New ‘wellbeing police dog’ scheme piloted in East Sussex

A project which introduces wellbeing dogs to police stations is being trialled in East Sussex.
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The Wellbeing and Trauma Support Dogs Project, initiated by the National Police Welling Service, aims to encourage conversations about mental health among police officers and staff to create a healthier working environment.

With help from Service Dogs UK, the project builds on local wellbeing dog services where they exist and provides guidance and support to other forces that want to introduce them.

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The dogs are there to have a positive impact on staff and officers by creating an environment where people feel comfortable to talk about their wellbeing and mental health.

Each dog has a handler that is a mental health first aider or trained peer supporter who are ideally placed to listen and sign-post officers to support if needed.

Some dogs can also be used to defuse tense situations if an individual becomes nervous or agitated while in custody.

Milo, who is owned by Chief Inspector Di Lewis, is often found in the Eastbourne police station. He is making waves already as he featured on national news on February 4.

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The feature included an interview with chief constable Jo Shiner who said Milo ‘de-escalates tensions’ in a room which allows staff to get more work done in a healthier environment.

Milo - photo by Sussex Police SUS-210802-154846001Milo - photo by Sussex Police SUS-210802-154846001
Milo - photo by Sussex Police SUS-210802-154846001

She also said having wellbeing dogs is one way of ‘looking after people who are doing a really really difficult job’

Wellbeing dogs are an initiative that Sussex Police is ‘leading the way’ with but other forces are ‘catching up’ with the idea, according to the report.

Police constable Daren Buck’s dog Stanley is often seen around the police stations in East Sussex.

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There is also Beau, who is a PTSD assistance dog in training with his partner Glen. They will often be seen around Sussex Police headquarters in Lewes.

Beau - photo by Sussex Police SUS-210802-154835001Beau - photo by Sussex Police SUS-210802-154835001
Beau - photo by Sussex Police SUS-210802-154835001

Sergeant Garry Botterill, who is leading on the new project, said, “This project is a fantastic way to help encourage officers to open up, engage and speak about their mental health and wellbeing.

“Dogs have a friendly, calming influence and people are noticeably more relaxed and comfortable in their presence.

“By introducing trained support dogs and their handlers to frontline police officers and staff, it helps create an environment for conversations about their mental health and to highlight the relevant services which can provide help and support to those who need it.

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“It’s incredibly important that people feel they can talk about their mental health, particularly in a job that presents people with challenging and traumatic situations.

“The dogs offer some light relief from the often difficult job we do, and anything that makes people feel positive and gets them talking should be encouraged.”

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