Officers urged to 'keep in touch' while on maternity leave

7 March 2024

Derbyshire Police Federation members who are on parenting leave are being encouraged to make the most of their keep in touch (KIT) days.

PC Lucy Carley, who is currently on maternity leave with her second child, described KIT days as ‘absolutely invaluable’.

Now she’s trying to encourage more officers to take advantage of them to make their return to work as smooth as possible.

Lucy said: “I would hate to think that someone is going back to work after nine months to a year on leave having not done a KIT day because they don’t know what to expect on a KIT day.

“They make going back a lot easier and enjoyable.

“They’re absolutely invaluable.”

Derbyshire Police officers are entitled to up to 10 full KIT days for maternity and adoption, and 20 shared parental leave in touch (SPLIT) days when on shared parental leave. Officers are paid for the hours they work on a KIT/SPLIT day.

Lucy said: “I’m going to a new department, so I’ve been going in and learning the ropes before I go back so I don’t feel such a newbie, as well as helping with the return to work.

Derbyshire Police Federation member PC Lucy Carley.

“When I had my first child I was still on section. I was doing KIT days, going back, and getting used to working the shifts again, and doing that around childcare, which I think is really important.”

Lucy, who has been on maternity leave for six months following the birth of her son Arthur, said KIT days can also help with getting back into a work routine.

“I love a KIT day,” she said. “I look forward to them.

“What do they involve? Firstly, getting up and being at work on time!

“It gives you a bit of you back and the chance to be somebody else but mum for a day, but also to spend time with your colleagues, which is always good fun.

“It’s useful to be able to keep in touch with the people you need to while you’re off, because nine months or a year is a long time to be off.

“It also helps you to get your head around what the Force is expecting of you, so going through Chief’s orders, picking up where you left off with online learning.

“It’s getting your head back into the game, but also having a chance to speak to your supervision, your sergeants, inspectors, and to talk to them about what you want when you go back.

“Being able to have that conversation in person instead of over the phone, is really helpful.”

She added: “You’re buddied with somebody on your KIT days who looks after you.

“When I was on section and had a KIT day, I went out to jobs with people. It was renewing your knowledge, so you’d be crewed with people. You wouldn’t go out by yourself.

“I’m in the personal safety training team now, and I’m still crewed with somebody on the gym floor, I’m not having to do it by myself.

“That’s great because when you go back to work you know your knowledge is still there.”

Lucy is due back in Force towards the beginning of June and has taken four of her KIT days in the past month or so.

“You get 10 KITS days, and I’m trying to do two a month but then just before I go back, I’m going to do them a little bit more regularly, so I get back in the routine of being at work,” she explained.

“Having KIT days makes that return to work a lot less daunting.

“The first one I had this time around, I was a little bit apprehensive because I hadn’t been there for six months, but it was just like walking back into the parade room on a normal day.

“It’s nice that I’ve done a few more and I know what to expect when I go back.

“I’m not walking back into a parade room for the first time in nine months, it’s walking back in having been there a few of days ago having done a KIT day."