The TIPT 2023 offer to UK Police
Our 2019 research (Policing: The Job & The Life) revealed alarming levels of Complex Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD) in serving UK police at 12%. C-PTSD is where, as well as the symptoms of PTSD (such as hypervigilance, sleep disturbance, re-experiencing etc), the ‘drip-drip-drip’ effect of trauma exposure leads feelings of low self-worth and an inability to regulate emotions. Over 60% of officers and staff also told us that they didn't have enough time to make sense of a difficult incident before moving on to the next job. Given the fewer resources and increasing demand on policing (especially with the Covid 19 pandemic, public pressure following The Casey Review and economic pressures), now more than ever officers and staff need structured support with trauma on the job. Neuroscience shows that brains can rewire. This rewiring can be used to process experiences better over time and Police Care UK have developed practical tools to do this: Trauma Impact Prevention Techniques (TIPT). TIPT is preventative training and it is separate to trauma intervention, therapy, treatment and TRiM. The techniques are simple to learn (individually or in groups), are immediately effective and can be delivered online or face-to-face.
What are the techniques?
TIPT is all about making sense of incidents, much like in an investigation. Rather than having a difficult incident up-close-and-personal and playing on your mind, TIPT helps train the brain to gather all the information it needs to file experiences away in its time and place. The training involves using maps, timelines and safety cues with pen and paper. The exercises allow the brain to recognise that the situation is as resolved as can be so we can move on to the next job feeling more present, focussed and generally more at ease.
How do the techniques work?
The techniques work by boosting a particular part of the brain (the hippocampus) that is key trauma processing and stress regulation. The techniques encourage us to recall challenging incidents from different perspectives and from longer time frames and to include other elements of the situation, that may have been positive, neutral or even dull. This enables us to feel that what happened wasn’t personal and gives us a bigger picture of the incident. By reflecting back on what we learned, what worked well, and what made sense, we can turn our attention more happily to the here and now.
Are they effective and safe?
TIPT is an evidence-based programme based on neuropsychological research, which has been tested, peer reviewed and risk-assessed by the University of Cambridge to be safe and effective in policing training environments. The first Randomised Controlled Trial was conducted in Manchester 2017-2019 after the arena attack, under the steer of the Police Federation of England & Wales, the National Police Wellbeing Lead and acting Chief Medical Officer, a world-leading clinical trauma psychologist, and representation from officers from five forces. In its first year, TIPT rolled out to over 1500 officers across the UK, with 4000 now trained in 2023. Officers and staff tell us themselves how well the techniques work for them and Police Care UK has collated feedback and data demonstrating the positive differences TIPT makes for individuals, teams and their forces. TIPT will feature in the College of Policing new APP (Approved Professional Practice) for Wellbeing in 2023 and is expected to become part of the curriculum in 2024.
What’s on offer? Police Care UK are delivering TIPT to Trainer Teams regionally or locally
- TIPT Train-the-Trainer: event or force-based for up to 12 trainers (to be selected by forces with Police Care UK recommended criteria), 5 hours, digital presentation with full script, animation, film and workbook. Hard copy workbooks cost £2.50
- TIPT Plus for high-risk roles (CSE, CT, FLO, call handlers, firearms and Technical Surveillance Units): bespoke per force and delivered in person by the Director of Research. Note: this may require a preparatory focus group online or in person
What we ask from you (Terms and Conditions)
TIPT is offered freely by Police Care UK, including digital content. We ask you to kindly respect copyright and to be sensitive to the charity's aim to support those in need by not reproducing or sharing TIPT content within or between forces without prior approval from the Director of Research. TIPT material is not to be shared with a third party and is designed specifically for UK police officers and staff. In receiving Train-The-Trainer TIPT, forces agree: to only select force TIPT trainers who have appropriate qualifications and Accredited Prior Learning to do so*; to train TIPT in pairs with appropriate welfare contact details and in-session wellbeing support.; and to keep accurate records of delivery dates, numbers of trainees and orders of material and merchandise to provide Police Care UK with for impact monitoring purposes. We also recommend forces allocating TIPT Training a course code and that forces make use of the Police Care UK Certificates for trainees and Trainers which are available online.
If you would like to find out more about, email TIPT@policecare.org.uk
* We recommend trainers have: Police Trainers Cert, L3 NVQ, Certificate In Education, MHFA Trainer/Train-The-Trainer TRiM Practitioner/Train-The-Trainer OR equivalent adult education qualification and ideally professional experience of training adults in the context of mental health and wellbeing.
