Childcare

Q. My son’s school was unexpectedly closed for the day and he was sent home, I couldn’t arrange childcare, do I have to use annual leave or time out of the book to care for him?

A. A police officer may take time off because of the unexpected disruption or termination of arrangements for the care of a dependant, or to deal with an incident which involves a child of the member and which occurs unexpectedly in a period during which an educational establishment, which the child attends, is responsible for them.

Leave taken as time off for dependants shall be treated as duty, but does not apply unless the member tells their chief officer the reason for their absence as soon as reasonably practicable. Best practice would be to inform a line supervisor of your circumstances ASAP after you become aware of it.

A “dependant” means, in relation to a member of a police force:

1. a) a spouse
   b) a child
   c) a parent
   d) a person who lives in the same household as the member, otherwise than by reason of being his employee, tenant, lodger or boarder

This also covers when a dependant falls ill, gives birth or is injured or assaulted or in consequence of the death of a dependant.