Disabled Police Staff – the poor relation?

Back to all Motions

Conference
2008 Police Staff Service Group Conference
Date
25 June 2008
Decision
Carried as Amended

This Conference is concerned that police staff struggle to get the same level of support offered to police officers. Reasonable adjustments are not easily available and little regard is taken in the Personal Development process to ensure that police staff are afforded appropriate opportunities to develop their careers and enjoy the range of job opportunities available to others.

By comparison police officers who become disabled through injury are given significantly higher standards of support and are more likely to be treated fairly under the Disability Discrimination Act. We believe that there should be not disparity between the support available to Police Staff and Police Officers and that police authorities’ should utilise their responsibilities under the Disability Equality Duty to ensure institutionalised disability discrimination is eradicated, as required by law.

In order to take these issues forward this conference instructs the Police Staff Service Group Executive to:

1)to gather evidence of disparity in Personal and Career policies and procedures for Police Staff and Police Officers

2)promote the UNISON guidance on Access to Work to police branches to enable greater support to be provided by reasonable adjustments through the Department of Work and Pensions;

3)raise concerns about the experiences of disabled UNISON police staff members witht the Home Office and other appropriate bodies;

4)report on developments at the Police Staff Conference 2009.