PRESS RELEASE: International Day of People with Disability

Sunday 3rd December 2017 is the annual celebration of the International Day of People with Disability (IPDP), started 25 years ago by the United Nations General Assembly. The day aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilise support for the dignity, rights and wellbeing of disabled staff. It also seeks to increase awareness of the benefits of the integration of disabled people in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life.

This year the theme focuses on ‘transformation towards a sustainable and resilient society for all’ and we are being encouraged to notice the central importance of resilience. As a police support network, the Disabled Police Association is encouraging our local disability networks to strengthen the role of disabled people as agents of change.

As members of UK police forces, we live in times of great challenge, both economically and politically. It is sometimes difficult to be constant in your belief that it is possible to reach a tipping point in the recognition of talents of disabled people. It takes great strength and courage to believe disabled people, whether they are in work, or not, can transcend protracted periods of welfare reform, economic austerity and political uncertainty.

But as networks, we can! One of the ways we can encourage our police forces to do this is by learning directly from disabled people and celebrating and investing in our disability networks, and building our communities in the UK and across the globe.

The Disabled Police Association are encouraging all our local networks to mark this celebration to raise awareness of disability. Purple Space are championing Purple Light Up to celebrate the economic and leadership contribution of disabled employees.

Some facts about the economic contribution of disabled employees (Labour Force Survey 2016/Scope Economic Research):

Over 3 million people who identify as being disabled are in work: they are today’s senior managers or the managers of the future
Disabled employees contribute over £16.02 billion per annum in tax
3.6% of businesses have one or more disabled owners, representing roughly 10,700 companies employing 78,000 people
6.6 million people with a disability or health impairment are in work, making a huge wealth of skilled and committed disabled people in the UK who make a vital contribution to the economy
A 5% point increase in the disability employment rate would lead to an increase in GDP of £23bn by 2030

“Police Forces and their Disability Support Networks across the UK are looking forward to shining a purple light on disability on the 3rd December. A variety of awareness raising activities are planned with a focus on joining our private sector partners in celebrating the value of staff networks for disabled people.”

Rob Gurney
President, Disabled Police Association

My cancer story

by Dee Collins
Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police
President of the British Association for Women in Policing
West Yorkshire Police Disability Association supporter

‘I found the radiotherapy exhausting. I stayed at work though (every morning in the office, every afternoon at hospital, sharing the sisterhood which developed with fellow patients – they were all women in my cohort but of course men can also suffer from breast cancer too). I would sit and share thoughts knowing that some of these amazing women might not get through their treatment plan and found this very humbling and moving.’

Hi, my name is Dee and I have been a police officer for 30 years now. I have always been blessed with lots of energy, and apart from one or two thankfully minor health matters, have not been too troubled about my own mobility and mental health. I have sadly had a lot of experience caring for friends and family matters which is perhaps why back in April 2009 I was able to cope with something of a shock.

I like many of us, have always been encouraged not to shy away from being physically health conscious and to regularly check myself for any potential lumps and bumps. As something of a fitness fanatic at the time, this was an important part of my regime, in truth so I didn’t pick up any injuries or anything that might prevent me from being able to participate in sport. So on one morning in April 2009 I was very shocked to find an unexplained very hard lump just below the tissue in my left breast and sitting next to my rib cage. Rather than ignore it or think it wasn’t anything to worry about, I picked up the phone and rang through to my doctor’s surgery and asked for an appointment. I was asked to go in straight away and my GP examined me and said “I don’t think it is a cyst and I am going to refer you immediately to the breast clinic at the local hospital.” I guess I already knew at this point that it was something serious.

I had a two-week wait and then attended the clinic feeling somewhat anxious as I didn’t know what to expect. The staff were lovely, reassuring and caring, and all helped by the great WI tea point in the clinic itself and several mugs of tea!! However (given I’m a cop and have a nose for concerns), I realised that the dark shadow I could see on the ultrasound scan, and the difficulty the consultant had to take tissue for a biopsy may not prove to be good news. Two weeks later I was back awaiting my results (and took a very dear friend with me), and as I walked into the consultation room and saw three people waiting for me, I instantly knew that it was as I feared – I was told I had cancer.

Every patient (or family or friend) will hear and deal with this news differently. As I looked around the room I was determined not to give the staff any upset (after all they have to give this news to sadly far too many people every day). So there and then I decided I would deal with cancer head on, try to see the positives, and for once in my life to do as I was told!!

Two weeks later I had the lump removed which on assessment was a Stage 1 cancer and thankfully relatively small. I was advised I would only need radiotherapy some four months later, but that it would be daily for five weeks, and that I would be required to take tamoxifen for five years (ghastly but necessary). I was fortunate not to need chemotherapy, and feel for all those who sadly do.

