Currently there is no long service and good conduct medal for police staff, which compares to the one awarded to police officers following 20 years of meritorious service. This is something that UNISON believes should be rectified.
It should be noted that as well as police officers, fire, ambulance, probation and prison service personnel are all able to qualify for similar medals.
Police Officer Long Service medal
The Police Long Service and Good Conduct Medal was first created under Royal Warrant in 1951 to represent the Crown’s appreciation for long and meritorious service of police officers. The medal is awarded following a recommendation by the constable’s Chief Officer to the Home Secretary, when the following criteria are met;
- The officer has completed 20 years of pensionable or approved aggregate service (may include part-time work, but does not include career breaks for example);
- That throughout the service the officer evidenced a high standard of conduct and good character.
The officer medal attracts a clasp at 30 years and a further clasp at 40 years’ service.
Current and existing frameworks for police staff
There is currently no national long service medal for Police Staff.
The police staff long service awards – Many forces currently have a local award for police staff following service periods of generally 20 years. The process and eligibility of these awards appears to vary force to force, but generally speaking the award usually involves being authorised by the Chief Constable.
Changes in policing and Police Staff
The historical context is arguably an important factor when considering when the police officer medal was first established (1951). It would be fair to state that a lot has changed in policing since that time, and as such UNISON argues that the medal itself should also move with the times and current context of policing.
The use of police staff to fill vital operational, operational support and organisational support roles and the development of a wide variety of police staff functions, means that policing is very different today than it was even 20 years ago, let alone compared to 1951. No-one could argue today over the value of police staff roles which are critical to policing functions.
In addition, some of the most significant changes to police staff roles came with the Police Reform Act in 2002 and Police and Crime Act in 2017, both of which granted numerous constable powers to various police staff roles. Recognition and value for the work of police staff has always been a mainstay of UNISON policy and campaigning. We make no distinction in the value we place on staff in operational, operational support or organisational support roles; they are all part of the police family and all equally important. In the same way UNISON believes that all police staff, regardless of role, should be eligible for a new long service and good conduct medal.
Conclusion
UNISON has campaigned for many years to highlight the value of police staff and the critical functions they deliver in policing, regardless of their individual role. We are pleased that the Police Staff Council for England and Wales is now supporting the creation of a long service and good conduct medal for police staff. A proposal for the medal went to the Home Office from the Council in May 2023. In July 2023 the then police minister Chris Philp responded by saying that:
I have previously expressed my support for a new Long Service and Good Conduct Medal that recognises the vital work undertaken by police staff. As you suggest in your letter, police staff roles are crucial to maintaining the trust of local communities and it is only right that those who have demonstrated consistent good conduct over an extended period are recognised in the same way as officers.
The Home Office asked for, and been given, information on the number of police staff who would be eligible for the long service medal and we await a response from Ministers as to whether they will authorise the medal for which we have been campaigning.