Employer advice

Benefits

The scheme increases the knowledge within a workforce, offers a rewarding scheme to participate in, as well as supporting the ethical, social and community aims of many organisations.

Being part of the scheme can benefit your business by developing individual skills, boosting staff morale, leading to happier and more confident employees. Staff who are special constables are widely regarded by employers as being more committed, dependable, confident, and responsible in the workplace.

As well as allowing additional paid leave for staff to volunteer as a special constable, organisations can also promote Employer Supported Policing (ESP) by actively encouraging staff to volunteer in policing.

Benefits to your organisation include:

• being a responsible business by supporting your staff and the local community
• having an active way to work proactively with other public sector organisations and the police
• supports organisations corporate social responsibility objectives
• enhanced reputation and profile within the local community
• positive marketing opportunity
• the experience of being a police volunteer offers a level of staff development, making staff feel confident and valued
• police-trained staff working on your premises, doing their usual ‘day job’ when not on duty as a special constable, with the benefit of extensive experience and skills
• contributes to morale, well-being and retention of staff
• having members of your staff who are properly briefed in respect of local crime trends
• can help staff with career progression and the transferable skills they gain will enhance your organisation.

To become a special constable through the ESP scheme, your staff will need to carry out a minimum of 16 hours operational policing each month, this is achieved either in their own time or with ESP time provided to them.

Skills

At the heart of the training are the seven core skills that every police officer must be proficient in:

1. customer focus
2. effective communication
3. personal responsibility
4. problem solving
5. resilience
6. respect for diversity
7. teamwork

The reward to you is a hard-working, skilled and committed member of your team.

Our commitment to you

We will provide your staff with the training and skills necessary for them to become a competent special constable. Many of the skills they will develop are transferable and can be used in their professional capacity but also in their personal life. For example, managing confrontational situations, leadership and personal safety.

This training is provided at no additional cost to the you, so there's no financial burden to employers in allowing their staff to build new skills and gain confidence.