Week of Visibility highlighted support available to Fed members

5 February 2026

Workplace rep Sergeant Michael Clark has hailed the impact of Hertfordshire Police Federation’s Week of Visibility.

Michael said it was a ‘fantastic initiative’ to help highlight the breadth of support available to members.

An experienced officer of 19 years, Michael said: “Traditionally, our branch has been heads down, getting the work done, doing our best for members, and I think that is true of many Federation branches.

“However, it’s not often that we look up and make sure people actually know who we are and what we do.”

Taking place throughout last week, the Week of Visibility saw full-time and workplace reps visiting police stations and departments and attending briefings across the Force area.

Misconduct

The week aimed to show members the range of representation and services the Federation provides. It was also a chance for members to talk about their experiences, concerns, and priorities, and for reps to listen.

A central theme of the week has been challenging the perception that the Federation is only there for officers facing misconduct or disciplinary proceedings.

“That’s a large part of what we do, but it’s not all we do,” said Michael, who has been a rep for four years.

“We’re not just there as an insurance policy for when people get into trouble.”

 

Sergeant Michael Clark

 

Michael highlighted the significant amount of welfare and informal support carried out by Federation reps, much of which goes unseen.

This includes helping officers who are struggling at work, advising on postings, work-life balance, and wellbeing, and using professional influence to resolve issues before they escalate.

“A lot of that work is hidden,” Michael explained. “It’s not a misconduct meeting, it’s not advertised, and it might not even end up as a case note, but it can make a real difference.”

The week also provided an opportunity to promote Federation services and benefits that officers may not always be aware of.

Rehabilitation

These include access to Flint House, which provides physical rehabilitation and mental health support to more than 3,500 members of the police service each year.

Other benefits include group insurance schemes and welfare check-ins for officers who are off sick.

Michael said: “There’s no requirement for us to ring people who are off sick, but we do it as a welfare exercise.

“It’s about making sure our members are being looked after properly.”

Michael added that the Federation increasingly plays a role in supporting younger, shorter-in-service officers, including supervisors.

Valuable

“We can help give that broader view and make sure the correct procedures are followed,” he said. “We expect the organisation to follow its own policies fairly and properly.”

Reflecting on the Week of Visibility, Michael said it has been really valuable.

“This has been a fantastic initiative,” he said. “Trying something different so that people know that we're there, it’s been great.

“The whole point is for people to know who we are, what we do, and that we’re there to help, and I’d like to think we’ve done that.”

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