THE Police Federation of England and Wales has launched a Reps at Work campaign to raise the profile of what Fed Reps do and to encourage others to put themselves forward in the next round of elections in 2017. The campaign is supported by South Yorkshire Police Federation.<\/p>\n
Chair Zuleika Payne said: \u201cAt the moment officers are getting a raw deal from the press and from the Government; we\u2019re having to do more with less resources, the dangerous situations officers face become more so. Who\u2019s there for those officers?<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s where the Federation comes in to offer support, advice, guidance and representation. Unless you\u2019re a police officer it\u2019s not always easy to understand a person\u2019s situation.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou need be a good listener, have compassion and empathy, emotional resilience and be ready to speak to somebody who may not be in a good place in a non-judgemental way.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe work is voluntary and largely carried out in duty time. The gratitude and satisfaction you get from supporting others far outweighs any monetary recompense. I have received training by completing courses in equality, managing workloads, presentation skills and director skills. It\u2019s been a huge enhancement to my day job.\u201d<\/p>\n
Zuleika was inspired to become a Fed Rep in 2005 by following in the footsteps of a friend and mentor. When she started out as a rep her branch board was very male dominated.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlthough the gender mix is changing, some officers from under-represented groups may need encouragement to stand\u201d, says Zuleika. \u201cWe should never underestimate our abilities. The message to anyone thinking of becoming a Rep is: if you think you can, then have a go!\u201d<\/p>\n