Complete your e-learning modules to protect yourself, says Fed secretary
14 February 2024
The secretary of West Mercia Police Federation is urging public order officers to ensure their e-learning modules are up-to-date, as he stresses that not doing so could leave them vulnerable.
Pete Nightingale is calling on all members to complete their e-learning courses on time, with less than half of the Force’s public order officers currently compliant.
While he recognises that completing e-learning courses can feel time-consuming, mundane and not high on the list of priorities with heavy workload and competing demands he says that by not doing them, they leave themselves unprotected.
“I know officers are inundated with requests to complete your e-learning, but the bottom line is, if you don’t make sure you’re NCALT compliant, you could leave yourself legally vulnerable,” said Pete.
“If, for example, you are interviewed by professional standards, one of the most common questions you’ll get asked is if your e-learning is up-to-date, depending on what the subject under investigation is.
“If you’re non-compliant this will restrict your ability to earn overtime -and mean that commitments are focussed on a smaller allocation of officers rather than spreading it out more fairly.
“I appreciate how busy everyone is, but I can’t stress enough, that ensuring you are up-to-date with your e-learning is vital, not only to protect yourself but the organisation too.”
Pete added: “E-learning modules should be completed in work time and not on your rest days. If you are not being afforded the time to do mandatory packages I would urge you to raise it with your line manager or local Fed rep.”
