Over the last few months, we have been developing a programme of support for families. This is driven by the Police Covenant which requires all police forces to demonstrate they’re taking action to support families.
It’s early days because this is a huge area. We started with in-depth research to understand some of the challenges policing families face and launched the OK family life in November with resources, created by experts, on topics like mental and physical health, nutrition and finance.
We then launched a ‘Thank You’ campaign which offered police forces, officers and staff the chance to say ‘thank you’ to their families and friends and recognise the support they give every day to their loved ones in policing.
Whilst acknowledging that some of these issues can’t be solved quickly, one of the things research has shown, is that a simple acknowledgement of how tough it can be on all members of the family, including children, really helps. It can mean people feel less alone, and more seen.
This is why we are now introducing the ‘Once upon a time’ campaign, which aims to help policing families explain to children why their loved ones might sometimes have to miss out on mealtimes, bedtimes or family celebrations.
As part of the launch, we are giving away limited hard copies of the Red Robber Raid Book, a soft toy and activity pack to policing families.