Avon and Somerset Police Federation

The Police Federation Looks After You

From the day you join the police service until you leave, or hopefully, you are promoted to the rank of Superintendent, you will be a member of the Police Federation. Although your membership of the Federation is automatic, your financial contribution is entirely voluntary. Well over 99 percent of your colleagues are contributors, they know that membership of our voluntary funds brings them many direct and indirect benefits.

The Police Federation does for you what a trade union seeks to do for its members, but there are important differences. The Federation is controlled entirely by serving police officers and it is not affiliated or associated with any bodies outside the service. We are completely independent of political parties. We do not have, nor do we desire, the power to call a strike or take any form of industrial action.

The Police Federation was set up in 1919 by an Act of Parliament. Our duty is to represent our members in all matters affecting their welfare and efficiency. This means that we negotiate on your behalf on matters affecting your pay, allowances, hours of duty, annual leave, pensions and other matters. We are consulted when the Police Regulations are made dealing with training and promotion, discipline, police duties and so on. So you will see that the Police Federation is able to influence not only your living standards through pay and other benefits, but also the development of professional standards. In addition, the Federation takes an active interest in a wide range of subjects that affect the police service and require us to put forward views on your behalf.

The Branch Boards

There is a branch of the Police Federation in each force in England and Wales. The members of the force in the ranks of constable, sergeant and inspector (including chief inspector) elect a 'Branch Board' for their rank. Cadets may elect a colleague to the Constables' Board, or appoint a member of that Board to look after their interests. Normally, there is one member of each rank elected in each district or department. The Constables', Sergeants' and Inspectors' Branch Boards meet regularly to consider subjects affecting their ranks. Much of their work, however, is done in unison when they meet together as the 'Joint Branch Board'.

The Branch Boards act as negotiating and consultative bodies in dealings with the chief constable, senior officers and the police authority, in matters affecting the force. This important area of local negotiation and consultation was extended, following the Report of a Committee under the chairmanship of Lord Edmund-Davies, which has examined the role of the Police Federation. A Joint Negotiating and Consultative Committee was established in every force.

Each year, the Constables', Sergeants' and Inspectors' Branch Boards in each force nominate delegates to attend the Police Federation Central Conferences. Here, the delegates elect, for a three year period, a Central Committee for each rank consisting of ten members (one from each provincial region, two from the London forces, and one representative of the policewomen in the rank). The Central Committees elect their own officers. The separate Central Committees deal with national matters as they affect the rank they represent.

Most of the work of the Federation at national level, is done through the Joint Central Committee, which consists of the three separate committees sitting together to transact all the business which affects all the ranks in the Federation. The Joint Central Committee elects its national officers from amongst its members.

Of course, to do its job properly, the Federation must be properly financed and this is the main purpose of the Voluntary Funds. They are used to maintain our Headquarters, which provide a service to the national

Committees, to assist them in their negotiations and supplies information and advice to the membership. Part of your subscription is retained by your Branch Board for its local administration costs. The Federation at national level employs a number of professional staff and retains the service of specialist advisers, such as solicitors, an economist, and a Parliamentary Adviser.
All this you would expect from a modern and efficient representative body, but the funds are also used to provide direct help to individual members.

How We Negotiate

The Police Negotiating Board is the body that negotiates the rates of pay, pensions and allowances for the police services of the United Kingdom. It consists of two Sides, the Official Side and the Staff Side, which meet together with an independent chairman appointed by the Prime Minister. The Official Side is made up of members representing the Government Ministers responsible for the Police, the Home Secretary, the Scottish Secretary and the Northern Ireland Secretary, representatives of the local authorities, and magistrates. The Staff Side consists of representatives of the Police Federations of England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, the three Superintendents Associations and the Chief Officers. The board has an independent secretariat.

The Police Advisory Board meets under the chairmanship of the Home Secretary, to discuss professional subjects such as training, promotion and discipline. Representatives of the Police Federation, sit on this body. After considering the views expressed by the Police Advisory Board, the Home Secretary makes Police Regulations covering the subjects not dealt with by the Police Negotiating Board.

The Federation is also represented on other important bodies that deal with Service matters, such as the Board of Governors of the Police Staff College, and the Police Training Council. In addition, we are asked for our views on other subjects which, from time to time, are under review.
Benefits for subscribers

These are the benefits for which members of the Police Federation Funds are eligible with the prior approval of the Committee and on such terms and conditions as may be specified. (See the Police Federation Funds Rules for precise details).

• Free legal advice and assistance to pursue claims for compensation by members who have sustained injuries on or off duty; this help is given to relations or representatives of members who have been killed on or off duty
• Free legal advice and assistance for members charged (or have reasonable grounds for thinking that they may be) with Road Traffic Offences (other than the 'drink' or 'drugs' offences or 'taking and driving away') which arise out of the course of police duty. Members are covered whilst travelling to and from duty.
• Free legal advice and assistance for members who, arising from police duty, may be charged with criminal proceedings for causing the death of, or injury to, any person or for any assault.
• Free legal advice and assistance for members subject to allegations or charges under the Police Discipline Regulations.
• Free legal advice and assistance for members wishing to take action for defamation arising out of their membership of the police service.
• A Death Benefit is paid to the widow or dependant of a member who dies in service. This amount is updated annually.
• Free legal and medical advice and assistance to support a member or his dependants in pension or medical appeals.
• The Federation operates a Personal and Public Liability insurance scheme which covers all members and may provide compensation for claims for injury and damages where no other insurance applies, or meet damages awarded against members, such as by persons who sustain injury on a member's premises.