A cancer diagnosis means you are instantly covered by the disability legislation and all the protections that this affords. I also ensured that I didn’t do what many do which is surf the internet looking for information. I was given some great advice against doing this (and risk scaring myself completely), rather I used the Cancer Research UK site which is excellent. Telling my family, friends and colleagues wasn’t easy, especially given there is no history of cancer in my family and that up to this point I had been so healthy and active. Learning to slow down, and accept help was tricky for me. Over time I gradually went through my treatment plan, determined to be positive, and to gently improve my health again.

I found the radiotherapy exhausting. I stayed at work though (every morning in the office, every afternoon at hospital, sharing the sisterhood which developed with fellow patients – they were all women in my cohort but of course men can also suffer from breast cancer too). I would sit and share thoughts knowing that some of these amazing women might not get through their treatment plan and found this very humbling and moving. Without a doubt it has made me stronger and more determined as a Chief to proactively promote the importance of wellbeing and caring for one another. The support I had from my Force at the time was absolutely outstanding, particularly given I was an Assistant Chief at the time and I was determined to do my job (even though I couldn’t really do all of it at the time). Staying at work was important for me and I was lucky to be physically able to do it. I fully appreciate that this is often not the case for some of our colleagues who need our support whilst away from work.

It took me a very long time to get back to a degree of being fit and well again. I am not the woman that I was though. The tamoxifen experience was dreadful and I won’t elaborate on that suffice to say my consultant signed me off from needing it after just over two years. I also have some problems from time to time with my left arm following the removal of some lymph nodes, and I also had a follow up procedure to minimise the risk of cancer of the womb. It has made me even more resilient, very appreciative of others, and every morning I wake up grateful that I am here to carry on living a (now) cancer-free life helping others.

I have no doubt that keeping a positive mindset certainly helped me, and also that I had been so fit and active before, meant that my recovery time was better than it might have been. I did seek counselling as part of my treatment, and I have to say this significantly helped me deal with my emotions and the anxiety of ‘cancer returning’. I was aware that I needed to care for both my physical and mental wellbeing. I also haven’t been afraid of seeking help and the power of sharing can be very beneficial. Although it is now eight years since my diagnosis, I live with the ghost of cancer every day, and am constantly smiling that I learned so much from the experience, and that I am still here today (and leading our incredible West Yorkshire Police).

I hope that by sharing some of my story, it helps to support someone else – even if in a small way.

This blog has been reproduced courtesy of the West Yorkshire Police Disability Association

Reasons to become Disability Confident

In the private sector, it is the norm for employers to create a diverse workplace providing opportunities for everyone to reach their full potential. Yet in the police service and other public sector agencies, when it comes to disability employment, many senior managers haven’t yet realised the organisational benefits that can result from creating such an all-inclusive environment.

18% of the UK’s working age population are disabled – that’s a staggering seven million people. They provide a fabulous talent group full of hard-earned life skills.

Not many people are aware that only 20% of disabled people are born with or develop a disability at an early age. The remaining 80% acquire their difference while they are working, and this places a lot of emphasis on employers to make reasonable adjustments and to consider the needs of their employees. With an ageing population and ever increasing retirement ages there is undoubtedly going to be an increase in health issues. The good news is that the police service has already started to recognise this trend, and we have seen a number of well-being initiatives launched across the UK over the past few years. Keeping people well at work makes good business sense, and that includes providing workplace adjustments for disabled staff. Introducing a healthy workplace environment will encourage loyalty from skilled staff that might otherwise consider leaving the service or transferring to a more understanding Force. Improving well-being will also lead to a reduction in sickness absences.

Our partners in the private sector have shown that employing disabled people can have a really positive impact on the culture and sense of engagement within teams, too. Built-in inclusivity in the company culture can eliminate disability discrimination as difference becomes unnoticed and the norm in the team. There is a lot that the police service can learn from successful businesses: for example, why do we move restricted officers and staff to another role when they become injured or disabled? Why not provide reasonable adjustments to allow them to continue in role doing the job that they very often love? Yes, there are sometimes good reasons why people cannot continue in role, but in many cases the adjustments are not available because of rigid policies or personal views of senior managers. It’s time to think again about resilience, deployment and why only certain people can do things: why historically is it only detectives that are tasked with collecting CCTV evidence and interviewing witnesses after a major incident? Why can’t you be a public order trained officer if you have a prosthetic hand? And why turn down a disabled officer for a position on the robbery squad? These are all cases that we have resolved amicably, but there is a need for much wider consideration of disability within policing.

We need to start by embedding inclusivity in policing culture in the same way that we have done for race, gender and sexuality in the past. Everyone in the police service at all levels needs to “get it” – not just the HR managers and senior ranks – everyone at every level in the organisation. Every manager should be having constructive conversations with their disabled team members about their personal needs; when they do, they will quickly realise that employees with difference can – and want to – do a great deal more than the manager may have assumed. Reasonable adjustments are not just about physical adaptions: flexible working and split shifts can improve productivity and health of the individual. But if practical support is required, it need not be costly to police employers. The Government’s Access To Work scheme is designed to assist disabled employees to undertake a paid role, and there is a huge variety of assistance that can be provided, from workstation adjustments through to support with taxi fares to get to work.

