Calls for Service, Recruitment, Training, Procedure and Prevention of Death Reports

Request Number: FOI/13544

Category: Organisational Information & Performance - Branch/Departmental Performance

Subject: Calls for Service, Recruitment, Training, Procedure and Prevention of Death Reports
 

Request and Answer: 

Your request for information has now been considered. In respect of Section 1(1)(a) of the Act we can confirm that the Police Service of Northern Ireland does hold some information to which your request relates and this is being provided to you.
We do not however hold information in relation to request numbers 5a, 5b and 5cbelow. We have also provided you with links to guidance issued by the Information Commissioner’s Office which we have followed in responding to your request.

Request 1 Details
Calls for Service (For each of the years 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023)

Request 1a
Total calls for service 101 999 

Request 1b
Total number of call related to mental health

Request 1c
Total number of calls related to suicide

Request 1d
Total number of safe and well checks per year.

Answer 1a, 1b, 1c & 1d
 

Request 2 Details
Recruitment and retention (For each of the years 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023)

Request 2a
Total number of police officers recruited as student officers each year

Answer 2a
2019 – 541 student officers appointed

2020 – 405 student officers appointed

2021 – 366 student officers appointed

2022 – 193 student officers appointed

2023 – 86 student officers appointed

Request 2b
Total number of resignations/dismissals from those recruited in the first 24 months of service

Answer 2b
2019 – 30 resignations/dismissals from police officers recruited in the first 24 months of service.

2020 – 31 resignations/dismissals from police officers recruited in the first 24 months of service.

2021 – 37 resignations/dismissals from police officers recruited in the first 24 months of service.

2022 – 45 resignations/dismissals from police officers recruited in the first 24 months of service.

2023 – 42 resignations/dismissals from police officers recruited in the first 24 months of service.

Request 3 Details
Training (For each of the years 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023)

Request 3a
Total number hours allocated to National Decision Model (NDM) Training for student officers in their first 24 months service.

Answer 3a
Every student officer completes a 90 minute lesson covering the National Decision Model (NDM). The core themes explored within this lesson are then covered in every PSP (Personal Safety Programme) session. Student Officers Initial PSP training covers 40 hours. Student officers receive 98hrs of firearms training and NDM is referenced in most lessons.

It should be noted that most lessons reference the NDM throughout the student officer training programme.

Student officers become Operational Officers after their 20 week training course and then fall into the training cycle of all operational officers.
Operational Officers attend a Personal Safety Programme refresher training each year, which lasts 8 hours. An annual online NDM assessment package is to be completed by all officers (Mandatory Online training). Officers also attend Operational Firearms Tactical Refresher with 8 hour contact and bi annual firearms training with 4 hour contact, in which NDM is referenced.

Request 3b
Is there an assessment process that assesses student officers’ decision making in the first 24 months service?

Request 3c
If yes please provide details of the assessment process used.

Answer 3b and 3c
The Student Officer Development Programme includes a PSP (Personal Safety Programme) developmental assessment in week 10. A PSP formative assessment is completed at week 20. Every student officer must complete a written NDM assignment which involves them observing/ participating in a scenario and then completing a written assignment. This assignment is to be submitted in a report format, similar to a notebook entry, ranging between 250-500 words and is reviewed by a PSP instructor.
The Student Officers partake in NDM lessons, however, there is no formal assessment included in these lessons.
The Student Officers also complete a Tactical Training Week which is a scenario based summative assessment.

Request 3d
Does your force have NDM assessors specifically tasked with reviewing decision making of student officers making in the first 24 months service? 

Answer 3d
During student officer training, students receive training from Personal Safety Instructors, trained in Personal Protection or Firearms, who cover the NDM in depth and assess its application throughout the 22 week programme.

Request 3e
If no, is this part of the Police Action Checklist (or equivalent) for student officers with their tutor constable?

Answer 3e
There are no tutor constables, however the PSNI do have ‘Probationary Support Officers’ (PSOs). A PSO can provide support/ guidance on the NDM, in addition to input from line management.

Request 3f
Does your force routinely review student officers’ decision making to ensure it is accurate, consistent and effective?

Request 3f
During the Student Officer Development Programme decision making is continually reviewed/ critiqued by PSP instructors and other College trainers. Operational PSP (Personal Safety Programme) training refreshes NDM decision making with Consolidation and Scenario based training. Additionally, Firearms tactical training incorporates NDM during annual refresher training.

Request 3g
If yes, please provide the details of the review process and explain the methodology by which decisions are considered accurate, consistent and effective.

