Recommendation - Avon and Somerset Police, February 2023
We identified organisational learning from a review of a local police investigation. A serving police officer had taken their own life and the complaint, made by his wife, related to the management of the scene. We recognised from the investigation report, completed by Avon and Somerset Police, that many officers believed they are not specifically trained to deal with cases of suicide, meaning they could not provide an acceptable service level to the complainant.
IOPC reference
Recommendations
The IOPC recommends that Avon and Somerset Constabulary should introduce specific training to equip officers with the appropriate skills to deal with instances of suicide.
This follows an IOPC review of a local investigation by Avon and Somerset Constabulary’s professional standards department into the suicide of the complainant’s husband. It appears that in this instance, there was a failure to ensure the scene was appropriately secured, a failure to ensure the complainant had understood what happened and a failure to warn the complainant about what she would encounter upon entering the scene to find her husband. Overall, the scene appeared poorly managed which distressed the family further.
Statements provided by officers who attended the scene discussed how they have never received specific training in relation to instances of suicide. Some officers mentioned that suicide training is contained within Sudden Death training, but still felt that this was not sufficient.
Do you accept the recommendation?
Yes
Accepted action:
The Corporate Learning Department will work with UWE and the Professional Development Unit to enhance skills through appropriate development exercises to address this recommendation.
The force has already commenced continuous improvement development inputs to tutors focussing on sudden death learning and this recommendation has been shared with those delivering those inputs.
The force is developing a business case with Leapwise to standardise training in line with the CoP existing leadership training, including first line managers. It is envisaged that sudden deaths will be incorporated into the first line leadership training.