Human Resources - Death of a serving Officer, member of Special Constabulary, police staff or police pensioner protocol (L1140)

1. Summary of changes

1.1 This protocol for Essex Police and Kent Police has been amended on its yearly review capturing the new departmental names and current practices in the individual forces.

2. What this protocol is about

2.1 This protocol sets out the administrative procedures to be considered following the report of the death of a serving officer, member of Special Constabulary, police staff, police pensioner or surviving recipient of a police pension.

Compliance with this protocol and any governing policy is mandatory.  This protocol is not, nor is it intended to be, contractual.

3. Detail the protocol

3.1      Death of a serving colleague

3.1.1 Where the death of a serving officer, police staff or member of Special Constabulary for the sake of regularity, the deceased’s LPA/division/department has the responsibility to co-ordinate requisite action on behalf of Essex Police or Kent Police, where that involvement is appropriate for the family of the deceased.

3.1.2 Early notification of the death should be made as follows:

• in the case of Essex to health and well-being services administration on Ext. 872
• in the case of Kent to training administration unit (Ext 19-2466 or External 01622 652466)

3.1.3 Counselling and Wellbeing Services are available to advise and assist with the provision of support, should the respective LPA/division/department require it. 

3.1.4 There is a corporate responsibility to ensure the appropriate obituary notice is published on the intranet site:

• Essex – command team of the deceased
• Kent - Training School administration unit

3.2      Police personnel killed whilst on duty

3.2.1 In addition to action being taken as described in paragraph 3.1 above, the Director of HR will notify His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services, on behalf of the force, where a police officer, a member of the Special Constabulary or a member of operational staff is:

• killed whilst on duty, including those circumstances where a police officer dies travelling either to or from work; or
• killed whilst executing their authorised powers whilst off duty

3.2.2 Notification shall be:

• personal details of the colleague (name, age, rank, post)
• brief details of the incident or circumstances surrounding the death
• a note of the deceased’s next of kin (name and address, relationship)
• brief career details

3.2.3 The line manager of the individual concerned must notify the Kent Police/Essex Police Health and Safety department, who will notify the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) as soon as possible. A report must be submitted to HSE within ten working days of the occurrence.

3.3    Death of a police pensioner, widow, widower, civil partner or unmarried partner

3.3.1 In order to administer the police pension provision in a correct manner and to notify interested parties within the force and staff associations:

• Essex – In the case of pensioners, widow, widower civil partner or unmarried partner notify the health and well-being services administration Team on 872. In the case of serving officers notify Essex Police HR
• Kent – the training administration unit will be notified at the earliest opportunity by the division/department, where the death has been reported to them

3.3.2 Information to be collated in respect of the deceased, including notification to other interested parties and publication of the obituary notice on the force intranet site:

• Essex –health and well-being services administration
• Kent - The Training administration unit

3.3.3 Police pension schemes are either pre or post 2006. Pre 2006, in general terms, it provides for the surviving spouse to receive an ongoing pension. Post 2006 the new pension scheme makes provision for civil partners and unmarried partners to also benefit.

3.3.4 The Essex health and well-being administration team or the Kent training administration unit should also be advised of the death of a police widow, widower, civil partner or unmarried partner.

3.4      Pensioners living outside the Kent/Essex police area

3.4.1 Information concerning the death of an Essex Police or Kent Police pensioner living outside the county is normally received at:

• Essex health and well-being administration team - includes provision of the force coffin drape and will circulate the details to the LPA/departments via ConnEXions
• Kent - The training administration

3.4.2 In these circumstances counselling and well-being services and the Kent training administration unit will circulate the details to the LPAs/divisions and departments, via the intranet site.

3.5      Funeral arrangements

3.5.1 An LPA/division/department retains responsibility to publish the details of any funeral arrangements where the death is that of a serving colleague.

3.5.2 Publication of funeral arrangements in respect of a police pensioner including the placing of the obituary notice on the force intranet site, will be the responsibility of:

• Essex - health and well-being administration
• Kent - training school administration unit

3.5.3 The wishes of the next of kin regarding police attendance, police bearers and funeral details being published, must be obtained. If the deceased was serving in another LPA/division/department, the LPA/divisional commander responsible for the funeral arrangements will liaise with the LPA/divisional commander of the LPA/division/department in which the deceased served.  Whilst the force will consider requests for attendance, there may be occasions where such requests sadly cannot be accommodated. Each case would be considered with due regard to the ability to provide attendance and or police bearers. 

3.5.4 For death in service an officer in charge of the funeral arrangements will need to be appointed. All uniformed personnel who attend, will be under the direction of the LPA/divisional commander responsible for the funeral arrangements or the officer nominated by them. In cases where the officer in charge of funeral arrangements anticipates that because of the numbers who are expected to attend there may be some disruption to traffic or other similar need, they will circulate an operational order to the force for the guidance of those who wish to attend.