Request 3g
To review student officers’ decision making we use formative and summative assessment (namely the NDM assignment), a development practical assessment and a final practical assessment. Over and above this, student officers complete numerous training scenarios during which the NDM would be utilised and assessed by College trainers.

Request 3h
How many training sessions, by breakdown of mandatory training and additional training have been
delivered to student officers on mental ill health, suicide, and suicide prevention in the first 24
months service?

Request 3i
How many training sessions, by breakdown of mandatory training and additional training have been
delivered to student officers on the college of policing suicide and bereavement response in the
first 24 months service?

Request 3j
Does your force train preventable harm to student officers in the first 24 months of service? If yes,
please provide details of the training delivered and the learning outcomes.

Answers 3h, 3i and 3j
There are various inputs throughout the Student Officer Development Programme (SODP), Probationer Officer Development Programme (PODP), Local Area training and mandatory online learning.
In Police College we offer ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) training to student officers which is a 2 day programme. The goal of ASIST training is to enhance a caregiver’s abilities to assist a person with thoughts of suicide to keep safe-for-now. We also offer Acute Behavioural Disturbance (ABD) online learning (Mandatory annual online learning) and discuss these topics throughout PSP training.
Included in the SODP, there is a 1 day sudden death and bereavement lesson.
During PSP (Personal Safety Programme)/ Firearms training, de-escalation is discussed throughout the training to be a first consideration.
 
Request 4 Details
Procedure (For each of the years 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023)

Request 4a
Does your force have a standalone suicide prevention policy? If yes, please provide details of that policy or a copy of it.

Request 4b
Was your force engaged in the Department of Health and Social Care National Partnership Agreement Right Care, Right Person RCRP?

Request 4c
Has your force engaged with the Crisis Care Concordat’ CCC that existed since 2014 to ensure
partner agencies worked together to deliver a high quality response in cases of mental illness?

Request 4d
Does your force operate a mental health triage care (or equivalent)

Answer 4d
Mental Health Service did operate a triage system of initial assessment for each officer or member of staff referred to the service between 2019 and 2023.

Request 4e
If yes, please provide details of the date the unit became effective, the shift pattern hours and the
total number of officers allocated to this unit

Answer 4e
The MHS has provided initial assessments since 2003 for all referrals to the service. The service’s initial assessment was provided face to face initially and moved to phone assessments from approximately March 2020. The service continues to provide initial assessments over the phone and face to face is requested. The MHS operated with one Clinical Psychologist from 2003 to 2017 and 5 counsellors.
The service resource increased from 2018 and 2019 with 2 Assistant Psychologists, one CBT Therapist one Counselling Psychologist and two Clinical Psychologists. The counselling staff and Assistants provide the initial assessments that allow triage of referrals to be allocated to four levels of clinical intervention: Inspire counselling, in-house counselling, CBT and Clinical Psychology. Anyone presenting with active suicidal ideation, a lethal means to suicide and no reassurance given that they will not take their own life is referred to primary care for triage via their GP to the crisis team and further management. The GP is made aware when anyone presents with current suicidal ideation to establish the best care pathway.

Request 5 Details
Prevention of future death reports (For each of the years 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023)

Request 5a
Total number of prevention of future death reports issued by the Coroner to the Chief Constable

Request 5b
Of those reports, the total number that related to a suicide incident.

Request 5c
Of those reports, the total number that related to a death following police contact

Answer 5a, 5b & 5c
Your request for information has now been considered. In respect of Section 1(1)(a) of the Act we can confirm that the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) does not hold information in relation to your requests. Enquiries made in relation to your request failed to locate any records or documents relevant to your request based on the information you have provided.

Prevention of Future Death Reports or Regulation 28 reports are part of The Coroners (Investigations) Regulations 2013. These do not extend to Northern Ireland, only to England & Wales.

Accordingly, we have determined that the Police Service of Northern Ireland does not hold the information to which you seek access.

In compliance with Section 16 of the Act, we can advise there is not a direct equivalent in Northern Ireland to this report, however, Regulation 16 of the Coroner’s Practice and Procedure Rules (NI) 1963 states “…Nothing in this Rule shall preclude the coroner or the jury from making a recommendation designed to prevent the recurrence of fatalities similar to that in respect of which the inquest is being held”. If you would like the PSNI to search for recommendations made to the organisation in line with Regulation 16 of the Coroner’s Practice and Procedure Rules (NI) 1963, please advise us through submission of a separate Freedom of Information Request.