Federation survey puts focus on officer welfare

5 October 2020

Branch chair Sarah Cooper is encouraging members to help West Mercia Police Federation build a picture of policing during the pandemic.

The Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) has launched a Demand, Capacity and Welfare Survey giving members the chance to help shape Federation policy and including a focus on how officers has been affected by the ongoing Covid-19 crisis.

Sarah said: “We are calling on as many of our members as possible to have their say in this important survey. It will help us build a clearer picture of how our members are affected by a whole range of issues, not least the Covid-19 pandemic which has had such an impact on policing.

“We appreciate members are extremely busy but would like to urge them to take a moment to have their say.

“The more members who’re able to complete it, the stronger our message will be when representing their views with decision-makers in policing and in the Government.

“The survey results can also have an influence in terms of informing my discussions with chief officers and managers around the issues our members are facing locally, currently that would include pressures on tutor constables and officers struggling with the demands of the PCDA entry route.”

The survey is designed to provide a fuller picture of the main challenges currently facing policing and includes bespoke questions around officers’ experiences of working during the pandemic, and the plan to recruit 20,000 more officers by 2023.

Other topics covered include resilience within the police service, the day-to-day demands facing officers and the stress and impact on their mental health and welfare.

The results will allow the Federation to make meaningful comparison with the data gathered in its 2018 and 2016 Demand, Capacity and Welfare Surveys and to identify trends.

The latest Demand, Capacity and Welfare Survey found that in West Mercia Police the average job satisfaction rating was 3/10, 87 per cent of respondents reported frequent single crewing and 61 per cent reported never or rarely taking their full rest break entitlement.

Of the respondents, 81 per cent said their workload was too high, 88 per cent said there weren’t enough officers to do the job and 83 per cent indicated they had experienced difficulties with their health and wellbeing over the previous 12 months.

PFEW vice-chair and mental health lead, Ché Donald, said: “We greatly appreciate members taking the time to support the service by filling in this survey, and the information provided will be used to inform our policy development and help us to support and represent colleagues.

“It is critical their voices are heard to keep people at the highest levels of policing informed of the reality of policing to build awareness, influence and most importantly initiate action and positive change for the greater good of our members.”

Contact the Federation office if you have not received a link to the survey.