FEDERATION SUPPORT


‘YOU NEVER REALLY SWITCH OFF’


We know only too well that the Christmas and New Year period is traditionally one of the busiest times of the year for policing. Added to the stresses of everyday life, family demands and the heightened atmosphere around the Festive holidays, it’s an extremely challenging period both professionally and personally.


For Federation reps across England and Wales, it’s when they must expect the unexpected. With more people out and about than at any time of the year, they understand colleagues are stretched to the limit as they cope with increased demand. It’s a time when reps’ phones are fully


charged, and they are more likely to have to spring into action day or night. This could mean being called to a Post-Incident Procedure (PIP) in the dead of night or arranging immediate legal cover for a member. For Mark Jones, General Secretary


and Treasurer at North Wales Police Federation, and Mel Jones, the branch Deputy Secretary and Treasurer, this means keeping a close eye out for a call for help. With a young family at home, Mark


appreciates he and branch reps from the 43 forces in England and Wales may have to give up family time to help those in distress. Mark said: “While my role is very


different to that of a colleague on the frontline or in many other roles within policing, it can definitely have its added challenges around Christmas. “Everything definitely seems so much


more frantic moving towards the New Year, and to be honest, you never really switch off. “Whether it’s in the middle of Christmas dinner or during the night, we’ll never turn our backs on our members when they need us. It’s an especially emotional time of the year, and some colleagues will be going through tough times and turn to the Fed for help. “We’ll always be there to listen and,


12 I POLICE I DECEMBER 2021


although we’re not welfare officers or counsellors, it’s reassuring for members to know we are there for them and can signpost them towards specialist help.” As a rep with a typically packed schedule, Mark says the range of calls and topics covered is especially varied during the Christmas period. With more than 1,500 members in the Force, he also has a large geographical area to cover which can throw up a two-hour, middle-of-the-night journey to an incident.


"Everything definitely seems so much more


frantic moving towards the New Year"


He added: “These could involve a


call from the control room at three in the morning to attend a PIP, a member in disciplinary trouble or even a chat about the overtime someone is due. “Or we could receive a message about


a bereavement, regarding an individual in custody, or worst of all - about a colleague who has been badly assaulted and needs urgent Federation help. “But although this places some


restrictions on my own family time, it’s something myself and many others in similar roles know is part of the job. We’re part of the Fed’s facility for members in need and every branch rep willingly deals with the fact there are different challenges around Christmas.”


Mark Jones. Photo Anderson Photography. Like many reps out there, Mark is also


used to being the last person members want to see when he turns up to help someone in need. He added: “That’s often down to the


circumstances in which we meet for the first time, rather than my personality. My first meeting can involve a very traumatic moment for a colleague and, as branch reps, we’ve got to keep a level head at the scene to arrange the best support available, whether that’s legal or wellbeing related.” And it’s not just Mark and other reps


who might turn up in the early hours to assist members, as the North Wales branch can also call on its own specially converted Federation welfare van to provide shelter, hot drinks and toilet facilities for colleagues as they work out in the field. He said: “At three o’clock in the


morning, when you’re stood there on the side of a road and very sadly dealing with a very serious road traffic collision, it’s the human touches that matter. Since we took delivery of the van in early 2021, it’s been a massive morale booster for our members. “Police officers are not robots, we


all make mistakes, we have to deal with trauma and we are under constant pressure because of complex regulation and the day-to-day realities of the job. “So, as Fed reps, it’s our job to respond


when we take that telephone call, whether we’re spending Christmas with the family or during normal office hours. It’s also reassuring for our members, and I know from experience that there’s not one of us who wouldn’t gladly rush out of the house in the early hours to help a colleague.”


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