3.5.5 A police chaplain for the local LPA/division should be notified of the death of a serving officer, police staff or member of the Special Constabulary and the chaplaincy service called upon if requested.

3.5.6 The officer in charge of the funeral arrangements will ensure that the ceremonial arrangements are in accordance with the deceased’s family’s wishes. If required, they will arrange for police bearers and ensure that the persons nominated are suitably briefed as to their dress and duties. Due regard will be paid to the seating arrangements in the church/chapel according to availability, taking into account the numbers and standing of the persons who are likely to attend.

3.6      Floral tributes/donations/drapes/additional notifications

3.6.1 The officer in charge of the LPA/division/department is responsible for making arrangements for a floral tribute to be provided at the funeral of any colleague who dies whilst serving in their LPA/division/department or who, in the case of a police pensioner, was resident in their LPA/division. These expenses will be costed to the local budget holder in Kent and to the bereavement expenses budget in Essex. In the case of Kent Police pensioners, Kent Training administration unit arrange floral tributes or donations, this comes out of the chief constable’s budget.

3.6.2 In the case of a serving colleague a floral tribute will be sent accompanied by a card, which should read ‘In deepest sympathy from the chief constable, all ranks, police staff and pensioners of Essex Police/Kent Police’.

3.6.3 In Essex, in the case of a death of a serving police officer or pensioner, the health and well-being services administration team can provide flowers in the shape of the Essex Police crest or if preferred a donation to the deceased’s chosen charity of up to £40.

3.6.4 The Essex Health and Well-being Services administration team can provide a force drape for funerals related to the deaths of serving and non-serving Essex Police officers.

3.6.5 Additional notifications:

• Essex and Kent health and well-being services administration team will notify the Gurney Fund for police orphans when the death of a serving police officer involves leaving dependent children. Permission to do so is sought from the next of kin. Children will receive a monthly allowance until they are 18 years of age or while they remain in full time education; Kent training administration unit advise the family of the Gurney Fund for Police pensioners with children under 18 years
• Essex health and well-being services administration will in the case of the death of Essex Police widows/widower/spouse/partner who is in receipt of pension, inform County Hall Pensions, and update database and inform NARPO with permission of next of kin. They will also ensure details of the funeral are placed on the intranet

3.6.5.1 Essex Police Benevolent Fund and Essex Police Staff Benevolent Fund to be notified by the point of contact as there is the possibility of a grant to assist with costs following death of serving police officer. Kent training administration unit will inform Kent Police Benevolent Fund and Kent Staff Benevolent Fund of the death of a serving police officer, police pensioner or a member of police staff.

4. Equality Impact Assessment (EIA)

4.1 EIA – July 2022.

5. Risk assessment

5.1 There is no specific risk assessment or health and safety consideration thought relevant to the content of this protocol.

5.2 Officers and members of police staff engaged within the process must remain aware that they must follow the protocol correctly otherwise the risk to the organisation of a possible employment tribunal could be raised. A failure to fully adopt the principles set out in this protocol could have a detrimental effect upon the reputation of the organisation.

6. Consultation

6.1 The following have been consulted during the formulation of this document:

• Essex
  • Unison
  • Essex Police Federation
  • Essex Diversity and Inclusion Manager
  • Head of Operational Change
  • PSD D/Superintendent
  • Risk
  • Policy
  • Superintendents Association
  • Strategic Force Crime & Incident Registrar
  • DPO/Temp Head of Info Management
  • OPC Planning (Essex)
  • Chaplaincy Services in Kent and Essex
  • Essex Head of Ceremonial Policing
  • Special Constabulary
• Joint
  • Support Network in Essex and in Kent
  • HR Delivery Manager
  • HR
• Kent
  • Unison
  • Health and Wellbeing Services Administration Team Leader
  • KPC Training Administration Team
  • Operational HR (HRP)
  • Divisional Commander
  • Health and Safety
  • Diversity and Inclusion Academy
  • Kent Federation
  • PSD D/Ch
  • Information Management
  • Information Management
  • Legal Services
  • Data Protection
  • Finance
  • Athena
  • Estates
  • Supts Association and Kent Network of Women

7. Monitoring and review

7.1 The monitoring of this HR protocol will be by the head of Health and Well-being.

7.2 The protocol will be reviewed every two years.

8. Governing force policy

Related force policies or related procedures (Essex)/linked standard operating procedures (Kent)

8.1 This HR protocol supports the overarching HR policy L1.

8.2      Data security

8.2.1 Essex Police and Kent Police have measures in place to protect the security of your data in accordance with our Information Management policy.

8.3      Retention and disposal of records

8.3.1 Essex Police and Kent Police will hold data in accordance with our Records Review, Retention and Disposal policy.

8.3.2 We will only hold data for as long as necessary for the purposes for which we collected.

9. Other source documents, e.g., legislation, Authorised Professional Practice (APP), force forms, partnership agreements (if applicable)

9.1 There are no other source documents.