Name: Police Support Officer M

Background

A 36-year-old Police Support Officer who holds a role with Essex Police and is also a member of the Control Room staff at a busy London Airport deals with managing emergency (999) and non-emergency (101) calls and the deployment of police officers.

PSO M has also been a Special Constable since 2007, patrolling the streets of Essex and assisting regular police officers in their roles.

Whilst carrying out this role, in September 2012, PSO M and a colleague arrested a man suspected of assaulting a member of the public. During this arrest, the suspect attacked both constables. PSO M received a blow to his leg, the force of which broke it in several places, and required surgery. However, PSO M had to wait two weeks for the swelling to go down, before surgeons could operate, putting pins in his leg and a plate in his foot to keep the bones in place. PSO M returned to his home after a week in hospital, in plaster. He remained in plaster for 12 weeks, until February 2013, when the plaster and pins were removed.

How did the Blue Lamp Foundation help?

PSO M was keen to undertake a course of intensive physiotherapy to aid his recovery. As this treatment can cost upwards of £60 per hour, PSO M was keen to find some financial aid to help him pay for this. Whilst filling out his compensation forms, PSO M came across the Blue Lamp Foundation and submitted a grant application to help him pay for his intensive physiotherapy. Through the Blue Lamp’s relationship with the Police Treatment Centres, which provide intensive physiotherapy to injured police officers, the Foundation’s Trustees awarded PSO M a grant to pay for PSO M to attend the Police Treatment Centre in Harrogate for two weeks.

How the help was delivered?

Once the grant was approved, PSO M was booked into the Harrogate Police Treatment Centre. PSO M was driven from his home to the centre in Harrogate, in Mid-March this year, to undertake a course of police specific physiotherapy and rehabilitation.  During his stay in Harrogate, PSO M had physiotherapy every day, and was able to use the gym and specialist hydrotherapy pool, which allowed PSO M to undertake specific non-weight bearing exercise. He was also provided with advice on building up his strength and fitness.

 

The impact this help had on the individual’s life

PSO M was grateful for the help he was provided with, which allowed him to receive a course of intensive treatment to help him build his strength and confidence and to help him feel normal again.

The future

The excellent facilities, made available by the Blue Lamp Foundation, have helped given PSO M the opportunity to start looking forward to the future, and a return to work.