Federation survey seeks officers’ views on demand, capacity and welfare

5 October 2020

Hertfordshire Police Federation chair Geoff Bardell is urging members to use a new survey as a chance to discuss their experiences of policing in the pandemic.

This year’s Demand, Capacity and Welfare Survey has been launched today by the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW).

It gives officers the chance to help shape Federation policy and seeks their views on a range of issues, including policing the ongoing Covid-19 crisis.

Geoff said: “This is a really important survey, and we need as many members as possible to have their say in it. We need to build a comprehensive picture of how Covid-19, and a whole range of other issues, have impacted, and continue to impact, our work.

“The more members who complete it, the stronger our voice will be in representing you to policing leaders and the Government.

“Please make your voice heard.”

This is the Federation’s third national Demand, Capacity and Welfare Survey and aims to give an accurate assessment of the challenges facing policing.

As well as questions around the pandemic, it also examines the plan to recruit an extra 20,000 officers by 2023.

The results will allow the Federation to make meaningful comparison with the data gathered in 2018 and 2016.

The last Demand, Capacity and Welfare Survey found that in Hertfordshire the average job satisfaction rating was 4/10, 83 per cent of respondents reported frequent single crewing and 65 per cent reported never or rarely taking their full rest break entitlement.

Some 79 per cent said their workload was too high, 89 per cent there weren’t enough officers to do the job and 79 per cent indicated they had experienced difficulties with their health and wellbeing over the previous 12 months.

Encouraging members to take part in the survey, national Federation chair John Apter said: “I can’t tell you how important it is we get as many responses to this survey as possible. It’s important for people like me and your local Fed reps to have that information on how you felt you’ve been treated during this pandemic, not only by policing but by Government and others, so that we can take that to the leaders within policing and also to Government.”

Contact the Federation office if you have not received a link to the survey by emailing policefederation@herts.pnn.police.uk

Find out more about the survey.