K21 Employer Support: Staff joining the Special Constabulary

1. Security protective marking

1.1. Not protectively marked. 

2. Summary of changes to policy

2.1. The following changes have been made to this policy on 23 March 2011:

 

• the excluded roles paragraph has been amended to signpost access to Special Constabulary policy where it is fully explored; and
• operational time has been expanded to include duties at the Force Control Room (FCR) in line with the force definition of the FCR as front line activity.
  

2.2. This policy is due for review in March 2013.

3. Application

3.1. This policy applies to Kent Police staff wishing to join, or have joined the Special Constabulary.

4. Purpose

4.1. This policy provides guidance to Police Staff Employees (PSEs), supervisors and managers on the policy relating to the Kent Police Employer Support Scheme for internal staff wishing to join Special Constabulary.

4.2. It ensures that employer supported policing and work time directed to the Special Constabulary is managed and adhered to in a corporate fashion.

4.3. This scheme facilitates the release of PSEs from their role within Kent Police, to engage in operational duties as a Special Constable.

 

5. Eligibility 

5.1.  PSEs within Kent Police who have successfully completed their probationary period and who are currently serving Special Constables within Kent Police, are eligible to apply to their Head of Department in order to participate in the scheme.

 

6. Excluded roles 

6.1. All police staff are eligible to participate in the scheme with the exception of those in roles excluded from being a Special Constable. Details of these roles can be found in policy K01 Special Constabulary.

 

 

7. Application process 

7.1.  Employees wishing to apply for inclusion in the Kent Police Employer Support Scheme are required to complete a memo which should be submitted through a line manager to their Divisional Commander or Head of Department for approval. It will be the responsibility of the approver to provide a copy of report to the Special Constabulary Co-ordinator with Partnerships and Communities at Force Headquarters (FHQ).

7.1.1.  Applications for inclusion in this scheme will be approved on the basis that the effective operational performance of the Division or Department will not be impaired by the release of the employee. The Divisional Commander or Head of Department will be responsible for the assessment.

7.2.  Review

7.2.1.  In the event that an application has been declined by an Divisional Commander or Head of Department, the individual has the right of appeal to the Assistant Chief Constable Human Resources.

 

8. Period of release 

 
8.1.  Applicants who have secured approval to participate in the Kent Police Employer Support Scheme are eligible for release up to 8 hours in every calendar month, up to maximum 96 hours per annum.

8.2.  Part time staff are eligible to apply to the scheme, any release period of release for part time staff will be adjusted on a pro-rata basis (e.g. staff employed to work 18 hours per week will be entitled to 4 hours employer support).

8.3.  Participants in the scheme may have more than 8 hours in any calendar month, providing the yearly allowance of 96 hours is not exceeded. Release beyond 8 hours in any month will be at the discretion of the Divisional Commander or the Head of Department.

 

9. Notification for release

 
9.1.  Employees requesting a period of release as part of the Kent Police Employer Support Scheme must provide a minimum period of notice of at least 7 days, in exceptional circumstances further notice may be required to ensure that the operational requirements of the department are not compromised, the line supervisor must approve such a request.

9.2.  PSEs requesting a release from their paid role within Kent Police should consider that any release, should not unduly impair the operational effectiveness of the department. At times it may be necessary for supervisors to defer requests for employer support release.

 

10. Transference of hours 

10.1.  Employees released from their role to perform duties as a Special Constable are not required to perform the intended duties as a Special Constable during the same period of release from paid duties, but are required to do so with the same calendar month as the release occurs.

10.2.  Failure to perform the requisite number of hours as a Special Constable (without good reason) may render the individual liable to disciplinary action.

10.3.  Employees granted time off by the Force will be required to commit an additional period of time reflective of the period granted by Kent Police. Again this must be provided to operational Special Constabulary duties (e.g. If 8 hours off are granted by Kent Police, the employee is expected to perform 16 hours Operational Special Constabulary duty (8+8)).

 

11. Operational time 

11.1.  Duties deemed to be operational are, special events policing, response policing, parish and neighbourhood community policing, FCR duties, participation in Special Constabulary recruitment initiatives and assessment processes.

11.2.  Operational duties do not include, Officer Safety Training (refresher or otherwise) or other training events.

 

12. SAP recording 

12.1.  Periods of release as part of the Kent Police Employer Support Scheme are to be recorded on SAP. Anyone participating in the scheme must notify their line supervisor via email of their proposed duty and date of the period of release. This, in turn, must be communicated to their Duties Planner clerk in order that the time sheet is updated to reflect the period of release. Subsequently a coding of Special Constabulary Employer Support will be recorded against the duty/date to reflect the duty performed are part of the Kent Police Employer Support Scheme.

 

13. Working time regulations 

13.1.  Individuals who through their full time role and voluntary duties as a Special Constable, regularly exceed the average weekly working time of 48 hours (calculated over a 17 week period) have the option to complete a opt out form from the provisions of the Working Time Regulations. Follow this link for the Working Time Regulation Act 1998.

13.2.  It is the responsibility of individual Special Constables to declare hours worked as a Special Constable with their supervisor in their capacity as a paid employee of Kent Police. The hours worked as a paid employee will need to be balanced against the hours performed as a Special Constable in order to satisfy the requirements of the Working Time Regulations.

 

14. New joiners 

14.1.  Employees interested in participating in the employer support scheme must first apply to the Special Constabulary team at FHQ once appointed as a Special Constable they are then eligible to apply to their Divisional Commander or the Head of Department for inclusion in the scheme.

15. Retention and disposal of records

 

15.1. Documents mentioned in the above policy will be retained for the period specified in the Disposal Schedule.

16. Equality impact assessment

 

16.1. This policy has been assessed with regard to its relevance to race and diversity equality. As a result of this assessment the policy has been graded as having a low potential impact.

 

18.2. Attached is the latest equality impact assessment that forms part of the policy review process.