MPS's Employee Assistance Programme

Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.25.045881

I note you seek access to the following information:

Please may I have details of the MET Police's Employee Assistance Programme.

1. When was the Employee Assistance Programme introduced.
2. Why was the Employee Assistance Programme introduced, what has it replaced and how does it differ from the normal workings of Occupational Health
3. How does the Employee Assistance Programme aid officers under investigation for misconduct or gross misconduct and again what has it replaced and how does it differ from the normal functioning of OH

Decision

I have today decided to disclose the located information to you in full. Please find below information pursuant to your request above.

Q1 - When was the Employee Assistance Programme introduced.

Help EAP have been working with Met since 2018

Q2 - Why was the Employee Assistance Programme introduced, what has it replaced and how does it differ from the normal workings of Occupational Health

Help EAP is an additional service to Occupational Health and offers a confidential self-service for staff which they can be access 24/7, without the need of a line manager referral like most of the other OH services. Giving staff/officers access to immediate support in comparison to other OH services. The trained advisors help advise individuals and support them in accessing the following services:

• Counselling
• Couple counselling
• Family counselling
• Legal advice
• Debt advice
• Eldercare/Childcare
• Plus, additional services via the Optima Met Counselling team such as trauma interventions.

There is no feedback to management due to the confidentiality of the service – this includes if a warm handover is given by line managers (A warm handover is when someone is not comfortable with making the call to the EAP and gives a Line Manager consent to do so on their behalf. We will take details and arrange a callback or if distressed can take the call immediately and follow our usual process. Once the handover has been completed all contact becomes confidential meaning there is no feedback to the LM on the call or content).

Q3 - How does the Employee Assistance Programme aid officers under investigation for misconduct or gross misconduct and again what has it replaced and how does it differ from the normal functioning of OH

Help EAP can offer all the services as outlined above (with the exception of legal for employment issues), including extended contact via the Optima Met Counselling Team. What is provided will be dependent on the identified issues and scope of service.