World Menopause Day: take part in national survey
18 October 2023
All officers should take part in the new national menopause survey, says West Midlands Police Federation deputy chair and wellbeing lead Jase Dooley.
The Federation has jointly launched the ‘EveryonePause’ survey today (Wednesday 18 October) to coincide with World Menopause Day, and Jase wants as many officers as possible to take part.
“The menopause, which generally affects women in their mid to late 40s and 50s, can be debilitating and it can be particularly difficult to cope with the demands of policing while experiencing menopausal symptoms,” says Jase.
“But this survey is not just confined to those who are coping with these symptoms. The Federation also wants to hear from those who are working or living with those experiencing the menopause or perhaps managing them. Everyone’s views are important.
“As is the case with any survey, the more people who take part the better as that will give an accurate reflection of the situation. The Federation will collate the findings and use them to help shape force policies to improve awareness, understanding and support.”
The Federation is hoping to build on the success of its first menopause survey, which was undertaken in 2018 and helped develop the National Menopause Guidance which is in place across all forces.
National Federation women’s lead Hayley Aley, who is taking the lead with the survey, explained: “Across the Federation, women representatives have reported that there is improvement since the first survey findings and the progress forces have made to support officers and staff are welcomed. However, the picture varies from force to force and we now want to see what still needs to be done to support all at this difficult time in their lives.”
She added: “To support organisations in realising the scope and scale of issues around the menopause, we are asking officers, staff and line managers for their support with this survey. It’s not solely about personal experiences, we also want to understand the awareness of line managers and senior leaders around this subject and what training is in place. It is anticipated that the findings of the second survey will help with the education, standardisation, understanding and right support for all.
“Senior leaders have a responsibility for the welfare and wellbeing of their workforce, and to support individuals appropriately when they need it. The purpose of this survey is to give us the evidence we can provide to leaders to action what needs to change, to praise those that are getting it right, to share some good practice and to ensure forces provide the right support and guidance to all.”
The survey, which goes live today and is open for six weeks, is a joint project being conducted by researchers at the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW), and on behalf of PFEW, UNISON, the Police Superintendents’ Association, the National Police Chiefs’ Council, the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the Civil Nuclear Constabulary.
