Evaluating Officer Wellbeing Initiatives in the Maltese Police Service

• In Event: POLWG Panel 17. Police Officer wellbeing, understanding trauma and risk mitigation

Abstract

Stress, anxiety, and difficult working conditions inherent in policing produce demonstrable negative side effects on police officers’ mental and physical heath. There is growing awareness among senior police leaders that officer wellbeing presents one of the biggest challenges to creating and sustaining a productive workforce. This paper presents findings from a process evaluation of the interventions introduced as part of a larger Transformation Strategy (2020-25) by the Maltese Police Service to improve officer wellbeing and their quality of life in Malta.
The paper focuses on three interventions: enhancing family friendly measures; improving office and work environment; and renewing focus on officer physical and mental health. Based on a force-wide survey and interviews with police officers at all ranks, the paper explores whether, how, and for whom these interventions worked. Adopting a realistic inspired framework, we explore the Context-Mechanism-Outcome interaction to help identify the structural, organisational, and individual factors that facilitate as well as challenge the success of the interventions and whether they were accompanied by the requisite changes in police culture for such interventions to succeed. We identify a theory of change that underpins the Maltese police’s efforts to engender the requisite organisational change which prioritises police officer mental and physical wellbeing.

Authors

• Jyoti Belur, UCL

• Sandra Scicluna, University of Malta

• Annabel Cuff, University of Malta