Delivering injury prevention strategies in police force recruit training: identification of organisational implementation responsibilities.

Abstract

Objectives: To reduce injury burden among police recruits we must identify who is responsible for implementing prevention strategies. Using a novel methodology, we aimed to examine the perspectives of police force recruits and staff to determine who they perceived to be responsible to implement important injury prevention strategies.

Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study co-designed by our broader consumer, industry and research advisory groups. Five data collection sessions were conducted, involving a total of nine separate groups; analyses were performed by group rather than at the individual level. Groups were clustered by organisational role: management (n=2 groups), training delivery (n=3 groups) and recruits (n=4 groups). Participants allocated 57 previously identified important injury prevention strategies to the group(s) ((1) recruits, (2) training delivery, (3) management) responsible for implementing each strategy.

Results: Participants identified almost three-quarters of prevention strategies required shared responsibility among recruits, training delivery staff and/or management. No strategies were considered the sole responsibility of recruits.

Conclusion: Our research demonstrated that while recruits must take ownership and responsibility for some aspects of their training no prevention priority areas are the sole responsibility of recruits. Thus, recruit injury prevention must be implemented by recruits, training delivery staff and management.