Ex-police chief warns about mental health support

A retired senior officer has said policing is "behind" other professions when it comes to mental health support.

Simon Bowden, who retired as a Thames Valley Police (TVP) chief superintendent in 2018, is now an ambassador for Flint House Police Rehabilitation Centre in Goring-on-Thames.

His remarks came after figures showed nearly 300 force officers took time off work with mental health-related conditions last year.

In a statement TVP said in the last year it had increased its focus on issues such as psychological safety and work-life balance.

Bowden said attitudes towards mental health had improved but warned some officers still "bottle it up until the bubble bursts".

Officers have spoken to BBC News about the mental health toll that comes from working in the force.

Bowden said the job could be "rewarding" but the frequent exposure to trauma, combined with reduced staffing and workload pressures on officers, "really has a huge impact".

Remembering his own time as a police constable and sergeant, he said the incidents had been the same, but officers were given more time between jobs to "decompress".

He now works with the welfare team at the National Association of Retired Police Officers and champions the work of Flint House, which offers physical rehabilitation and mental health support to members of the police service and retired officers.

"The support is there to help but quite often it's taken too late," said Bowden.

He encouraged officers to talk about how they were feeling, even if that is just to a colleague, and said it was important to "catch it early".

Thames Valley Police said: "Officers have access to a range of wellbeing and trauma support services, and over the past year we have strengthened our focus on psychological safety, manager support, personal resilience, financial wellbeing and work-life balance to help our people stay healthy and supported.

"We are proud of the resilience, professionalism and dedication shown by our officers and staff every day in protecting our communities."