Chairs Update - Summer 2025
6 August 2025
Chairs Summer update 2025
Dear Colleagues,
As we enter the peak of the summer period, we’re once again seeing the toll it takes, not just on our members, but on their families as well. Year after year, this season brings with it heightened operational pressures, and 2025 is proving no different. Officers across the country are stepping up to meet increasing demand, often at significant personal cost. Whether it’s policing major events, responding to public order challenges, or covering abstractions, the burden continues to grow.
I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your professionalism, resilience, and commitment. Your work under these pressures does not go unnoticed.
We recognise the strain that sustained high demand places on both wellbeing and capacity. That’s why we’re actively engaging with the Force to address the current imbalance between demand and available resources and the planning that impacts on members private lives.
Crisis line
On Monday the 21st of July we saw the launch of the much-needed Mental Health Crisis Line for Police Officers and Staff. This service is run by Oscar Kilo, National Police Welfare Service.
The independent and confidential Mental Health Crisis Line provides immediate support for anyone working in policing.
Call now : 0300 131 2789
Here’s how it works -
- Whatever your role in policing, the Mental Health Crisis Line is for you.
- If you’re in crisis, the line provides in-the-moment support to help keep you safe and stable.
- If you call the number, you’ll speak to a qualified counsellor trained in suicide prevention and experienced in helping those who work in the emergency services. The call handlers understand the lived experience of police staff and officers – but it’s an independent line and separate from policing.
- Call handlers will be able to signpost you to more support if needed. But no information is shared with your force or line manager – it is 100% confidential.
- This is not a referral service for members of the public.
Daily life is tough. And on top of that, policing can expose you to stress, trauma, and high-pressure situations – it's common for this to have an impact on your mental health.
You don’t have to face difficult times alone.
Please save this number and use this as a tool to take care of yourselves. We have suffered too many losses, and this is a welcomed service to support the policing family.
Mental Health Crisis Line for policing | Oscar Kilo
National Police Bravery 2025
It was a great pleasure for Sussex Federation to host Sgt Craig Lees and Sgt Matthew Seekings at the 30th National Police Bravery Awards 2025.
These officers demonstrated extraordinary courage when they entered the sea off Brighton beach to rescue a young girl in distress who had attempted to take her own life. Without hesitation, they swam 50 metres out to sea, reaching her and bringing her safely back to shore. Their actions that day undoubtedly saved a life.
This act of bravery perfectly encapsulates the role and duty of the office of constable - to protect life, often at great personal risk. Sgt Lees and Sgt Seekings, thank you for your bravery and the risks you took that day.
We are proud to share that they were Region 5 winners, competing against incredibly strong nominations. Their actions represent the very best of British policing, and we should all be immensely proud of their dedication and heroism.
Sussex Police officers win regional bravery award
Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB)
On 1st August 2025, the Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB) and Government released the findings of this year’s review.
Basic Pay Increase:
A 4.2% consolidated pay increase has been awarded to all police officer ranks up to and including chief superintendent.
This rise is only slightly above current inflation, which stands at 4.1%, and it barely makes any meaningful progress in bridging the long-standing pay gap. Pay degradation remains a key issue - it reflects the real-world decline in the value of your salary within the wider job market.
You will have received an email polling members on whether to symbolically accept or reject this year’s pay award. The purpose of this poll is to support our ongoing pay campaign and reflect the strength of feeling among members to Government. This poll will not affect the implementation of the pay rise.
The Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) continues to call for full restoration of police pay, and this remains the central aim of our #CoppedEnough campaign. I encourage all members to show their support by joining the digital picket line.
Picket line - Copped Enough
Allowances:
• On-call Allowance: Increased from £25 to £35
• Motor Vehicle Allowance: Standardised to a flat rate of £1,239 (previously banded by engine size)
• Away from Home Overnight Allowance: Increased from £50 to £60
• Hardship Allowance: Increased from £30 to £40
• London Weighting: Uplifted by 4.2%
It is encouraging to see that the on-call allowance has been increased by 40%, which finally adds more value to the significant sacrifice made by those who provide on-call cover.
It is also long overdue but welcome that both the overnight and hardship allowances have been increased. Officers who are committed to being away from home on duty must be properly compensated.
However, the PRRB remains silent on the Southeast Allowance. At the very least, this allowance should rise in line with inflation - otherwise, its real value erodes year after year. The Sussex Branch will continue to press hard on this matter.
A significant success for Sussex Branch is detailed in Para 4.106
“We accept that short notice changes to shift patterns are likely to have financial consequences for officers as well as disrupt personal arrangements and increase stress levels. We agree that a shift alteration allowance, set at an appropriate level, might help to deter poor management practices. We are aware of the 90-day notice needed for a change to shifts under police regulations, but we observe that modern workforces need to be agile. 82 Therefore, while in our view there is a case for some kind of shift alteration allowance to compensate officers for last minute shift changes that may have financial consequences, it may be appropriate that the trigger for payment of the allowance is set at less than 90 days. We ask the NPCC to work with parties to examine the scope for this type of allowance and we look forward to receiving evidence on this in the next pay round.”
