News update - November 2022

Welcome to the new website which has all the information you require to get the most out of our Group Insurance Scheme.

It includes the scheme and travel documents along with the useful contact numbers to download and save to your devices. In addition, all the application and claim forms are within the website along with some FAQs to help resolve any issues you may have swiftly.

If you aren’t currently a member and are eligible to join simply complete the Health Declaration form, or The Underwritten Form if required, and return them directly to me and I will process these without delay.

You will see when browsing the Group Insurance area there is a link to “Wellfed” which is open to all members both serving and retired. This is in addition to all the cover within the group scheme and is bespoke to Notts members.

It provides access to counselling, physiotherapy, sports and therapeutic massages, osteopathy and acupuncture. You will note from the information on the website that we have arrangements with certain providers for the physical treatments and these are the only outlets we use. Please view the information prior to commencing any treatment then follow the instructions to contact me so I can authorise the treatment required.

We have a close working relationship with Notts Police and its existing Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) and hope to be able to seamlessly transition mental health treatments for serving officers and staff from the EAP to our provisions if required. We do have access to counsellors and other specialists so if their services are required over and above that of the EAP then this will be considered. Our retired members can also access counselling directly with the scheme, this is done by contacting me directly via email.

In addition, we also provide the PFOA Partnership Programme for serving officers and staff. This is designed to assist with the more serious welfare issues. We currently have 10 slots available on this programme but that is continuously under review, if more are required then I will not hesitate to source the extra provisions.

The full details of the Partnership Programme are on the PFOA website where you will see we are one of only four local Federations that fund this provision. Ours is via membership to the Group Insurance Scheme. So far, our membership to this programme has saved two officers’ lives. They called the 24/7 helpline in the early hours of the morning with serious mental health episodes.

You will also see that as members of the Group Insurance Scheme you can access corporate tickets to both the Yorkshire Wildlife Park and the White Post Farm attractions. The tickets are available to all our members both serving and retired, so please make use of them. Booking a slot for either attraction is straight forward, simply contact me as detailed within the information for both. There are rules to follow for both venues, these are clearly listed within the information documents. The attractions are proving to be very popular with great feedback.

Finally, a quick reminder that the Group Insurance Scheme is an opt-out membership so unless you contact us and ask to be removed when you retire, deductions will continue and be taken from your pension within three months of your retirement.

It is imperative that you contact us prior to retiring to verify your details with us or indeed if you have any change of circumstance. If you are in any doubt, please make contact with us to update them.

Dave Keen

Group Insurance Scheme manager

Welfare adviser