Federation set to welcome Specials as members

22 March 2021

The secretary of Hertfordshire Police Federation says he is ‘really pleased’ that a decade of campaigning has finally paid off after a bill that will allow Special Constables to subscribe to Police Federation continued to progress through Parliament last week.

The news follows the second reading of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill on Tuesday (16 March).

Al Wollaston: “I am really pleased that, after 10 years of campaigning for what we believed was right and fair for our Special Constables, they will soon be able to become fully-fledged members of the Federation and access the advice and help services that we offer.

“They are, after all, valuable members of our forces who go out into communities unpaid yet facing the same challenges and dangers as our regular officers. They have continued to do this throughout the pandemic and offered up thousands of hours of work. They deserve to have the Federation’s backing and it will be a privilege to work with them and provide any formal support they may need.

“This also shows that Specials’ work is not only recognised but appreciated and respected.”

Joining more than 130,000 regular constables, sergeants, inspectors and chief inspectors as Federation members, Specials will be able to receive support and advice from elected workplace reps and will also be able to call on expert advice and representation during performance and misconduct proceedings.

This will form part of the support package to ensure they know their rights and entitlements and means they will receive the right support if any workplace issues are encountered.

As Federation members, Specials will for also the first time be able to apply for legal assistance in criminal, conduct and civil cases as well as gaining access to Member Service offers.

The national Federation’s Special Constabulary lead Dave Bamber continued: ““Nobody has ever really fully represented the Special Constabulary regarding regulations or formal negotiations. Nobody has been on the side of Specials during conversations with key decision-makers - and now the Federation will be. It is a really proud moment for the Federation and a historic move.

“It is only right Specials receive the same legal protections, support with workplace grievances and negotiations over conditions as their regular counterparts.”

The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill is expected to continue to progress through Parliament before becoming law later this year.