Pay and conditions

ANALYSIS: With police ‘culture’ the focus of several reports and reviews, and a hot topic for conversation inside and outside the service, many UK forces have been re-examining their own internal cultures and looking for routes to improvement; Richie Maddock, an organisational development and cultural change specialist, explains the work he has been doing with Lincolnshire Police to help the force embark on its own culture journey.

ANALYSIS: While mental health and wellbeing issues have risen up the policing agenda, very little is understood about the impact of pregnancy and becoming a parent on serving officers and staff; Dr Sarah-Jane Lennie and Dr Keely Duddin of the Open University, and Dr Krystal Wilkinson of Manchester Metropolitan University, have worked with Greater Manchester Police to undertake research with officers on the issue, and develop a toolkit to improve the response and support offered by forces.

FEATURE: A new report by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland has found that low levels of resources are significantly affecting absence levels, work-related stress and job satisfaction for those on the frontline, with little recognition from the force or its leaders about the detrimental effect these shortages coupled with poor facilities are having on officers and staff, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.  

FEATURE: New research by Professor Sarah Charman and Dr Jemma Tyson of the University of Portsmouth, based on interviews with officers resigning from forces in England and Wales, suggests that organisational inflexibility remains a key factor in the increasing number of officers – particularly women – leaving the service, with some forces and senior officers only paying “lip service” to the options for flexible working arrangements, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

FEATURE: The Garda Representative Association (GRA) has claimed the force faces an “unprecedented retention crisis” after exit interviews of Gardaí highlighted unfair treatment by management, low morale and lack of support as reasons for leaving the force; but An Garda Síochána says resignation levels are “far below” those of UK forces, with “historically high numbers of extensions and promotions” demonstrating a high level of commitment by officers, reports Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons.

FEATURE: The latest survey of police wellbeing in England and Wales, coupled with a report comparing research from other staff associations, inspectorates and other bodies, has highlighted significant increases in stress and anxiety and a decline in feeling valued among officers which could also impact on service delivery; but forces that have acknowledged and prioritised wellbeing issues have seen a much more positive trajectory for officers and staff, reports Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons.

OPINION: This week Detective Chief Superintendent Paul Fotheringham retires from policing, and from his role as President of the Police Superintendents’ Association, a post he has held for the past 18 months; in this article he looks back over his policing career and his work with the PSA, in particular around officer wellbeing, ensuring everyone in the service has a voice, and the fight for fair reward and conditions.

FEATURE: The suicides of four Tasmania Police officers have prompted a range of recommendations from a coroner who highlighted concerns around the force’s approach to fatigue management and post-traumatic stress; Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons looks at the inquest findings into the tragic deaths of the four officers, and spoke to Tasmania Commissioner Donna Adams about the steps the force has already taken to address some of the issues.

POLICE SUPERS' CONFERENCE: As superintending ranks from across England and Wales gathered this week for the Police Superintendents’ Association (PSA) Annual Conference, PSA President Paul Fotheringham defended operational officers’ engagement with community groups and their efforts to promote diversity, and warned that language used by Home Secretary Suella Braverman and others was positioning the service as “political rather than inclusive”, reports Policing Insight's Keith Potter.

ANALYSIS: As the Police Federation of England and Wales prepares to ballot its members on whether it should pursue industrial rights, Policing Insight’s Graham Wettone looks back at the history of police strikes and working to rule in the UK, the failure of successive governments to honour the independent pay award process, and why the current debate about whether police should take industrial action should be taken seriously by the Government.

OPINION: Durham Chief Constable Jo Farrell was recently announced as the successor to Sir Iain Livingstone, Chief Constable of Police Scotland, who retires next month; former Police Scotland Superintendent Martin Gallagher, now an Associate of the London Policing College, looks at the challenges that will await CC Farrell when she takes up her new post.

OPINION: As the police service in the UK waits for the recommendations of the Police Remuneration Review Body regarding the pay settlement for 2023-24, British Transport Police Chief Constable Lucy D’Orsi sets out why it’s crucial that the underpayment of police must stop – and that government support is essential if a ‘positive’ settlement is confirmed.

ANALYSIS: In the third of a month-long series of articles celebrating International Women’s Day, Kendal Wright and Dr Keely Duddin of the Open University’s Policing Organisation and Practice Department share an insight into a ground-breaking study exploring women’s experiences of motherhood in the police.

OPINION: Having previously withdrawn from the UK police pay review over concerns around lack of independence, this year the Police Superintendents’ Association (PSA) has rejoined the process with a detailed submission and a unique joint pay statement alongside chief officers and police and crime commissioners; PSA President Paul Fotheringham warns that with the service in a “critical position”, the Government cannot afford to ignore such strong sentiment and “irrefutable evidence”.

INTERVIEW: In the second of a two-part interview with Policing Insight, West Midlands Chief Superintendent Harvi Khatkar, Vice-President of the Police Superintendents' Association (PSA), spoke to Keith Potter about opportunities to change the narrative around policing, the need for clarity over policing’s role, and the pressures impacting on the wellbeing of superintendents.

OPINION: The last 12 months have been tumultuous for policing in England and Wales, so what challenges will law enforcement face in 2023? Police Foundation Director Rick Muir explores the key issues for policing in the year ahead, including recruitment and retention, reviews and reform, and the potential impact of politics and new legislation.

OPINION: As the Police Superintendents’ Association of England and Wales prepares to celebrate its 70th anniversary, Association President Paul Fotheringham looks back at how the organisation was formed, its efforts to be a positive voice in support of its members over the past seven decades, and the challenges it continues to face today and into the future.

INTERVIEW: In the second part of his interview with Policing Insight, Superintendents’ Association President Paul Fotheringham spoke to Keith Potter about the structural and operational challenges facing the rank, the pressures on measuring and improving performance, and the importance of focusing on wellbeing and good leadership.