{"id":2963,"date":"2017-03-03T12:17:47","date_gmt":"2017-03-03T12:17:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sypfcopperconnection.co.uk\/?p=2963"},"modified":"2017-03-07T17:23:54","modified_gmt":"2017-03-07T17:23:54","slug":"the-federation-friend-is-a-vital-role","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sypfcopperconnection.co.uk\/?p=2963","title":{"rendered":"New Secretary: ‘The Federation Friend is a vital role’"},"content":{"rendered":"

DEAN\u00a0Hague, Secretary of South Yorkshire Police Federation, has left his job as an operational sergeant to join the Federation full time.<\/p>\n

He speaks about leaving his frontline role to be able to help more officers in the force with his role in the Joint Branch Board.<\/p>\n

See more here\/below<\/a><\/p>\n

Why did you get involved in the Federation?<\/strong>
\nI have been a rep for 10 years and was a uniformed Shift Sergeant prior to taking over this role, so I\u2019ve managed officers who have fallen the wrong side of the misconduct performance regulations.\u00a0I’ve also had vexatious complaints from members of the public. I\u2019ve seen the impact it has on their lives, how it can destroy them, how it affects not just them, but also the team and their partner. So the Federation Friend is a vital role, really.<\/p>\n

Why did you want to take on this new role?<\/strong>
\nThis, for me, is the ultimate job. I\u2019m now in charge of our Joint Branch Board which is made up of 29 workplace reps. My job is to oversee that they\u2019ve got all the necessary training and skills to be able to advise people in the workplace. This role will allow me to take my passion for helping people and use it to make sure the Federation is where it should be in the force and that welfare, looking after officers and discipline matters is at the forefront of our Commanders\u2019 decisions when they look at changing the workforce.<\/p>\n

What are the main challenges facing your members at the moment then?<\/strong>
\nIn South Yorkshire we have seen a real reduction of staff. In my time, we\u2019ve gone from 3,400 officers down to 2,400 yet demand is still through the roof and communication centre is currently failing to manage that demand. So we have to protect people from the results of that, because obviously you have the fall out of officers being overworked, being asked to do more for less, and then they\u2019re becoming more stressed and ill. So it\u2019s about trying to protect officers and provide services where they can get advice should they feel as though they\u2019re falling out the net.<\/p>\n

How are you doing that?<\/strong>
\nThrough the member services. We\u2019ve got a really good package in relation to Red Arc, which offers counselling. We also liaise with our occupational health unit and we speak to the Chief and senior leadership group about members\u2019 mental health and wellbeing at every opportunity. Zuleika\u2019s been really instrumental in ensuring that there is mental health provision for officers.<\/p>\n

How long have you been an officer?<\/strong>
\nI\u2019ve been an officer for 22 years. And in that time there has been a huge change in the way people see the strains of the job. When I joined mental health was not spoken about; it was a canteen culture. We had the dark sense of humour and we kind of got on with it, got our heads down, and if you did say anything you were seen as weak back then. But I think society\u2019s changed and moved on, and mental health issues are accepted as legitimate medical condition now. So you shouldn\u2019t suffer in silence as an officer. If you\u2019re feeling like you can\u2019t cope and the work\u2019s getting too much, or life, then you need to ask for help.<\/p>\n

So what are your main plans for your next three years in the role?<\/strong>
\nI want to make sure that the workplace reps have all of the skills and knowledge that they need to be able to give the best advice. And I want to make sure that this office runs on a financially sound footing, that we\u2019re not wasting members\u2019 money. We will be counting every penny and making sure it is spent wisely.<\/p>\n

What would be your message to your members reading this?<\/strong>
\nI would say to them that until three months ago I was an operational Sergeant on a team. So I would ask them not to get disheartened. It is a fantastic job like no other. We understand, when all officers sign up, that it is a very difficult job, with some pretty harsh terms of conditions in relation to employment. And I would just ask them to be professional in everything they do, particularly around social media and their interaction with the public. Don\u2019t get into a situation where you will end up being embarrassed by anything you\u2019ve done. And if you think something is going to embarrass you, don\u2019t say or post it. That\u2019s a big issue for us and officers around mistakes that they make. And just have some pride in the job you do because the public are proud of the officers, and certainly us as the Federation are really proud of our workforce.<\/p>\n

Do you miss being an operational Sergeant?<\/strong>
\nYes, every day. I\u2019ll be honest. I miss my team. I had a great team of 15 officers who made my life very easy. They were very mature and professional individuals. And now I\u2019m here on my own quite a lot of the time, it does get a bit lonely. I trained to be a police officer but this role came up, and it is something I feel passionately about so it was a fine balance. But yes, I enjoy this role but I also enjoyed being a front line police officer.<\/p>\n