Chairs update - Winter 2024 / 2025

3 January 2025

 

 

Dear Colleagues,

 

As I approach the one-year milestone as Chair of Sussex Federation, I reflect on what has been an incredible learning curve and an immense honour to represent my colleagues in this role.

This year has brought its fair share of challenges for all of us. We’ve witnessed a new government come into power, a summer marked by unrest, an underwhelming pay review award, and a continued refusal by the government to commit to appropriate funding for police forces.

Despite these hurdles, I am incredibly proud of the progress we’ve made locally. The Sussex Federation team has worked tirelessly to represent, negotiate, and influence matters for the benefit of our members. Our commitment remains strong: to advocate for what is right and to support those who dedicate their lives to protecting the public.

 

Priorities: –

• To target Pay and Working conditions at both a local and national level.
• To advocate for members in relation to demand that is affecting their health.
• Open the discussion of industrial rights for officers.

 

 

Police Federation of England and Wales Independent Review

In July, PFEW appointed an independent panel to address the past failings identified in the employment tribunal ruling of June 2024. The panel was chaired by Mary Bousted, a prominent British trade unionist and professor, alongside former ‘Which?’ Chief Executive Peter Vicary-Smith and former President of the Law Society of England and Wales, Dr. I. Stephanie Boyce.

The panel has now released their findings and the report makes for difficult reading. It highlights significant failings in service to our members, particularly in relation to the changes made to the pension scheme. The behaviours and treatment of members and post holders during this period were deeply disappointing, with the review concluding that those in positions of authority between 2012 and 2018 failed in their governance duties on behalf of the membership.

As your Chair, I provided evidence to the panel regarding the culture and behaviours that were prevalent at the time. This issue is one of the driving reasons I joined the Federation: to challenge and change the culture of the past.

The Leigh Day employment tribunal has now been resolved with a cash settlement to the claimants. While this chapter has closed, we must continue to learn from these failings to ensure that history does not repeat itself and that the needs of our members are always put first.

The review can be found on this link - Independent Review 

 

CEO Road Show

On November 26, 2024, CEO Mukund Krishna visited Federation House in Lancing to engage with members and address some of the common misconceptions that have followed him during his tenure at the helm of PFEW.

During the session, members posed a range of questions, particularly regarding his role and involvement in the Leigh Day claim. These questions, along with Mukund's responses, are reflected in the Q&A session featured in the Winter 2024 edition of our magazine, TenTwenty (TenTwenty Winter 2024).

Mukund brings the business acumen that PFEW has long needed. While Chairs and Secretaries come and go with election cycles, the CEO provides the continuity essential to avoiding the failings of the past and driving the organization forward.

 

Members Value report 

In December, PFEW produced the first Member Value Report, providing a detailed insight into our activities both nationally and locally.

The report highlights the work we do to support police officers, including delivering legal services, influencing and negotiating with stakeholders to secure fair pay and working conditions, and employing tools to represent the voice of over 145,000 officers.

In Sussex, we have allocated £418,624 to cover 61 claims spanning civil matters, criminal cases, employment tribunals, and disciplinary actions. Nationally, Sussex ranks as the fourth-highest force in terms of claims submitted.

This raises two key points: firstly, it reflects our commitment to supporting members in times of need. Secondly, it prompts the question—why does Sussex, as a force of our size, feature so high on the list of expenditure for claims? Are we being held to an unreasonably high standard? Or has this been an unusually challenging year?

I will be analysing this data further to understand why we are facing such a significant volume of claims and what factors may be contributing to this trend.

 

To view the members value report please follow this link - Member Value Report

 

 

Federation Workplace Representative Elections

On the 30th of December, nominations opened for members to become PFEW workplace representatives.
This is a fantastic opportunity for those of you who wish to join the Federation team and support your colleagues during some of the most challenging times in their careers.

Becoming a representative will grant you access to the comprehensive training provided by PFEW in various disciplines, including Conduct and Performance, Equality, Health and Safety, Police Regulations and more. These opportunities within the Federation will enable you to develop transferable skills that can benefit you in any career path you choose.

If you are interested, we invite you to attend a brief presentation delivered by Branch Secretary, Andy Standing and myself on the dates listed below. During these sessions, we will outline the election process, discuss the training available within the Federation, and set out the expectations for our representatives. This will also be your chance to ask questions and determine if this role is the right fit for you.

 

Please register for a Teams session here.

 

 

Pensions Trap

The "pension trap" refers to a situation where an individual who joined at 20 years old and has worked for 30 years can access their 1987 pension at age 50 but cannot access their 2015 CARE scheme benefits because they have not yet reached the age of 55.

In contrast, an individual who joined at 25 years old and has worked for 30 years can access both pensions upon reaching age 55. This disparity is what is referred to as the pension trap.

