The six papers contained within this thesis relate to the study of Wellbeing in the UK police between 2011 and 2015. Holistically, the papers presented here cohere to fulfil the research objectives by addressing three general questions:
1. To what extent are resilience interventions effective?
2. To what extent does wellbeing manifest itself within the UK police service?
3. To what extent is wellbeing managed, shaped and influenced through leadership?
This research has made five significant and original contributions to knowledge and practice:
Firstly, it has firmly established why a study of this nature is called for in policing. There has been no previous work carried out on resilience training efficacy in UK policing prior to this, and as such our understanding of how to create a conducive environment with the right leadership approach to address wellbeing issues was hitherto limited.
Secondly, having mapped the current terrain in respect of wellbeing in policing, this research has found, labelled and reported on a previously hidden phenomena, that of Leaveism. Leaveism fills a lacuna in current thinking regarding behavioural responses to being unwell or experiencing workload overload; and how that impacts in the workplace.
Thirdly, this research has contributed to workplace practice; understanding how these phenomena play out and can be managed operationally illustrates the applied nature of this study, contributing to evidence based practice within the police.
Fourthly, many of the findings contained within this research have been influential across policing nationally, providing frameworks for other police forces to work from.
Finally, and most significantly, this thesis has tested and reported on resilience training efficacy, concluding that it results in significantly better workplace outcomes for employees.
This thesis contains papers that have been peer reviewed and published in academic journals. With a strong emphasis on practical workplace application this research has provided a valid and reliable evidence base for police forces to act upon. This work has radically changed both our (police service) understanding, and our ability to act on the phenomena detailed in this thesis. Policing in the UK is changing monumentally. The findings presented in this thesis have made a significant contribution to both the organisational changes within UK Policing; and to the effective management of those changes.