Our disabled colleagues have a great knowledge of their own condition, and are well placed to interact with disabled people in the community, yet we rarely involve our disability networks in local recruitment and retention initiatives, or indeed utilise their life skills to interact with disabled victims of crime. There are great opportunities to improve the service provided to the public if we listen to and involve our own disabled community.

Sadly, in the police service it is standard practice for non-disabled people to make decisions around what is best for disabled people. Think about it: would senior police leaders introduce initiatives aimed at supporting BME officers and staff without consulting and engaging with the BME support networks in the service? Absolutely not – they would have been seeking their counsel and involvement from the outset. But with disability, it’s a different story. In the last 12 months a number of mental health initiatives have been launched aimed at supporting officers and staff in the Service; the first notification that the Disabled Police Association got was when the initiatives were launched. That’s not a moan, but it is an observation about where disability is in policing.

There are some really positive opportunities in policing that, if implemented, will mandate disability inclusion within the Service:

Forces should sign up to the Government-led Disability Confident scheme that requires evidence of action taken to support disabled employees and service users. It is an organisational-wide exercise that, if taken seriously, will support a change in culture.
The College of Policing should implement mandatory disability awareness programmes that can be escalated to everyone in the business of policing, irrespective of rank or position within the Service.
There needs to be a step-change in attitudes towards disability within the police service, and that must be driven by our senior leaders working with disabled people.

If we extend this more widely, those senior leaders must start to think more deeply about disabled people in the community that we serve. By implementing cost-cutting exercises for the public good, are they in real terms alienating some of the most vulnerable people in society? Closing a police station may be a good way of saving money in the short term, but what effect on those people who for reasons of difference cannot drive or communicate other than in person? I’m not suggesting that we should never close police stations, but we need to ensure that whatever public contact is designed to replace that community focal point is fit for purpose. Estates and facilities project managers should carefully consider the allocation of office space, especially where a member of staff has a disability. A recent departmental relocation in a provincial Force placed a wheelchair user at risk of redundancy because their new office was on the second floor without a lift. Yes, an alternative workplace was offered, but what was the real effect on that individual – how did they feel being separated from their colleagues? Positive thinking and advanced consideration of the needs of workforce can prevent such situations occurring in the first place.

If we take accessibility for disabled people to policing services seriously, we ought to consider carefully how we provide engagement opportunities. Many people think that disabled access means providing a ramp and wider doors, but we might also want to consider non-visible disabilities – for example, providing quiet rooms where people with neurodiverse differences can feel more comfortable communicating with the police. If these facilities cannot realistically be provided in an older building, we ought to consider taking our services to the places where they do feel comfortable – which could be at their home or in a welcoming environment shared with a partner agency.

The main point to consider is that everyone is an individual, and when it comes to disability there is no “one size fits all”. But what we absolutely must ensure is that disabled people have a say in what happens to disabled people, irrespective of whether they are service users or employees. Historically, the police service has become much better at engaging with many different groups, but most of them have highlighted that we are missing a big link in failing to engage with those minority groups working as part of the police service. Independent advisory groups are regularly used to assess police contact with minority groups, but it is surprising to find that whilst we are often very considerate in dealing with disabled service users, we are not so good at supporting our own disabled workforce.

In the same way that the private sector recognises the immense spending power of disabled people (an estimated £249 billion in 2016), the police service needs to recognise that it too needs to provide a good service to disabled people. That may mean making reasonable adjustments to make our services more accessible to a much wider group of disabled people – and remember, not all disabilities are visible!

How do we achieve Disability Confidence? How does a police force achieve the right to display the sought after Disability Confident logo? The first port of call is the Government’s own Disability Confident website.

There are many other sources of information but one of the best places to start is with organisations that support disabled people, such as:

It is far from a tick-box exercise, and Forces would do well to engage disabled people in every stage of the assessment exercise. Disabled colleagues and disabled service users can provide immensely valuable insights of their own, and can help us to shape future service provision.

For Disability Confident to have any real impact on the police service, any improvements need to be truly authentic and well-evidenced. The programme has huge potential to make an amazing difference to disabled people interacting with the police in all sorts of ways, but it does need strategic buy-in from national police leaders and those driving police change locally.

Yes, there will be some logistical challenges around making accessibility adjustments for disabled customers or in recruiting and retaining disabled people, but there is a great deal that we can learn from our partners in the private sector who have already travelled that journey.

Yes, there is a fear amongst some managers that they may have no idea how to start to improve the disability agenda in their own organisation, but there is advice and guidance out there, both from the Government and disabled people themselves!

Disability Confident is a an exciting programme that, if implemented correctly, has the potential to achieve a step-change improvement in the relationship between the police service and disability.

Robert Gurney
President, Disabled Police Association