For those affected, this creates an unfair situation based solely on age. It allows one group to access both pension schemes simultaneously, while others are left at a financial disadvantage due to changes in the pension regulations under the 2015 scheme.

Legal advice has been sought on this matter, and PFEW is continuing its enquiries. We are currently seeking several cases to present to our legal team for further consideration.

For further details on this topic please use this link - Pension Trap

 

Collective Bargaining

On June 21st, 2024, the poll closed, allowing members to decide whether PFEW should pursue collective bargaining on their behalf. An overwhelming 97.7% of participating members voted in favour.

Shortly thereafter, a general election was triggered, which has temporarily stalled our work with the Government on this critical issue. Achieving collective bargaining is undoubtedly a long-term goal, and I firmly believe it should remain a priority as we move forward.

Currently, our pay and working conditions are determined by the Home Secretary, based on evidence provided by the Police Remuneration Review Body, which lacks the authority to implement pay awards. What we seek is binding arbitration powers for the review body, enabling them to negotiate directly with PFEW.

I will continue to monitor the progress of this work with the National Federation and will keep the membership informed of any developments.

 

Regulation 22 Breaches

Regulation 22 has been a key agenda item for our Branch Board for over 20 months. Knowing your start and finish times, along with rest days, 90 days in advance is essential for planning personal lives. However, when an exigency arises—defined as “an urgent need or demand”—shorter notice periods may be applied to meet operational requirements.

As police officers, we understand that exigencies will occur from time to time and we willingly step up to fulfil our duties when required. However, there have been instances in the past where members' goodwill was exploited, and the definition of exigency was manipulated to fit the organisation's narrative without balance.

Following our representations to Sussex Police, I am pleased to report that this has led to significant changes in the organisational structure. These include the establishment of the Initial Investigations Team and the introduction of a new categorisation system for calls to better manage demand.

On August 15th 2024, DCC Dave McLaren and ACC Paul Court attended our Branch Board meeting. During this session, the Board was presented with various facts and engaged in discussions to determine whether legal action should be pursued against Sussex Police on the issue of Regulation 22. After a lengthy deliberation and thorough discussion, the Board decided not to proceed with legal action at this time.

I want to assure members that we will continue to closely monitor the implementation of Regulation 22. Should the situation worsen, the Board will reconvene to reassess the matter. While legal action remains an option, our focus will be on maintaining strong oversight and acting as a critical friend to the organisation to ensure fairness and balance.

 

Expenses

I have recently sent a letter to the Force expressing my concerns about the current expenses process and the length of time it takes to reimburse officers. At present, the process relies on the A27 form, with a minimum processing time of 30 days.

Modern technology surely offers opportunities to streamline and modernize this process, preventing officers who frequently have their tours of duty extended or are required to work away from their division without the opportunity to take refreshments in the usual manner, from experiencing financial strain due to cash flow issues or being forced to forgo a meal.

Notably, other forces can process and reimburse expenses within seven days. In the coming year, I will work with Sussex Police to explore ways to improve this system and better support our members.

 

 

Sussex Group Insurance Scheme new logo

 

 

The Sussex Group Insurance Scheme now has its own logo, which you will see featured whenever the Federation discusses matters related to the scheme. While the Group Scheme operates independently from the Federation, any income it generates is used to benefit our members.

Currently, the Sussex Group Insurance Scheme funds the delivery of pet food, a service that many of you already enjoy, and we will continue offering this for as long as supplies last. The scheme has also brought vending machines within some police stations and we are slowly growing this across the force. Our service will always be affordable and very competitive for our members.

Looking ahead, the scheme’s trustees are planning additional benefits for members, including physiotherapy and counselling services, which will be provided at Federation House in Lancing.

I will keep you updated as these plans progress.

For those that wish to see what the Sussex Group Insurance Scheme offer and how to join then please click here.

 

Bravery and Excellence in Policing Awards

On May 16^th 2025, Sussex Police Federation will host the Bravery and Excellence in Policing Awards. This event aims to honour the courageous actions of our police officers. The overall winner of the bravery category will go on to represent Sussex Police Federation at the National Police Bravery Awards in July, including a visit to No. 10 Downing Street.

In addition to celebrating bravery, the evening will also recognize excellence in policing. I encourage everyone to nominate their colleagues in both categories. The nomination link can be found in the logo below.

The event will be fully funded through sponsorship from our partners, ensuring there is no cost to PFEW members.

 

TenTwenty magazine

We are excited to announce the publication of the third edition of TenTwenty. We hope you find it both informative and helpful in staying up to date with what we’re doing for you. Hard copies of the magazine will soon be available in your local refreshment areas.

As a reminder, this magazine is produced entirely at no cost to PFEW members.

Tentwenty -  https://indd.adobe.com/view/93facefe-4044-4025-904d-6b15159e50f8

 

Meet the Team – 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