Use of Volunteers

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Conference
Police Service Group Conference 2003
Date
6 March 2003
Decision
Carried as Amended

Conference is concerned over proposals to use community volunteers within the police service. Conference also notes that some police forces are already using volunteers

Conference believes the practice of using volunteers undermines service levels expected of policing and places added pressure on our members, together with other members of the police family, and could put members’ jobs at risk. Conference also notes that volunteers are not covered by a disciplinary procedure and Conference is concerned at how forces will deal with any issues of conduct regarding volunteers.

For the past two years running, Conference has instructed the Service Group Executive to address the issue of volunteers in Police Staff roles. These instructions have been ignored. Unless this issue is acted upon without delay a vote of ‘no confidence’ in the SGE may be considered.

Conference therefore instructs the Service Group Executive to:

(i)move the issue of volunteers up their agenda for immediate action;

(ii)survey branches about the use of volunteers in their forces;

(iii)provide advice, guidance and support on this issue to branches;

(iv)revise the joint statement of UNISON and the Police Federation

regarding the use of volunteers;

(v)lobby Ministers and MPs to support paid, professional support staff

within the police service;

vi)participate in dialogue with the other police stakeholders to promote UNISON’s policy on volunteers and to ensure that the quality of the Police Service and the associated interests of UNISON police staff members are not prejudiced.