The first contact a victim of rape and serious sexual offences (RASSO) has with a police officer and the response they receive will shape their overall perception of trust and credibility of the police. First Response Officers (FROs) should be highly trained to deal with traumatic incidents, yet findings presented here from one of the early pathfinder forces during a deep dive in respect of Operation Soteria Bluestone, exploring the learning, development and wellbeing of RASSO officers and investigators, found shortcomings with FRO training and support. Resourcing issues, compounded by officer inexperience or a lack of upskilling, can impact on the victim’s experience of receiving a trauma-informed (TI) response. This article will consider the issues facing FROs as the first point of police contact, whether the training package they receive to deal with sensitive cases involving RASSO is sufficient and appropriate and what potential impact this could have on the victim experience.
There is a national expectation for FROs to have Professional Investigation Programme (PIP) training, to PIP1 as a minimum relating to volume and priority crime investigations. The training should include victim care, particularly in relation to recognising and managing trauma and dispelling rape myths. However, FROs report that their training is insufficient and covers limited areas of the role, including pragmatic guidance such as early evidence kits and covering the FRO booklet. Continuing Professional Development (CPD) days were received positively by FROs, however attendance is not mandatory, meaning CPD attendance is often skipped due to the volume of live cases.
There is a limited number of trained FROs, meaning it is often the same officers who regularly attend rape cases. Officers reported feeling isolated when dealing with RASSO cases. Findings from our survey of officers and investigators dealing with RASSO confirmed that the emotions of exhaustion, depersonalisation and burnout are prevalent. These feelings of detachment, as well as officers who are emotionally well but maintain a professional distance, can be misconstrued and signal to a victim a lack of compassion. While a Trauma Risk Incident Management (TRIM) referral system is in place to flag crimes where officers have had a rape case, this is not necessarily the support required by the officer. Further, annual psychological assessments are mandatory, but are frequently not attended.
Heavy workloads are inhibitors to sharing learning from the cases. However, providing opportunities for feedback from the frontline office to the main investigation team is key. Given the crucial role of the first responder in RASSO cases, FROs hold valuable knowledge of the victim and their needs, as well as the immediate action necessary to transfer to the Officer in Charge. Such knowledge nurtures an ethos of shared understanding and victim focus. Having a joint approach to maximise support to the victim is important to FROs. Further benefits of this collaborative reflection would raise the profile of the FRO role within RASSO investigations and enable knowledge sharing for professional development if specialisms are pursued.
The supervisor is perceived to be key in having conversations with FROs to recognise the extra effort that is involved in these cases. For supervisors to create a conscious approach to check in on those officers, to support FROs in their work and provide a space for them to demonstrate the work they have done with a victim, is important to them. Additionally, raising supervisor awareness of the types of issues FROs experience on a regular basis further contextualises the impact these cases can have on a FRO. Given that RASSO cases are often allocated to the same officers, having channels to communicate regularly is important to recognise the cumulative effect of trauma on officers at an earlier stage. Officers utilised their own informal peer support networks as a form of reflection and support. While this is excellent practice, it relies on the individuals to create this space, rather than facilitating this as a recognised support approach that should be applied as standard.
The risk of resourcing a department dealing with serious crime, but not having any specification of specialised knowledge and training for new officers into the team, potentially compromises both the quality of the investigation as well as overlooks the professional needs of the staff involved. The nature of the work and volume of the case load means that staff need to be well equipped with the skills base and feel competent in their role. A perceived lack of FRO training compounds police officers’ perceptions of their own confidence in being a first responder to rape victims. Consequently, the trained FROs attending these RASSO reports are subjected to higher risk levels around these cases and of having an impact on their wellbeing, through experiencing daily trauma and case fatigue. These eventualities around balancing capacity with a lack of trained personnel and consequently, the overbearing nature of volume on trained officers, result in inefficiency in response, which ultimately impacts on the victim and levels of attrition.
Explore the other articles in this collection
-
Introduction to the trauma-informed investigation of rape and serious sexual offences article series
Read now to access more details of Introduction to the trauma-informed investigation of rape and serious sexual offences article seriesTrauma can affect the way victims of rape or serious sexual offences behave and react, so how should police officers go about investigating these cases? This series of articles explores research looking into these investigations and the need for a trauma-informed approach.
Level: 1 Introductory
-
Shifting notions of trauma-informed practice: from the individual to the organisation
Read now to access more details of Shifting notions of trauma-informed practice: from the individual to the organisationThis article explains the key principles of trauma-informed practice and how it is implemented in organisations such as the police.
Level: 1 Introductory
-
What is trauma?
Read now to access more details of What is trauma?What is trauma and how does it manifest in victims of sexual violence? This article looks at the framework of trauma and how police should use it when investigating rape and serious sexual offences.
Level: 1 Introductory
-
What does it mean to be trauma informed in practice?
Read now to access more details of What does it mean to be trauma informed in practice?What trauma informed actions and behaviours should police officers and others who work in the emergency services display? This article looks at the concept of trauma informed practice.
Level: 1 Introductory
-
Reflective practice as self-care: recognising the mental health needs of sexual offence investigators
Read now to access more details of Reflective practice as self-care: recognising the mental health needs of sexual offence investigatorsHow can police officers express their emotional experiences of dealing with sexual violence cases? This article looks at mental health in policing.
Level: 1 Introductory
Try a free course on policing
-
Exploring evidence-based policing
Learn more to access more details of Exploring evidence-based policingThis course, Exploring evidence-based policing, examines the basic elements of evidence-based policing and gives insight into how more evidence-based approaches can inform better policing practice.
-
Innovation in policing
Learn more to access more details of Innovation in policingThis free course, Innovation in policing, explores the concept of innovation from the perspective of police and policing. It considers the ways in which innovation can apply in policing and how those working in policing and related fields can become more innovative.
-
Community engagement and policing
Read now to access more details of Community engagement and policingExplore OpenLearn's collection of courses focused on community engagement and policing, produced in association with the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
Rate and Review
Rate this article
Review this article
Log into OpenLearn to leave reviews and join in the conversation.
Article reviews