New Mutual Aid Framework Focuses On Officer Welfare

A NEW framework for mutual aid operations will help support the welfare of officers who are deployed, Hampshire Police Federation has said, following a session at the PFEW annual conference.

Hampshire Police Federation Secretary Garry Smith was present the conference session ‘Mutual Aid: a postcode lottery for members’, with a panel including PFEW Treasurer Simon Kempton; National Board member Steve Taylor; Essex Police Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington; and NPCC Strategic Lead Assistant Chief Constable Owen Weatherill.

Garry (pictured) said: “There will be a new framework that will look at a set of guidelines all forces will adopt for mutual aid deployments. So that’s things considering officer wellbeing, food, accommodation, as well as such important things as overnight allowance, and pay and rewards for those officers deployed out of force.

“It also looks at the length of deployments, so the agreement is no deployment will be longer than nine days, and there’ll be no rest days within that period, to avoid any issues with rest days being held in reserve.

“Also, travelling days are duty days, rather than interfering with officers’ rest days. And that they have rest days at the end of that period of time.

“This framework will support our members over the coming months and years.”

Simon Kempton said at the session: “Mutual aid is becoming so prevalent – it is important we get this right for our members and also the public.”