Pair awarded for giving police mental health training

PC Samantha Buckley, along with Katie Eacret, who works as a ward manager at Bradford District Care NHS Foundation trust, were both awarded for their ongoing work delivering vital mental health training to officers on the beat.

The training, which began last year, was put together to help improve the knowledge of officer working within the community, so they can identify and assist members of the public who need mental health support. PC Samantha Buckley, Superintendent Chris Gibson and Katie Eacret So far, more than 300 officers have received the training, and there are plans to keep the training going beyond lockdown restrictions easing.

Their ongoing work received a recommendation and the award was presented to them by Superintendent Chris Gibson.

West Yorkshire Police Inspector Kevin Taylor, who leads the Stronger Communities and Partnerships Team said: “The last year has seen a rise in the number of people needing assistance with their mental wellbeing, and equipping our officers with the knowledge so they can deal with this effectively has been a real asset for our officers in the community.

“We’ve been working alongside Bradford District Care for a number of years and we’ve formed a real partnership between my team and the mental health ward.

“As officers we come across a variety of situations and responding to mental health incidents is part of that. The training Samantha and Katie have provided will go a long way in better supporting those who need it, and I’d like to thank them for taking the time to put this training together.”

Samantha said: “The opportunity to train new and enthusiastic student officers has been a fantastic experience.

“Understanding Mental Health is so important for the modern-day Police Officer and this training empowers our new officers to recognise people in mental health crisis and to give them the best possible care in the least restrictive manner.”