4 Well Beyond Transition to Retirement Systems Framework Well Beyond Systems Framework 5 Why is this Framework needed? Anecdotally, we know that many people find retirement a challenge, but research tells us that emergency service workers face a number of very specific challenges that go beyond the norm. For example, Answering the Call, a study of more than 21,000 police and emergency responders by Beyond Blue (2018) revealed that despite 85% of retirees having experienced a distressing workrelated event and 23% potentially having posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (compared to an estimated 4.4% of adults in Australia), they had little social and/or psychological support at this important transition point in their lives. Clearly this is an issue that cannot be ignored. So what kinds of support do emergency service workers need and how can the sector better support its people as they transition to retirement? Understanding and addressing this issue became a primary goal of ESF and its Learning Network, ultimately leading to the development of this Systems Framework. How was the Framework developed? We developed the Framework to address a significant gap in critical retirement planning. The development process began with extensive research and grew in consultation with key people across the sector. Exploring the evidence and talking to stakeholders Working with the sector, ESF sought to deepen our understanding of the issues and needs of retired and retiring emergency service workers through various research projects, building on the 2018 Beyond Blue work. We have also gathered great insights from end users (i.e. retirees, and people nearing retirement) through ESF initiated co-designed workshops. These workshops also included subject matter experts, agency program managers, and other key stakeholders. You can read more about the various evidence gathering and research projects that led to the development of the Framework here. https://esf.com.au/programs/transitions/ POLICE What does the evidence tell us? Regardless of the topics examined and individuals involved in the evidence gathering, many consistent wellbeing and retirement related themes emerged, specific to those transitioning from the emergency services. To summarise, these themes are: • Retirement can result in a sense of identity loss This resonates both physically through the loss of uniform and psychologically in terms of leaving meaningful work and losing a sense of purpose. • Retirement can result in lost collegiality A sense of belonging is often associated with the strong bonds built in emergency service roles. Loss of those bonds can create a sense of grief and loneliness in retirement. • Emergency service work can leave a physical and psychological toll that carries into retirement If not addressed across the career span, emergency service workers can transition to retirement with poor physical and mental health. Cumulative trauma in particular can emerge in retirement when there is more time to reflect. This can be compounded by other issues, such as lost identity and collegiality. • Beyond the financial aspect, many do not plan well for retirement Without doubt, most individuals and organisations focus any retirement planning on financial considerations. Of course this is very important and understanding superannuation is critical. But many do not plan beyond that in terms of what they might do in retirement, how they might transition to retirement to minimise the ‘suddenness’ of departure, and how they could use the skills gained in their working life to improve their wellbeing in retirement.
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