In an emergency call 999 and ask for Police then Mountain Rescue
Scottish Mountain Rescue (SMR) aims to support teams to embed an understanding of personal resilience into the volunteer experience from recruitment to retirement, including how to support colleagues and what to do following incident trauma exposure.
We recognise that the risks associated with psychological injury arise from both operational and organisational stressors. The stressors are often linked to the general challenges of being a volunteer responder, the pressures of managing teams (charities), and even during training. We are committed to reducing these risks wherever possible and having support in place should it be needed.
You can find out more about managing the risks of psychological injury by having a look at our TOOLKIT for teams.
NHS Inform have a page dedicated to help support anyone (eg those we are going out to help) who have been caught up in a potentially traumatic event. You can let casualties, friends, bystanders etc who are involved in rescues know about this resource:
That NHS page also includes a link to Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland who provide a debrief service for anyone witnessing or involved in Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest: https://www.chss.org.uk/services/ohca-advice-line-support-service/
The Lifelines Scotland website contains information and links to support following incidents that involve suicide and these are worth checking out.
The Lifelines Scotland (NHS project) model of informal peer support reflects the evidence that early and ongoing support such as reassurance, information and kindness, ideally from people who know us — family, friends, and colleagues — helps to challenge stigma, normalises reactions and promotes the expectation of recovery. Most responders, most of the time, cope well.
Lifelines Scotland: lifelines.scot provides emergency service staff and volunteers with the knowledge, understanding and skills to look after themselves and their colleagues, allowing them to function well in their roles and for this experience to be both positive and rewarding. There are resources for family, friends and others (eg. employers who have staff who volunteer as responders). Lifelines runs facilitator-led learning opportunities for emergency response volunteers.
If you are looking for resources to support someone, it will help to try to listen carefully to them and explore what type of support will best suit their needs. We can use the Psychological First Aid model to help anyone in distress, whether that be a colleague or those we go out to help (eg a member of the public caught up in an incident/rescue). Please have a look here for more information: https://www.lifelines.scot/post-trauma-support-providing-psychological-first-aid You can also call/text the helplines for advice when supporting someone. You can call on someone’s behalf with their permission since making that first call can be very difficult. The SMR Team member wellbeing pages include a number of useful links as well as those signposted in this summary. You will find phone, text and web links as well as SMR specific support videos. There are also details of the SMR Benevolent Scheme. (Password available from your team): scottishmountainrescue.org/teampages/wellbeing-support
SMR has an agreement with The Rivers Centre (NHS) to provide post incident support following potentially traumatic events. Details of how to access this support can be found alongside our TOOLKIT for managing the risks of psychological injury.
• 999: Call 999 if there is immediate threat – especially if taking own life has been attempted
• NHS: Call 111 for urgent medical advice (or contact/advise GP if less immediate urgency)
• Samaritans: samaritans.org or call 116 123
• Breathing Space: breathingspace.scot or call 0800 83 85 87 (Also piloting a web-chat option)
• Police Scotland Employee Assistance Programme (EAP): Call 0800 046 5593
• Working Health Services (for self-employed and small organisations):
healthyworkinglives.scot/workplace-guidance/Pages/Healthy-Working-Lives-services.aspx
• Able Futures: able-futures.co.uk provides up to nine months of support: see website for details.
Call 0800 321 3137 Monday to Friday 08.00 – 22.30
• SHOUT: giveusashout.org Text the word BLUELIGHT to 85258
• Lifelines Scotland: www.lifelines.scot (An NHS project specifically for the emergency service
community in Scotland)
• Police Scotland EAP: policescotland.yourcareeap.co.uk
• National Wellbeing Hub: wellbeinghub.scot (Aimed at Health and Social Care sector in Scotland)
• NHS: nhs24.scot Links to NHS Inform and NHS 111
Please address any questions regarding this page to: wellbeingofficer@scottishmountainrescue.org