Wellbeing Resources
Unison There for you
Unison members experiencing financial and emotional difficulties can contact UNISON Welfare, which provides confidential advice and support services for members and their dependants.
MCL Medics EAP
The Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) is a free benefits service that is provided to all officers and staff and is fully funded by Sussex Police. The EAP offers additional professional support and guidance for when things get a bit tough. MCL Medics provides a confidential service with short term solution focusedcounselling and support services by qualified and experienced counsellors.
Surrey Police account activation code:
Oscar Kilo
Oscar Kilo, the National Police Wellbeing Service (NPWS) is here to provide support and guidance for all police forces to improve and build upon wellbeing within their organisation. Our services have been developed for policing, by policing and they are designed to meet the unique needs of officers and staff.
Police Care UK
Police Care UK is a charity for serving and veteran police officers and staff, volunteers, and their families who have suffered any physical or psychological harm as a result of policing. We are independent of the police service, and are funded entirely by donations and fundraising
Mental Health at Work
Mental Health at Work
Paying attention to workplace mental health including bereavement support has never been more important. Whoever you are and whatever you do for work, we’re here to support you and to help you supporting colleagues . With plenty of tools, resources, and stories, Mental Health and wellbeing at work makes navigating the workplace mental health landscape easy.
BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT
Bereavement is likely to affect everyone’s wellbeing at some point during your working life so it’s important for us to provide colleagues with support and care as you go through grief.
Bereavement Friends
Bereavement Friends are colleagues in Sussex Police who have all experienced bereavement. If you are grieving, they have an insight into what you might be feeling, so you can call them to chat, or meet up. They are not counsellors but have had training from Cruse, the bereavement charity. Just being listened to by someone who has gone through grief themselves can help you feel supported and less alone. To speak to a Bereavement Friend please email Bereavement.Friends@sussex.police.uk or contact Lou Mahon.
Understanding grief
Just as every life is different, so is every death. It's important to listen with compassion and empathy to understand how a bereaved colleague is feeling and what might help them. If you are bereaved, we encourage you to say what you would like others to do to support you. Don't ignore a grieving colleague because you are scared of saying something wrong – there's nothing you can say to bring back the person they love who has died – but you can be there for your colleague so they don't feel alone in their grief. It's OK to say that you don't know what to say. Grief can be expressed in many different ways, not only by crying, but through other emotions, and physical symptoms. Although there are models some people have used to understand grief which can be a good guide at times, the experience for each person is different, and can be complicated and confusing.
Grief takes time – you can help by remembering the date when your colleague was bereaved and the birthday of their loved one who died, or by mentioning that person by name on your Christmas card to your colleague to remind them they are not forgotten.
External support
Cruse Bereavement Support they offer a lot more resources for support for bereavement as it affects us in the workplace.