When you have been appointed as a welfare support officer there will be lots you need to know.
We have pulled together some guidance which will help you in your role and when dealing with different departments.
Your role as a welfare support officer
Your role is to primarily provide support and to facilitate any further support which may be relevant to the colleague you will be representing. It is also to facilitate communication between the Investigator and the organisation. This is solely for matters of welfare and should not be confused with providing legal advice or being drawn into providing your own personal view of the allegation.
Remember this role is voluntary and if at any time you feel that you cannot commit to the role, please contact your force to be removed from the register.
The process
Your force will allocate you an individual to support, and the investigating officer will fully brief you on the case. When you have been allocated an individual to support we recommend you follow the process below:
- Make initial contact and introduce yourself to the individual you will be supporting.
- Arrange subsequent meetings and method of support in agreement with person concerned.
- Begin a welfare record of contact. These must be completed and submitted to your force contact and shared at request with occupational health.
- Identify frequency of future meetings.
- Agree an exit strategy and de-brief once the case has been completed.
Interview guidance
Points to consider
- What if you or the individual concerned feels that the relationship is not working? Where the individual resists the provision of a WSO, it is good practice to try to agree minimal contact over an agreed time period so that at least some contact is maintained.
- Build a rapport get to know them and meet away from the workplace if possible.
- Explore the issues from the individual’s perspective as well as your own - don’t assume that your perspectives will be the same.
- Try to encourage the officer or member of staff concerned to lead the discussion.
- Listen and be aware of what support is available inside and outside the organisation.
- Know your limitations – you may on occasion feel the need to seek help from other support networks better placed to provide advice.
- If initial arrangements do not appear to be working – change them.
Risk management
Some cases may present the Welfare Support Officer with serious concerns about an individual’s welfare. This may be the result of third-party information from other colleagues or family members. It may be the result of your own assessment from direct contact.
In any event, where the risk to the individual is such that immediate action is required, please do not hesitate to contact your own management team, professional standards or counselling and trauma team, in extreme cases call 101 or 999 for the necessary resources and support. Thankfully such events will be rare but understanding the availability of what exists in terms of support will make managing the situation far easier.
Useful forms
Below you will find forms which you can download and use as part of you role. These do not supersede any forms you have been asked to use locally.