Warwickshire Police Support Volunteers

January 2012

Warwickshire PoliceSergeant Karl Faulkner

Police Support VolunteersA National Structure for PSV exists. DCC Rob Beckley holds the portfolio for citizenship in policing. At the end of 2008, 32 of the 43 forces across England and Wales had a volunteer programme. There are currently 9050 PSV across the UK. To date PSV nationwide currently give an equivalent added value across the UK’s forces of £4.5 million. Warwickshire Police volunteers started in 2009 with 8 volunteers conducting different roles across various departments.

PSV are split into defined categories.

Volunteers under our direction and control.PSVPolice CadetsVolunteer Graduates

Volunteers who deliver ServicesIndependent Advisory Groups

Volunteers not under our direction and controlNHWStreet Watch, Street PastorsCSW

Protecting Our Communities Together

Building safer neighbourhoods together

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Warwickshire PSV Programme

Since 2009, there have been 8 registered volunteers present within force, completing admin tasks for different departments.

A Volunteer Programme Manager post was established in May 2011, which enabled a large scoping exercise to take place.

Key proposals were developed and business cases put forward for WPSVP which were agreed in September 2011 at FEB and the Peoples’ meeting including a vision statement:

“To support the police in the achievement of their objectives and to improve public confidence in the police service by utilising members of the community and their skills to perform voluntary support roles alongside officers and staff.’

WPSVP started in earnest in October 2011 with 26 volunteers attending an induction process at the LDC.

Aims and objectives - To have 63 Volunteers in force by April 2012.

Volunteers to increase our diversity

Support all departments within force.

Building safer neighbourhoods together

WPSVP has an implementation board with designated responsibility for the implementation of the programme, its policies and procedures.This is headed by Chief Supt Neil Hewison.

A comprehensive draft policy & procedure document has been completed which covers off all aspects for the introduction and ongoing management of PSV including:

Vetting, Insurance,Training, Risk Assurance, Code of Conduct, Misconduct / Discipline Procedure, ESIBS, Budget and Line Management.

West Mercia Police have adopted our policy and are in the process of aligning their procedures.

Volunteers are not employees. Volunteers are not classed as a resource. Volunteers give added value to an organisation. All volunteers sign a volunteers agreement.

A memorandum of understanding has been established to ensure the integration of volunteers into our organisation. Key principles being:

• Volunteers will never fill a staff role if that role has been lost through voluntary redundancy.

• Volunteers cannot fill full time or part time roles that have been disestablished by an organisation.

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Governance of the PSV Programme

Building safer neighbourhoods together

PSV Task Profile• Each volunteer has their own task profile which Unison and the Federation are aware of. This identifies the type of volunteer and who manages them.

• Each volunteer has a manager and is required to complete a minimum of 2 hours per week. All of their volunteer time and activities are recorded on our Emergency Services Internet Booking System.

• We currently have 12 different task profiles as we have volunteers working in the following areas:

•Local Investigation - 12• SNT - 12• General admin x 5 - 7 (HR, RSU, Corner,Force Admin,Property)• NHW - 9 (Horse Watch)• CSW - 5• Community Safety - 1• ICT Review - 1

Total - 47

What can they do?

The only hurdles to volunteers roles are your imagination and legislation.

 

Building safer neighbourhoods together

PSV Tasks•-    Help arrange meetings (e.g. Community Partnership), take minutes, typing reports, circulate meeting agendas.•-    Help create a database of community contacts.•-    Help with community questionnaires.- Help with enquiries into the office. •-    Protectively mark any sensitive information, following the Information Security policy.•-    Help with the publication and distribution of a Wards Policing Newsletter.•-    Help with the recording and follow up procedure of anti social behaviour•-    Monitor and maintain stock levels•-    Intelligence analysis.•-    Crime mapping.•-    Front office assistance.•-    Intelligence support.•-    Administrative duties in all departments.•-    Help support training initiatives.•-    Support Road Safety initiatives.•-    Support local Policing Events.•-    Task project work.•-    Interpreter skills•-    Help with community confidence, building relationships with our diverse community.•-    Review current roles and practices.•-    Conduct crime reviews• Aid visual crime audits of geographic locations.

Building safer neighbourhoods together

Police Support Volunteers

Volunteers under our direction and controlPSV – 47 (as of Jan 21st 2012)Police Cadets – 0Volunteer Graduate Scheme – 0CSW PSV – 0Specials - 243

Volunteers that help to deliver servicesIndependent Advisory Group – 68

Volunteers not under our direction and controlNHW – 6387 community alerts – 2113Street Watch – 0Street Pastors Nuneaton – 14 Rugby – 40 Stratford – 18Parish CSW North – 24 South – 90Other known Watches Business – 2616 Hotel – 144 Pub – 470

Rural – 901 School – 297 Shop – 1628

TOTAL PSV WARWICKSHIRE:- 12987

Building safer neighbourhoods together

Achievements / Celebrations• The design and implementation of a professional and sustainable PSV programme.• Our PSV have completed 927 hours of volunteering since the end of October 2011. • This equates to an £11,124.00 cost efficiency gain.• Public perception is being increased in a positive manner daily.• The new volunteer programme has seen a rise in volunteers by over 400%.• We have retained all volunteers to date.• ESIBS has been successfully delivered into the organisation.• Strategic Alliance work is developing well.• The development of the Volunteers Voice newsletter. (First issue Feb 2012)• The development of the WPSPV website.

The Future• Police Cadets• Volunteer Graduate Scheme• CSW PSV Force wide• Community Safety volunteers (Volunteering in Community)• Street Watch

Building safer neighbourhoods together

Thank you for your time.

Please contact the team should you have any queries or concerns.

Leave a message: 01788 853777

Email: karl.faulkner@warwickshire.pnn.police.uk