NEWS REST IN PEACE, MATT
The senseless killing of Met Police Sergeant Matt Ratana last September sent shockwaves through the policing family. The tragic loss left its mark on
colleagues across the country. The Covid-19 pandemic unfortunately prevented the initial plans for a full force funeral from taking place. In November 2021, a memorial service
was finally held for the much loved and well-respected officer, who touched the lives of many. The Commissioner, Mayor of London and other police colleagues came together with the family and friends of the fallen officer to pay tribute to him and remember his life and legacy. The service featured a Guard of
Honour, made up of Matt’s fellow sergeants from Met Detention and Croydon borough, a Colour Party comprised of Matt’s friends and colleagues and a formal handing over of a hat and gloves to Matt’s partner, Su. The “Ratana Litter” of police puppies,
named after Matt and individually named by Su in Matt’s honour, were also in attendance.
Inside the Royal Military Chapel, the Met’s Senior Chaplain, the Reverend Prebendary Johnathon Osborne, led a variety of hymns, readings and tributes to Matt. A Maori hymn was also sung by Ngati Ranana, a New Zealand cultural group. Matt’s passions outside of work were
also represented in the service, with acknowledgements from his friends from his rugby team and those who he shared a love of motor biking. National Chair John Apter attended
the service on behalf of the Federation and said: “Policing is a family and when we lose one of our own in such a devastating way, it affects us all. I was proud to represent our members at the memorial service for Sergeant Matt Ratana. It was a beautiful and poignant service – the Met did him proud. Rest in peace Matt, you will never be forgotten.” Our thoughts remain with Matt’s
family and friends and all those who knew him. His legacy will never be forgotten.
Remembering Sergeant Matt Ratana.
Efective mentoring New PFEW tutoring policy sets national standards and paves way for College of Policing to establish qualifications framework
New national guidelines for tutoring have been formalised by the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) in a bid to standardise better approaches and ensure all new recruits get the proper learning support they deserve. The new policy document, which was
produced in conjunction with the Federation’s in-house Policy and Research team, was ratified at a National Board meeting in September. The work was a direct result of increasing
concern about the ongoing Uplift programme, which has resulted in a large influx of new entrants who need tutoring. Added to the shortage of experienced constables currently available to tutor them, the issue was also highlighted by recent PFEW research which illustrated a lack of training and guidance for tutors on new Policing Education Qualifications Framework (PEQF) routes and processes. Federation Professional Development
Lead Dave Bamber said the aim of the new PFEW policy document was to ensure tutors were equipped for their role and were not appointed simply to “tick boxes”. He said: “Tutors play a crucial role, but we
felt there is a lack of incentive for officers to take on the additional responsibilities of the
34 I POLICE I DECEMBER 2021
role, and this was addressed by our new policy guidelines for forces to adopt. “We have heard about worrying situations
where four student officers were assigned to one tutor at the same time, and even where a tutor and an inexperienced student were wrongly designated as a double crew. The current reality within forces is that our ambitions for one-to-one tutoring and 10/12 weeks as the standard period for this to take place still have some way to go. “There’s also been a clear ongoing issue
about what is described as ‘discretionary effort’, which is really unpaid over-time where students have been mandated to use their own time to study skills.” PFEW’s clear ambition is for the Tutoring
Policy to pave the way for the College of Policing to establish a new qualifications framework for tutoring. Dave continued: “Our stance is that the
tutoring of new recruits during their initial learning phase should be conducted by substantive officers who have been adequately and appropriately trained to perform the role. “These tutors should be volunteers for the
role, and the tutoring should be conducive with the best learning outcomes for a student
officer. PFEW wants to see tutoring become more learner-centred and delivered on a one- to-one, individualised basis.” The new PFEW policy document, which is being distributed for reps and forces to consider, also recommends the following changes: ■ Tutors must be given an adequate amount of time to undertake roles, including training and development ■ Consideration must be given to the wellbeing of tutors, who often undertake their role in addition to other work ■ Specific consideration must be given to the role of the tutor for Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA) students, for whom degree study and tutorship arrangements are intertwined ■ The College of Policing should provide a recognised qualifications framework for tutoring work ■ Appropriate remuneration or incentives should be introduced for officers who choose to accept this additional responsibility. To obtain a copy of the framework document, please email
dave.bamber@
polfed.org
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