible tech on the go. The app centres on shift work with a bespoke shift pattern function, which Fiona says was the most difficult feature to develop. This function allows officers to input individual patterns, so notifications are personalised. An hour before their shift finishes, the app sends push notifications, prompting officers to read wellbeing messages or providing links relevant to their shift. On rest days, the app will do the same around 5pm. Two research papers have been written on the effectiveness and need for the app, based on officer feedback on dealing with difficult shifts. Hampshire Police and Bournemouth University hope to expand the app out across forces, with new features based on officer responses to stress that signpost services and mindfulness practices. Hampshire has 200 wellbeing champions who have been testing the app. The force plans a soft launch this year with a QR code, so officers can use
44 | POLICE | JUNE 2023
the app to manage shifts. Fiona said: “We had
a workforce that was working through the night in high areas of response and demand, such as the control room and response and patrol. “These are the staff who work 24-hour shift patterns led by the radio and calls coming in – they lack the ability to rest, recover or exercise, or can’t always manage a good nutrition routine out of hours – this impacts mental health, they sit in the car, they don’t prep healthy food.” The app gives recipe tips, and nudges
“This function allows officers to input individual patterns, so notifications are personalised”
officers before they finish their shift about how to rest and sleep well, with tailored messaging. Currently, the app is only available to
Hampshire officers. The force has self- funded alongside Bournemouth University. The process began in 2019, identifying five key areas: mental health, activity information, diet, hydration and sleep. Fiona said: “There are different apps
and watches, but none of them seem to consider that people are awake at 3am. That was the key thing we took away from this to help staff get through 24- hour shift patterns. “The app replicates the wellbeing offers on our internal website, but available on
your personal device – if it’s on the work phone, it’s for work, not rest days. We specifically avoided making this an app on police devices. We don’t want staff to access their work phone when off duty. “We’ve finally cracked the bespoke shift
patterns. They can see their shifts five years in advance with the ability to add training, and annual leave.
“Hampshire can see opportunities for other forces across the country. We have a match-funded PhD with Bournemouth University. A student will start in September and they will build, test and research how this app will benefit blue light services. “If other forces are interested, we can build and test it widely.
App content is currently tailored to Hampshire officers and events. “We would look at a licencing model. If
another force is interested, we can work out the development cost and how they can become involved in testing and research.” Resilience in the service is at an all- time low and officers are under extreme pressure, which is taking its toll on health and wellbeing. Other Federation mental health projects recognise that the job’s unique pressures may require additional support. The launch of a Welfare Support
Programme (WSP) has been hailed by two Derbyshire officers as “absolutely brilliant”. See page 13 for more details.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60
