Supporting the mental health of emergency responders
We owe an enormous debt of gratitude to our emergency services. Their work uniquely places tremendous demands on their mental health and wellbeing. They are regularly exposed to trauma and violence and coping with distressing experiences is an all-too-common aspect of their working lives. They are often separated from their families, working long, unpredictable and antisocial hours. This was all brought into sharp focus during the COVID-19 response. Given these strains, it is vital that all necessary steps are taken to safeguard their wellbeing and mental health. The Royal Foundation is committed to doing all it can to support the emergency responder community.
Emergency Responders Symposium
Hosted by The Royal Foundation and The Prince of Wales, the Symposium brought together over 200 leaders from police, ambulance, fire and UK Search and Rescue to focus on safeguarding the mental health of their workforces. With compelling speeches from the then Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, The Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP, and the then Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Dame Cressida Dick, mental health in the emergency services was given a significant, national platform.
The Prince of Wales announced The Mental Health at Work Commitment for The Emergency Services – an unprecedented agreement signed by senior leaders across UK emergency services to implement a uniform set of mental health standards to support their 400,000 staff. The commitment forms part of the new Blue Light Together package of mental health support, detailed below, also announced by His Royal Highness at the event.
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Blue Light Together
The Mental Health at Work Commitment forms part of The Royal Foundations’ landmark package of mental health support for the Emergency Services – Blue Light Together. Developed alongside our charity partners, Blue Light Together gives emergency responders, their friends, families and retirees access to:
- A new resource website providing specialised mental health information and advice
- The Network of Emergency Services Therapists – a planned directory of therapists accessible via the new website, who have specialist experience in addressing the complex mental health needs of emergency responders
The Emergency Responders Senior Leaders Board
The Prince of Wales and The Royal Foundation convened The Emergency Responder Senior Leaders Board – the first of its kind, bringing together leaders from across all of the UK’s emergency services on the issue of mental health. It will promote collaborative working across the nation’s emergency services to ensure that all emergency responders receive the mental health support they need.
The Board was established by His Royal Highness in response to a recommendation arising from a research project commissioned by The Royal Foundation in 2018, looking into the mental health and wellbeing of emergency responders in the UK. Conducted by King’s College London and the Open University, the work identified a need for greater sharing of ‘better practice’ across the emergency services sector to best support the mental health of its workforces.
Our Frontline
Through the pandemic, The Royal Foundation supported Our Frontline, a round the clock mental health and bereavement service to support those working on the frontline against COVID-19.
Leading mental health charities Mind, Samaritans, Shout, and Hospice UK came together to launch the service, with support from The Royal Foundation. Our Frontline provides a combination of 1-2-1 support and online resources for NHS workers, carers, the Blue Light emergency services and key workers who are putting their mental health under pressure.
Find out more about Our Frontline400k
emergency service staff across the UK supported by landmark Mental Health at Work Commitment signed by their senior leaders
