Page 13 - BedFed Dec2018 Flipbook

been a Fed rep, I have learnt that just being there for people is powerful,” she said. “I also feel my knowledge of regs and policies is strong and I am able to advise officers effectively.”
Corina, who is Kempston custody inspector, draws on 20 years’ experience. But she is still looking to grow her skillset through her new rep’s course and taking a course in misconduct.
She said she wanted to become a rep to continue and build on the good work that the Federation already carries out in Bedfordshire.
“Times have never been more challenging and officers need all the support they can get,” Corina said. “I have always considered being a rep but never really felt that I had the time.
“The Federation in Bedfordshire is very strong, and having seen the support they have given to the officers involved in some high profile incidents in recent years, and the difference it has made to them, I felt the time was right to put myself forward.”
She added: “The challenges for policing are well reported, funding is a struggle and stress levels have increased as a result of insufficient resource levels. Going forward I cannot see this changing for some time, so we need to support our staff to do the job they joined to do.
“Most officers love their job and just need to feel they are valued and supported. The Federation can achieve this through support but also by managing expectations.”
Martin Peters
Martin has been a
Federation
representative for
almost eight years
and has 24 years’
service with 10 years
in Bedfordshire as an
inspector, detective
inspector and
temporary detective chief inspector. He is currently based at ERSOU Stevenage.
Before coming to the Force, he served for 10 years in the Metropolitan Police and four years in the City of London Police.
“I feel I help colleagues by sharing my skills and experiences to guide them through the issues that they face and give solid advice,” he said.
“The thing I have found most rewarding is assisting, helping and guiding people through a time of crisis using both my experience in my various roles and as a Fed rep.
“In my time with the Federation, I have undertaken a number of roles, misconduct, health and safety, Police Federation National Detectives’ Forum (PFNDF), post-incident manager (PIM) and trustee both of Bedfordshire Police Federation and Flint House and I want to ensure that I can assist, guide and develop the new Federation reps with what I have learnt and pass on the baton for the future.”
He has a particular interest in the work of the detectives’ forum since it highlights and trailblazes the key roles detectives play in the mix of all the policing skills that are required to provide a multi-disciplined service.
He has undertaken courses in misconduct, advocacy, health and safety and the role of trustees and has been trained by the Force as a PIM but can act in a Federation capacity as well.
Martin believes the challenges ahead for the Force and the Federation will be dealing with demand, supporting officers and the impact of the demand as well as ensuring that the service has the number and quality of officers for the future of policing.
Sue Reynolds
Funding, officer welfare and mental health are three of the key challenges facing the Force, the police service and the Federation, according to Sue.
An officer for 16
years and a new workplace representative, Sue is currently based in Community Crime North.
“After spending 16 years serving the public, I felt it was time to invest more of my time looking after the officers who protect the public, being particularly inspired by the Federation’s Protect the Protectors campaign and working to achieve the best for our officers as the job is not getting any easier,” says Sue.
“I will gain further skills, knowledge and experience in matters which affect our colleagues so they can be treated fairly and provide them with the support they need.”
Sue is due to attend the new rep’s course soon.
Bill Rumford
Bill says he became a Bedfordshire Police Federation rep to give back to the Force after 15 years of service.
Bill, a detective
sergeant in the Luton
serious and complex
crime team, says the Federation has always been there to support him at times during his career.
And now he wants to repay that support and assistance by helping other officers.
He said: “The vast majority of officers come to work to do a good job, protecting the communities, policing Bedfordshire, and all the day-to-day responsibilities that are required when holding the office of police constable.
“Sometimes, me included, officers makes mistakes along the way, for whatever reason. Each time I had to fall back to the Federation for support and assistance and
they did not fail me.
“Therefore, I put myself forward to give
back and support others in the same way that I have been.”
Bill completed his initial Federation rep’s course earlier this year and has already put himself forward for the misconduct course.
“From there I will be advised what would best suit my place within the Federation so there is enough available advice and support for the members,” he said.
Bill feels that, with his experience, he is in a position to provide particular assistance to detectives in the Force.
“I was privileged to attend the Police Federation National Detectives’ Forum Seminar in October 2018,” he said. “And, as I currently work in the CID environment, this really opened my eyes to the current detective crisis.
“Aside all my Federation responsibilities, I aim to assist wherever possible in resolving the problems within Bedfordshire.”
Although new to the role of Federation rep, Bill says he wants to support his colleagues as much as possible.
And he believes the more training and experience that he gains the more he will be able to grow into the role.
“I am happy to answer and support any colleague in any way I can,” he explained. “Although I am new to the role, if I do not know the answer I will be honest and go and find the answer from the great support within the Federation.
“Over time, and when properly trained, I hope to be omni-competent in many areas and therefore able to advise more effectively.”
Chris Smith
The most challenging part of being a rep is managing people’s expectations, according to Chris who first became a workplace representative around six years ago.
Chris, who has just a few months short of 30 years’ service under his belt and is an RPU sergeant based at Huntingdon, explained: “As a Fed rep, you don’t have a ‘fix anything’ button and sometimes telling a member that they are wrong and need to accept a management decision is sometimes a bitter pill.”
But be believes his experience helps him offer support to colleagues, adding: “There is no substitute for experience. Having been a cop now for near on 30 years, I have seen and been involved in many incidents where officers have faced misconduct, health and safety issues, or just needed a shoulder.”
Chris first put himself forward as a Federation rep following a high profile case in which he acted as Federation friend for my crewmate prior.
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