Supporting the wellbeing of emergency responders

Lifelines Scotland is a Scottish Government funded project aimed at developing resources and training to enhance the wellbeing of volunteer emergency responders who play a vital role in our communities. The project is being led by Gill Moreton from the Rivers Centre for Traumatic Stress in NHS Lothian. Gill has been working with staff in the police, fire and ambulance service for 15 years and is particularly interested in keeping responders well.
 
The project started in October 2015 and will run for a year. The first phase has been a consultation with representatives of Scotland's voluntary responder community and we're keen now to get the views of the volunteers themselves.
 
The questionnaire should only take a few minutes to complete but will provide us with really valuable information so we'd like to thank you in advance for taking the time to help us. 
 
N.B. When we share the survey results we will endeavour to make sure your responses remain anonymous. So please let us know if you think you may be identifiable, e.g. only volunteer for an organisation in your area. Thank you
 
The Lifelines Scotland website will be up and running by February and will contain up to date information on the project as well as lots of resources we hope you will find useful.

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* 1. For which organisation do you volunteer?

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* 2. Where are you based?

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* 3. What is your age?

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* 4. What is your gender?

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* 5. What do you enjoy and/or feel is important about your role as a volunteer responder? (Please mark all that apply)

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* 6. What are the challenges or stresses for you in being a volunteer responder? (Please mark all that apply)

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* 7. How do you cope with the demands of your responder role? (Please mark all that apply)

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* 8. How confident are you at recognising signs of stress in yourself?

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* 9. How confident are you in your ability to cope with stress?

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* 10. How confident are you at recognising signs of stress in colleagues?

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* 11. How confident would you be in providing support to a colleague who was stressed?

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* 12. Do you think there is stigma attached to having a mental health problem?

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* 13. Would you have less respect for a colleague if you discovered they were experiencing mental health difficulties?

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* 14. Would stigma prevent you from seeking help if you were experiencing emotional or psychological difficulties?

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* 15. Have you received any previous training in self-care?

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* 16.  If you have, please tell us what that training involved

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* 17. Have you done any previous training about supporting colleagues?

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* 18. If you have, please tell us what that training involved.

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* 19. What kind of training would you be interested in accessing? (Please mark all that apply)

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* 20. How would you prefer to access that training?

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* 21. If you're interested in attending a training session, what day / time would be best for you? (Please mark all that apply)

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* 22. Are you aware of the following organisations / resources?

  Yes No
Scottish Resilience Development Service (ScoRDS)
Blue Light Foundation (run by MIND in England)

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* 23. Would any of the following be helpful to you and your family or friends?

  Yes No Unsure
Resources for adult family and friends explaining the challenges of the responder role  
Resources for adult family and friends explaining the signs and symptoms of stress and ideas on how to support a loved one
Materials to help parents explain the responder role to children
Materials to help parents address any fears or anxieties children may have about their parent's responder role
Resources to help loved ones take care of themselves

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* 24. Do you think you would make use of a "staying well" app on your mobile phone?

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* 25.

Please use the box below if there is anything else you would like to tell us about your role and/or what would be helpful.

 Thank you for your help.

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