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ABOUT PRRT

WHAT WE DO

We help build new and healthier futures

We support thousands of retired and retiring police officers to create the future they want after policing.  We make a difference to people’s lives by helping them to feel as mentally and physically well as possible. Together, we work in partnership with you to help you see how valuable your skills are to others, and how, with our training support, you can achieve your personal and professional potential.

PRRT’s services are available to non-police bodies, within, or funded by the Department of Justice (DoJ).

WHAT WE OFFER

We offer you specialist support

Healthcare

PRRT provides healthcare on a self-referral basis in an outpatient setting.

We offer you the support your need to overcome psychological and physical injuries through our Psychology and Physiotherapy departments.

We have teams of clinicians who work with you, to help you achieve the health goals that you set for treatment.

Coaching and Development

Our Coaching and Development coaches help you to identify the most suitable employment, or active retirement goal for you. They work alongside you to help you come to an informed decision about the right choice for you. They do this by encouraging you to consider important factors like:

  • your personal circumstances
  • your skills, qualifications, abilities and aptitudes developed from all spheres of life
  • career, employment, self-employment or active retirement options that match your strengths, interests and personal circumstances
  • options that are possible with our training support.

Once you have identified your goal, we offer you a range of targeted training support to help you achieve the lifestyle you aspire to. We provide access to subsidised in-house training and education courses.

WHO ARE WE

We are a Non Department Public Body (NDPB) of the Department of Justice for Northern Ireland (DoJ).

WHO WE SERVE

We are here to support police officers planning to retire from service, or those who have already retired from the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), or the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC (RUC GC). We will offer support to partners and immediate family members of eligible clients, in specific circumstances. PRRT also supports current and former Prison Officers who are eligible for our service provision. In addition, we extend our service provision to other departments within the Department of Justice.

Each service has a slightly different eligibility criteria, so visit the webpage of the service you are interested in to check your eligibility.

Our services are also open on a self-funding basis to the following groups:

  • Police staff
  • Immediate family members of serving or retired police officers
  • Part Time Reserve officers
  • Serving or retired officers who do not meet the eligibility criteria.

PRRT have been offering Psychological Treatments and Physiotherapy healthcare services to the Northern Ireland Prison Service since 2017.  The service provision for current staff also includes resilience training for both new and existing personnel.

On the 1st February 2022, PRRT’s service provision was widened to support Former Prison Officers with their health and wellbeing.  They can avail of the Psychological Therapy and Physiotherapy services as well as Coaching and Development.  All three services are available to those former officers who meet the eligible criteria.

Dr Norry McBride, CEO at The Police Rehabilitation and Retraining Trust, stated, “We welcome the new Budget allocation from the Department of Justice to support former Prison Officers’ health and well-being.  PRRT has been working with the Northern Ireland Prison Service for a number of years in providing services for current staff. We are looking forward to expanding our capacity to provide our professional services to those who have retired or left NIPS.”

OUR EXECUTIVE TEAM

The Chief Executive is accountable to the Board of Directors, and manages the services with a dedicated Senior Management Team accountable to him. The Team is comprised of:

  • Head of Psychological Therapies
  • Head of Physiotherapy
  • Head of Coaching and Development
  • Head of Finance and Support Services.

OUR HISTORY

Following a series of paramilitary ceasefires from 1994, the RUC initiated an internal Review of Policing in the mid-1990s. The Review considered the implications for the Police Service should a politically negotiated peace settlement be achieved in Northern Ireland. One obvious outcome for the Service of policing a more socially and politically stable society would be the requirement for an extensive restructuring of the Service and a revision to its existing model of policing.

A number of individuals drawn from policing and civilian backgrounds were concerned that police officers affected by any potential change should be adequately supported to make a successful transition into an alternative lifestyle. There was recognition that a significant proportion would require help to overcome personal challenges emerging from their police service. Some carried physical and psychological conditions into retirement that hindered their quality of life, whilst others believed that their ability to secure alternative careers and employment would be radically restricted because of the nature and perception of their occupation.

A working group was formed with the express purpose of securing government funding to provide a package of services assessed as necessary for officers and retired officers to achieve their chosen work life balance in civilian life. The group successfully achieved approval from the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in 1998 and PRRT became operational in March 1999.

PRRT exists to assist retired officers to recognise their potential, identify opportunities, set and achieve their objectives and enjoy optimum mental and physical wellbeing beyond policing.  We enable clients to achieve their goals by providing:

Multi-disciplinary expertise

Multi-disciplinary expertise is utilised to develop customised services to respond to the complexity of individual need.

  • Sole provider of evidence based clinical interventions in physiotherapy and psychological therapies to the retired police community
  • Provider of Coaching and Development to the Policing and Justice Community
  • Provider of services to PSNI’s Occupational Health and Welfare Unit for serving officers and civilian support workers
  • Full Time Reserve Severance Support programme
  • Internal service provider for the Department of Justice working with organisations such as Forensic Science and Youth Justice Agency

COACHING & DEVELOPMENT

This Department works with retiring and retired officers to assist individuals to prepare for the future and to make a successful transition from policing to a rewarding and fulfilling civilian life.

About Coaching & Development

PHYSIOTHERAPY

This department provides musuloskeletal physiotherapy services to both retired and retiring officer. Clients can attend for assessment and treatment at Maryfield or be out-sourced to one of our approved clinics across the province

About Physiotherapy

PSYCHOLOGICAL THERAPIES

This Department is a highly specialist clinical service which aims to address and treat people’s psychological needs which have arisen in the face of adversity and conflict.

About Psychological Therapies