APPENDIX B
POLICY, PROCEDURE AND PROTOCOLS FOR OFFICER
SAFETY TRAINING
CO11 Recruit Officer Safety Foundation
Course Policy, Procedure and Protocol Information Sheet
1. INTRODUCTION
Your Officer Safety training will be delivered
by experienced police officers from the Officer Safety Unit, which
is part of the Public Order branch based at New Scotland Yard.
Officer Safety training in its current format has been in existence
since 1995, however its origins can be traced back to the early
90's when handcuffing and batons were taught as an individual
subject matter.
"Officer Safety is paramount to maintaining
safe working practices under health and safety and has been developed
by police officers for police officers, and its principles can
extend throughout all of your policing duties".
2. AIMS AND
OBJECTIVES
It is the aim of the Officer Safety Unit to
provide you with the necessary knowledge, skills and attitude
to police London lawfully, safely and effectively. To achieve
this aim you will need to:
Objective 1
Demonstrate competency in Communication Skills,
Empty Hands Techniques, Batons, Handcuffs and CS Incapacitant
Spray.
Objective 2
State legislation involved in use of force and
discuss the need for writing accurate evidence.
Objective 3
Discuss the Medical Implications of the techniques
practised on this course.
Objective 4
State the component parts of the Officer Safety
Model, and discuss its application of it to practical situations.
3. ATTENDANCE
The Foundation Course requires you to attain
a 100% attendance and participation. The course is "Pass
or Fail", and this is measured against recognised competencies.
The course is a mixture of continual and formal assessment.
Under Health and Safety legislation (s.7b Health
and Safety Act 1974) you may be guilty of an offence if you fail
to co-operate with your employer in respect of health and safety
issues, they include attending and completing officer safety training
as it is to improve your health and safety.
There are two occasions when it is acceptable
to be late or not attend an OS lesson, they are:
(i) If you are shown sick (self/certificated),
or
(ii) Attending a second, case conference.
If you are recoursed you will be expected to
attend all future officer safety with your new class. The only
reason for non-attendance will follow consultation between CO11
and the DTD.
If you fail to attain a competent standard in
any assessed element you may face Regulation 15 proceedings being
instigated against you.
If you do not complete the full Officer Safety
foundation course, and there is no formal opportunity to "catch-up"
the time missed, policy is in place to require you to be retained
into a further week of basic training where the elements that
have been missed will be taught.
This requirement will be dealt with on the merits
of each individual case.
4. WHERE ARE
WE LOCATED?
Your Officer Safety training will take place
at the Croft Gymnasium, which is situated adjacent to the Parade
Square at the Simpson Hall end of the Peel Centre estate.
When you attend Officer Safety training enter
the building via the double doors from the Parade Square next
to the "Blue lamp". Follow the corridor around to the
left where you will find the female changing rooms on the right
and the male to the left. All parades for Officer safety will
take place up the stairs on the gymnasium floor.
For your first attendance in week 3 parade in
uniform as there is no need to change into PT kit.
5. PROTOCOLS
a. Travelling to and from the Croft Gymnasium
You must march in class formation, in the uniform
of the day. The class formation will stop at the skidpan where
you will walk in an orderly single file manner. On your return
you will march from the skidpan.
It must be noted that you are attending a department
that is totally separate from training school and that it is in
close proximity to an active, working police establishment. Because
of this we ask you to consider your behaviour and demeanour and
act as "ambassadors" for the training school.
b. Parading for lessons
You must parade on the gym floor. Classes should
form up in two orderly ranks and wait for your Officer Safety
Instructor. You must always parade in correct PT kit (except week
3) with your belt and any equipment that has been issued to you.
Please have paper and pen available for each lesson.
The parade times for your OS lessons are shown
on your timetable. This will mean that you will be required to
travel (and shower) in your own time which will be before the
start of the day, during your 30 minute breaks or your lunch breaks.
Lateness for any reason other than those already
described in this document will be deemed as unacceptable and
will be dealt with accordingly. Your Training School staff are
aware of this protocol.
c. Dress code—PT Kit
You will wear a white T-shirt with your last
name written in capitals down the left-hand side of the shirt.
