Question reference: S6W-00841
- Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 17 June 2021
-
Current status: Answered by Keith Brown on 2 July 2021
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to help prevent chronic stress among officers, and how much funding it has provided in each year since 2019-20 in mental health support for officers experiencing this condition.
Answer
The welfare and wellbeing of Police Officers is a matter for the Chief Constable of Police Scotland. Officers and staff can access a range of services to care for their physical and mental health through the “Your Wellbeing Matters” programme provided by Police Scotland. Officers can seek advice and support through ‘Wellbeing Champions’ and the ‘Wellbeing Hub’ and can access services such as, Trauma Risk Management (TRiM); the Employee Assistance Programme; and Occupational Health services.
The Scottish Government has made a commitment to protect Police Scotland’s resource budget in real terms throughout the lifetime of this Parliament and for 2021-22 we have increased the policing budget by £75.5m, to over £1.3bn.