Our Work Keeps You Safe - update from Health & Safety Lead Martin Lally

6 April 2018

Our Work Keeps You Safe - Update from the latest GMP Federation Magazine from Health & Safety Lead Martin Lally

We have invested a great deal of time and effort in delivering a GMP TRiM (Trauma Risk Management) policy, practitioners and terms of reference rather than a GMP Federation TRiM system.

Soon – thanks to the efforts of a number of reps – TRiM will be held by GMP and the new practitioners coming online will only make the process even stronger.

Education continues to be the key issue though and the more that we can get to speak to officers about the process and in return officers can share good experiences, the more the process will embed. We are also working now with Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service and the Northwest Ambulance Service to share knowledge and improve a multi-agency approach to TRiM.

Professional Development

Despite our pride in the TRiM work we are aware we are only as good as our last job! We are now developing our understanding and involvement in professional development. This can be a thorny subject.

Groups like Police Now appeared with little consultation and we are working hard to fully understand the programme and how it will affect Federated members and the force in general.

We will remain a critical friend and push the force for the best outcomes for you.

There is a new Professional Development Review (PDR) system being developed and we are paying close attention, as in the coming years this may link to officer pay.

We are striving to make sure any system that may affect pay is fair and transparent, even though this is some way off at the moment. We are keenly watching how this develops and monitoring anything that comes from the College of Policing on this issue so we can give you the most recent updates.

We also met the Professional Development unit and discussed a number of issues including promotions, the new work-based assessment, development interventions and positive action.

Training

Training will become an increasingly challenging task as we continue to reduce in number. The personal safety training time limits will continue to be a challenge, but behind that there are the driving refreshers (including initial pursuit), first aid and CMS (PSU/Level 2 and 1) which mean the divisions will be managing increasing numbers of abstractions.

We continue to urge the force to use balance when all these extra pressures fall on – Demand Resource Management Units (DRMUs), supervisors and officers alike.

Spit Guards

Our Deputy Secretary Lindsay Atherton has taken up the issue of spit guards. This is a work in progress and your local reps may have asked you for examples for the meetings she attends.

This work continues, but it is our stance that spit guards are an approved piece of kit and officers should be protected from this most vile form of attack.

No officer should ever be spat on when doing the hard work that you all do day-to-day. The force should look at investing in this kit to protect you. We will continue with this.

Taser

We are also working with the force to ensure the Taser roll out maintains its momentum. We are questioning if there is a capacity for supervisors to carry, as they are less likely to be engaged at an incident and could provide a speedier back up to non-carrying officers. It is a point for the force to decide, but it is a point brought to us by you our members and raised on your behalf at the strategic level.

The above is all health and safety. If we move away from what the tabloids call health and safety and call it what it is, keeping you all safe so you go home safe, it ceases to be a hurdle but a shield.

All our focus is about keeping you all as safe as possible at work. Whether it be working hours, the right kit or training and much more besides we will be there to keep the force’s feet to the fire so that you will have the best they can deliver.