Employer Supported Policing (ESP)

Benefits for employers

Being part of an Employer Supported Policing (ESP) scheme can benefit your business in a number of ways.

ESP is all about:

• having an active, powerful and innovative way for businesses, public sector organisations and the police to work proactively together
• police-trained (and empowered) staff working on your premises, doing their usual ‘day job’ when not on duty with the Met with the benefit of extensive experience and skills – reassurance and a real presence
• staff improving how they assess difficult situations, which arise in their ‘day jobs’ through their legal training and practical experience
• an increased, dedicated police presence in areas local or relevant to your organisation or industry, with experienced officers patrolling alongside ESP-recruited ‘specials’, creating a safer environment
• an increase in the productivity of the rest of the team through a greater sense of security
• a key ‘marketable’ enhancement of Corporate Social Responsibility for any organisation
• forging enhanced links with the local police and an increase in the ability to tackle local problems with local officers
• having members of your staff who are properly briefed in respect of local crime trends

To become a special constable - volunteer police officer through the ESP scheme, your employee will need to carry out a minimum of 26 shifts per year, which works out around once every two weeks. There are different ways this can be achieved, with all employers adopting a range of approaches.

Special constables who perform at least 200 hours of duty per year (1 day per fortnight is sufficient to achieve this) are entitled to free London Tube, Bus, DLR, TfL-operated London overground and Croydon Tramlink travel, whether they are on or off duty. This could be an effective increase in income.

This offer is subject to MSC policies, which are available on request. 

Becoming a special constable offers huge benefits in terms of staff development - benefits that could not be bought commercially. Working on the street as a police officer with the public means making decisions that have an immediate impact on the people they are dealing with, so getting those decisions right is crucial. People look to police officers for direction in stressful situations and taking charge of incidents will give your staff confidence and assertiveness which they can bring to their workplace.

The whole experience will rapidly develop staff in various ways, making them more effective at work. Special constables are widely regarded by employers as being more committed, dependable, confident, and responsible in the workplace.

At the heart of the training are the seven core skills or competencies that every police officer must be proficient in:

1. Personal responsibility
2. Effective communication
3. Resilience
4. Problem solving
5. Customer focus
6. Teamwork
7. Respect for diversity

These are transferable skills, which they will be able to put to use, not only in their professional capacity but also in their personal life. For example, managing confrontational situations, leadership and personal safety.

The reward for an employee's hard work and commitment is that they should be a more highly developed and skilled member of the team. Special constables are widely regarded by employers as being more committed, dependable, confident, and responsible in the workplace.

Our commitment to you

We will provide your staff with comprehensive training and the skills necessary for them to become competent special constable police officers. Many of the skills they will develop are transferable and can be used equally well in the workplace.

This training is provided at no additional cost to the employer so there's no financial deterrent to employers in allowing their staff to build new skills and confidence.

How to get involved

As an employer, your involvement is vitally important to the success of ESP for your organisation and staff, and the police and public.

We are keen that you are made fully aware of the ESP programme and all the benefits it can bring. This website should give enough information to allow you to make the decision to allow staff to take part, but please do email or call if you have any further questions.

Training

There are three ways in which your staff can get their training:

• Saturday course: 13 weeks of training, with 10 weeks taking place on both Saturdays and Sundays, and three weeks taking place on Saturdays only.
• Sunday course: 13 weeks of training, with 10 weeks taking place on both Saturdays and Sundays, and three weeks taking place on Sundays only. Employers may choose to give some of this time as paid special leave. For example, they may offer the following Mondays off.
• Intensive course: 23 consecutive weekdays. You will be required to attend early and late shifts. This is the preferred option as it allows the recruit to be fully trained around five months sooner.

How to get in touch

If you're an employer considering supporting your staff in ESP, get in touch using our online form.