Federation PIP Support Is Crucial

Federation support for officers going through a stressful PIP process is “absolutely crucial”, the Chair of Hampshire Police Federation said.

Zoë Wakefield was speaking after the second consecutive Post Incident Procedures (PIP) Seminar took place at Federation House in early October.

It welcomed a number of speakers, including retired Metropolitan Police Service officer Dave Blocksidge, who is now a teacher and researcher specialising in memory formation. He talked about the importance of understanding how trauma can impair memory, which in turn can affect the outcomes of investigations and procedural integrity.

Throughout the two-day session, there was a clear focus on psychological health management, procedural integrity and officer welfare.

Zoë said: “It is absolutely crucial that the Federation offers support to officers involved in PIP. A lot of officers go through their whole service and are never involved in the PIP process. But if you speak to any officer who has been through it, they’ll say how valuable it was having the Federation there, having that legal support, to help them through what is quite a traumatic process, because it involves the death or serious injury of a member of the public.

“It’s a difficult and lengthy process, and it can go on for years. The Federation support and the legal protection officers get from it is absolutely crucial.”