Regulation 22 breaches have disrupted the lives of Sussex Police officers, and it is the work of the Federation to bring this to the forefront of the minds of decision makers. We look forward to the NPCC’s evidence around this and we will be submitting further evidence to assist National Federation. If your lives are disrupted, then you should be compensated.
These recommendations have all been accepted by the Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, and will come into effect from 1st September 2025. Government have committed £120m to assist with the pay increase. It is unsure how this figure will assist Sussex Police in uplifting pay.
PRRB report - Police Remuneration Review Body Eleventh Report England and Wales 2025
Police Unity Tour 2025
The Police Unity Tour departed on 31st July 2025, making the long cycle journey to Staffordshire and the National Memorial Arboretum, where remembrance takes a physical form in the Sussex Police tree. This tree, flourishing on a small green lane called The Beat amongst other forces, stands as a symbol of life for those we have lost in the police family.
The Sussex and Surrey chapter raised over £12,000 for Care of Police Survivors (COPS) an organisation that provides vital practical and emotional support to bereaved police families, helping them cope with unimaginable loss.
It was a privilege to ride in honour of our fallen colleagues. I encourage all those who can to support this cause using the link below.
Annual leave Abstraction Guidance
It has become clear that the 12.5% annual leave (A/L) policy has been interpreted very differently across various divisions and departments. In response, the Federation has sought clarity and worked with the Force to develop the “Abstraction Guidelines” which will be included as an appendix to Policy 477/2025.
Although the appendix is not yet attached to the policy, it will soon be available in the policy database.
The guidance defines what constitutes a team for the purpose of applying the 12.5% threshold for example, "A Section Response Brighton." The appendix also allows Inspectors to exceed the 12.5% threshold, considering factors such as the time of year, day of the week, and operational need. However, any decision to exceed the 12.5% limit should not be made more than 28 days in advance.
Previously, there were inconsistent and sometimes illogical interpretations of the leave policy such as grouping entire teams (e.g., NPT West Sussex) together instead of considering individual sections and districts. This often made it difficult for members to book leave.
We now have a consistent and cohesive approach to interpreting and applying the abstraction policy. As outlined in the updated policy, Inspectors also have the discretion to apply some flexibility to the 12.5% threshold where appropriate.
Nominations open for ‘Outstanding Contribution to Women in Policing Award’
We are delighted to announce that nominations for the Outstanding Contribution to Women in Policing award.
Nomination criteria
Nominees:
Must be serving, or recently retired, officers of a federated rank
Can be male or female but must demonstrate how they have made an impact on, and significant contribution to, women in policing
Nominators:
Can be Police Officers or members of Police Staff
How to nominate
Please click here to nominate a colleague.
The closing date for nominations is 5th September 2025.
The winner will be notified and presented with the award at the PFEW Annual Conference on 18/19 November in Birmingham.
Sussex Group Insurance Scheme and Officer assaults
The Sussex Group Insurance Scheme Trustees met in July and agreed that the scheme should provide some support to officers who are assaulted in the execution of their duties. While we fully acknowledge that the support we can offer is limited, please accept this as a small gesture of our appreciation for the sacrifices you make.
Members who are assaulted at work will be supported in the following way: -
- Battery Assault - £5 coffee voucher
- Actual Bodily Harm (ABH) - £50 One4all gift card
- Grievous Bodily Harm (GBH) - £100 One4all gift card
We want to emphasise that while we cannot undo the harm caused while you perform your duties, this gesture is a small token of our gratitude.
The Federation is notified of assaults via Health & Safety data, and our administrative team will reach out directly to those affected.
Eligibility Criteria:
- You need to be a member of the Sussex Group Insurance Scheme
- The assault occurred during the execution of your official duties
This initiative is one of several steps the Group Insurance Scheme is taking to support its members beyond the scope of our existing policies.
TenTwenty Magazine
We’re excited to announce the fifth edition of TenTwenty, which will be released to members in the middle of August 2025. We hope that this continues to assist in keeping you informed.
Hard copies of the magazine will be available in your local refreshment areas shortly after the electronic version is delivered.
As a reminder, this is a sponsored magazine and is produced entirely at no cost to PFEW.
Update on rail travel for Sussex Officers
At this time, we are still working with GTR on getting rail travel for Sussex Police Officers, to and from work. This is looking very positive and once the last few governance processes are complete, we hope to bring good news.
We are aware this is a real interest to the membership and we will further update you as soon as possible.
Meet the Team – Sussex Police Federation Representatives
We are eager for our members to actively communicate with the Federation Workplace Reps to highlight any ongoing local issues. Each division’s Fed reps hold quarterly meetings with their Command Team to communicate these issues, however, if you don’t tell your local Reps about it, we won’t know about it.
To find out who your local reps are, please click here.
Kind regards,
Raff Cioffi
Chair, Sussex Police Federation
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