Get to know your Federation reps: Ian Spain

17 March 2021

Ian Spain has been a Humberside Police Federation workplace representative for more than 15 years but says receiving the thanks of officers he’s supported still gives him huge satisfaction.

The branch deputy secretary, conduct and performance lead and Post-Incident Procedures (PIP) lead, Ian first became a rep in 2005.

And he’s encouraging officers who want to help their colleagues to consider putting themselves forward to be a rep at the upcoming elections.

“If you want to really help your colleagues and learn new skills for their benefit it’s very rewarding,” he said, “The pinnacle of being a Fed rep is when the member thanks you for your support. That makes all the hours of hard work worth it. That sounds quite trite but I can assure you it’s not.”

Ian says he bring a passion to help and experience and understanding to the role. “And a will to maintain my knowledge and grow fed reps within the teams I manage,” he explained.

“What do I enjoy about being a rep? The fact the member is not facing whatever it is alone. That I can answer most of their questions or know where or who to seek the answer from.

“I’ve built up a network of knowledge sources that I can tap in to for the members. I enjoy sharing knowledge, training reps and presenting to members as a subject expert.”

Ian, who joined the Force in 1994 because he hated bullies and wanted to help people, said one of the big challenges of being a rep is the stress a member goes through and helping them manage it.

“Some of the cases have years of delay within them especially coroners’ cases,” said Ian, whose first posting was Old Priory covering Hull West and North.

“The support needs to be ever present but not intrusive and managed with what each individual requires. This means also working in close partnership with the Post-Incident Managers, for example.

“This also means the rep needs to maintain their own wellbeing and give professional advice and protect their own mental health.

“The system’s now in place make this central to daily business and peer support is invaluable. You can’t assist anyone if you’re not functioning properly.  Some members face difficulties with illness and personal issues and some have to access ill-health retirements.

“This can be difficult for them and their families and again helping them through the processes they will normally be unsighted upon.”

He added: “A key priority in the role is professional representation throughout, but seeing that each individual is different.

“The member must understand the processes and know exactly what’s happening and why. There may be very difficult conversations to be held and agreed ways forward.

“The reps need to be looked after too, and it really is a team effort with the leads of each area being there for advice and guidance.”

Ian said his career highlights include becoming a detective and a tutor.

“On the Fed side, the various portfolios I’ve held and the learning I’ve got from each one have been highlights. Being able to help members when they get into difficulties in whatever area of Fed business is also rewarding,” he added.

Ian said that there are a number of challenges facing the Federation.

“Nothing stays the same,” he said, “And reps and officials move on. This is the perennial problem of building a team and training competent and busy reps only to lose them.

“There is a plan to future-proof as far as possible the reliance the Fed can supply to 2,500 odd members.

“To ensure the reps are trained, motivated and, if everyone does something, this will work. It can’t be left to a handful of individual reps to do the majority of the work.”

He added: “We need to train and mentor the new reps at elections and bring people up to speed properly to give the best service to members while maintaining the current level of service provision.”

He said the Force faced the challenge of maintaining officer numbers, but also to see them as individuals.

“That’s crucial to really developing welfare and support when it’s needed,” he said, “I believe there’s more innovative thinking coming through and the partnership with Fortis Therapy, for example, is seeing real benefits.”

Ian added: “Workloads and expectations are never going to decrease. Physical and mental safety needs to be core business and everyone should know how to ask for help for themselves or their colleagues.”

Ian said the police service as a whole needs to focus on staff as well as the public.

“People are the main resource,” he said, “The leaders must continue to recognise and invest in them and their support services.

“The leaders should, as one, support proper remuneration and benefits for all staff as a lot of the welfare issues are financial and the cost of living is far outstripping any pay increase. There’s presumption this affects only new starters but goes through all levels of the service.

“I fear with the funding for Covid provision from the Government this can’t fall entirely or disproportionately on public services and the police as has happened before.”