(a) Representativeness of police staff
I support the aim and value the benefits of a more representative Service across both officers and staff. In particular, some of the actions PSNI have undertaken to proactively address the representativeness of staff include:
- Inclusion of welcoming statements in police staff adverts;
- Advertising/outreach in a wide range of media platforms;
- Familiarisation sessions e.g. Crime Scene Investigators; &
- Seasonal outreach activity e.g. Home for Christmas Campaign;
Significantly, a new and ambitious People and Culture strategy that supports and enables my vision for PSNI 2025, is due for release in the coming months. This strategy is targeted at supporting a representative, diverse & inclusive culture.
I have also commissioned a review of police staff recruitment, particularly in respect of outreach, advertising and applicant experience. This includes the development of a bespoke recruitment website for police staff, mirroring that for officers.
(b) Terms and Conditions
I have commissioned a review of Police Staff Terms and Conditions (T&Cs). This will be reflected in the People and Culture Strategy. That said, police officers and police staff are engaged under different frameworks and this inevitably involve different T&Cs.