DIVERSITY AT IMPORTANT SEMINAR TRIBUNALS IN FOCUS
So many cases that come before tribunals could be avoided if better training was in place, according to seminar speakers
Earlier this year, National Board member and Firearms lead Steve Hartshorn was invited by the College of Policing to speak at a Diversity and Inclusion seminar, focusing on employment tribunals. Using two case studies, Steve spoke openly about the experiences of officers taking their employer to court, the role of Federation reps and the costs incurred by PFEW in supporting members. Speaking at the event in Sheffield, Steve said: “We had 257 employment tribunals in 2021 alone. Millions of pounds are spent each year, at the cost of PFEW members and local Federation branches, to bring forward cases which are largely preventable. We must remember these are member funds that are used to challenge forces and bring legal cases, and so we must ensure they are legally sound before we embark on the employment tribunal journey to support the member. “If proper training for PCCs and Chiefs
to PCs, and everyone in between, was undertaken regularly and modernised to reflect the current state of the world, and
the arena of inclusion and diversity, many cases would not have to be undertaken. The outcomes of these cases often shows that, with training, we could not only save money but, more importantly, spare officers, colleagues, and friends the grief of going
told the seminar about neurodiversity in policing. Insp Turner provided attendees with a fascinating insight into how we can best use the skills of people that are neurodivergent to enhance policing and illustrated how these skills can be used when dealing with the public. Reflecting on the day, Steve
“With training, we could save money and, importantly, spare people the ordeal of tribunals in the first place”
through such an ordeal in the first place.” Other speakers at the session included Chief Constable Rachel Swann, who opened the event, ACC Iain Raphael and Superintendent Sarah Johnson from Northamptonshire Police, who delivered a presentation on public order in policing. Superintendent Andrew Quinton spoke about a recently circulated Diversity and Inclusion survey. It is hoped the much-anticipated results will improve understanding about why female officers in particular are not getting involved in armed policing. Former Inspector Caroline Turner
said: “The seminar provided many interesting insights into how important diversity and inclusion is within policing, and why it is so important to focus on this. One thing that particularly resonated with me was a point made about not focusing on recruitment and instead to focus more on retention. “The loss of experienced officers who
are leaving the service because they do not feel valued is taking its toll on police numbers and leading to a huge loss of experience. It does sometimes feel that only lip service is made to diversity and inclusion when we hear about some of the tribunal cases going ahead. Now is the time to change and embrace inclusivity and neurodiversity, or we will waste an opportunity and lose some great officers.”
21 | POLICE | APRIL 2022
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