Police Welfare
DMWS have previously provided the Welfare Support Programme for PFEW members, funded by the Police Federation.
Sadly funding has now ended for this service. If you are a grant-maker looking to support Police welfare, you can read more about the services we can offer and the difference it makes here.
Further information about the service
The WSP provided invaluable support to members throughout England and Wales. This service was provided by Defence Medical Welfare Service (DMWS) and was available to all subscribing PFEW members – Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 17:00.
What service did WSP provide?
Our WSP offered a wide range of welfare support that includes:
- practical and mental support
- clinical assessment/counselling
- person-centred support (via telephone or face-to-face)
- access to fully trained and accredited professionals
- independent and confidential support
- referrals to appropriate follow-on specialist support, if needed.
All subscribing PFEW members could be referred to the service; this programme did not provide support to family members.
How to assist a member in need of support?
The process for supporting members that need welfare assistance was simple:
- Local PFEW Rep approached by a member for help; or Rep identified a member requiring help
- Rep – in conjunction with their branch Chair or Secretary – looked at what support is available via their branch or wider force to support the member
- If suitable support isn’t available locally, the branch could refer the member to DMWS via the WSP following confirmation they are a subscribing member.
About the assessment process
Once a member was referred, the assessment process fell into two categories:
- a clinical assessment – a suitably qualified consultant would see the officer for the number of sessions needed to determine an appropriate treatment plan and worked with the individual to deliver the necessary support.
- a welfare and wellbeing assessment – DMWS identified and addressed the issues that were causing significant stress to the individual, often the key to improving the circumstances of those members both physically and psychologically.
More information
For more information on our WSP, please refer to the Police Federation website for details. Please be aware that funding has now ended for this service.
Defence Medical Welfare Service details can also be found on the Police Charities United Kingdom Website. The website lists charities available for the police.