The shirt will be clean, pressed and will be tucked into black
shorts or tracksuit bottoms.
Please wear white socks that are visible above
the ankle and do not wear "trainer liner" style socks.
The training shoes that you wear should be predominately white
and should be clean. Training shoes shoelaces should be correctly
tied at all time and should be visible over the shoe's tongue.
If you have any queries about PT dress please
ask a member of the OS staff.
d. Showering
In order to keep the highest levels of hygiene
you should consider showering after each relevant Officer Safety
lesson.
e. Jewellery, watches and body piercing
All jewellery and watches will be removed
for Officer Safety lessons. This is a Health and Safety requirement.
Boxes for valuables will be provided for the lesson, although
it is advisable that if you have an item of real or sentimental
value it should be left at your accommodation.
All body-piercing (rings, studs, or sleepers)
will be removed prior to each Officer Safety lesson. Police
notice 7/01 fully describes this instruction. To wear body piercings
on duty is against MPS policy.
If for any reason jewellery cannot/will not
be removed (ie religious articles) you must seek guidance from
the staff. You may be removed from training as Health and Safety
is of paramount importance.
f. Fingernails
Fingernails must be cut to a short and safe
length in order to avoid any injury. If you are unsure ask the
Officer Safety staff.
g. Refreshments
A drinking-water fountain is situated at the
Croft Gymnasium. It is advised that you bring a plastic sports
bottle with you in order to remain hydrated during lessons.
There is also a drinks machine situated at the
gym, please do not bring any other kind of refreshment with you.
No chewing gum/sweets/other food may be consumed
during officer safety lessons.
NB. Failure to comply with these protocols
could result in you being placed on a show parade.
SHOW PARADES
If you are placed on a show parade, you will
be required to parade at the Croft Gymnasium during your lunch
break on the following day. The parade time will be provided for
you. You will be expected to have corrected the element that was
the cause of the parade (ie dresscode or lateness).
6. INJURY OR
ILLNESS
Any injury must be declared to the staff prior
to the commencement of the lesson. A decision as to whether you
will be able to continue with that lesson will be made at the
time and on the merits of that individual situation. A similar
process will take place if it comes to the notice of the staff
that you are or appear to be "carrying" an injury.
Any injury sustained during the lesson must
be brought to the attention of the instructor and this will then
be reported as an "Injury on duty" and your staff room
informed.
If an injury is subsequently identified this
must also reported, however on this occasion your HR3(7) training
school staff will make the report, as per current procedure.
If you are ill and feel unable to attend and/or
participate in the lesson you must either report self-certificated
or certificated sick to your staff and follow their directions
otherwise you must attend and participate in the class, as part
of your day's duty.
7. WHITENOTES
You will receive eight whitenotes specific to
Officer Safety, which must be read prior to each lesson.
Information contained in the whitenotes may
appear in your Knowledge Evaluation Exercises (KEEs) in the weeks
following the first delivery of the subject. Due to timetable
issues the "Weapons Awareness" whitenote will not be
tested.
HANDCUFFS
You will begin your rigid handcuff training
in Week 7. In order to assist you with this subject it is important
that you consider the following instructions.
(a) Read the officer safety whitenote/Handcuffs
No 29
(b) Identify the five concepts of handcuffing:
2. "Touch and Cuff", using
the correct application site
3. Out of the . . . Back of hand = Back
to Back, and Out of the . . . Palm of the hand = Stack
4. Check for tightness and Double lock
(c) Identify the ACPO policy with regard
to Handcuffing.
"The use of handcuffs on another person
is a use of force which must be justified". "Handcuffing
can only be justified if there is an `honestly held belief' that
a prisoner:
(i) is likely to escape or attempt to escape;
or
(ii) is likely to offer violence
SERVICE LEVEL
AGREEMENT
We expect you to adhere to the protocols at
all times. In addition to this we expect you to be keen, dynamic,
respectful, enthusiastic, prompt and appropriate at all times.
In response to this we will provide you with
our full professional support and experience. We will be enthusiastic,
diligent, helpful and dedicated.
Please remember that this is a two-way process
and for you to achieve this, this agreement must be subscribed
too.
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