Examples of reasonable adjustments
■
■
An officer with severe dyslexia might benefit from a
computer with voice-activated software or a dictaphone to
consider whether you need to adjust working patterns or
duties;
■
consider whether you need to adjust working practices;
■
consider whether any extra equipment is needed and if help
help record incidents and complete notes.
■
An officer returning to work after a period of absence
with funding for this is available;
because of clinical depression might need extra supervision
■
in the short term.
be aware of the social environment – make sure the officer
is encouraged to become or stay involved with colleagues
These are only examples – in each case it will be important to
and is not isolated because of their disability;
balance the needs of the individual with those of the Force.
Forces should be creative and flexible so they get the best
from their staff and continue providing a quality service.
■
be aware of the provisions of the Act; and
■
be aware of where you can go for help and advice.
Practical and effective adjustments often involve little or no cost
or disruption - especially when seen as an alternative to losing
Where can I go for more information or help?
the skills and experience of officers who are still able to make a
You can find more detailed information about the DDA in the
valuable contribution.
guidance booklet ‘Disability and the Employment of Police
Officers’ to be published in the New Year.
Before making any adjustments remember to:
■
You can get information about funding for reasonable
not make assumptions about what a person with a
adjustments through ‘Access to Work’, and information about
particular disability can or can’t do;
workplace assessments from disability employment advisers
from your HR department.
■
consult the individual about their needs and their disability;
■
arrange for specialist reports and advice from medical
The following websites also have helpful advice and links.
experts, occupational health advisers and experts in
www.employers-forum.co.uk
equipment and disability such as disability employment
www.drc-gb.org.uk
advisers;
Published by the Home Office Communication Directorate December 2003.
The Police Service is Committed to Equal Opportunities.
Police and the Disability Discrimination Act
LIKE FOR LIKE
THE DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION ACT 1995 (DDA)
This information leaflet provides a brief introduction to
Chief officers will be held responsible for the actions of any of
the changes to the disability legislation that will affect
their officers who unlawfully discriminates against a disabled
the Police Service from October 2004.
colleague. If a force can show that they took all reasonable
steps to prevent officers from discriminating unlawfully the force
Who needs to read this?
may avoid liability. As a result, chief officers need to make sure
All officers, particularly those who have management
that all their officers know what the Act involves and that they
responsibility for others. This includes, tutor constables,
do not behave in a discriminatory way.
sergeants, inspectors, chief inspectors and senior
managers
Police authorities will need to be satisfied that their force is
meeting the requirements of the Act. As part of their strategic
oversight and monitoring role the authorities will need to
Why?
The Disability Discrimination Act (which already applies to
police staff) applies to all police officers (including special
regularly question chief officers about disability issues and the
actions the force is taking to make sure they keep to the
requirements of the Act.
constables) and those who apply to join the service, from
October 2004. This means that the Force as a whole and
On a day-to-day basis, managers will be responsible for
every officer is under a duty not to discriminate against
making sure that an officer with a disability working for them is
disabled colleagues in all matters relating to their
not discriminated against. The manager may also be the first
employment.
person to become aware that an officer has a disability.
Managers must understand the legislation and how it affects
What does the DDA mean?
their work. They must be confident that they know how to
Any decisions and actions you take must not be based on
make adjustments and where to go for help.
stereotypical assumptions. You must deal with any concerns
All officers should not only be aware that it is unlawful to
using proper research and on a case-by-case basis. If we are
discriminate against people who have disabilities, but also what
to avoid discriminating, we must reach and maintain a state
they should do and how they should deal with disabled
of informed awareness about disability issues.
colleagues and applicants. Some disabilities may not be
immediately obvious. Officers must be sensitive to any
What doesn’t it mean?
adjustments that may be needed to allow a colleague to fully
This does not mean standards will be lowered. It will open
perform their role.
the service to good-quality recruits who may have a disability
(as defined by the legislation) but can meet the service’s
standards. The DDA will also apply to officers who become
disabled during their careers. And, importantly, we will better
reflect the community and so serve it more effectively.
Human resources directors and their staff should make sure
that equal opportunity policies cover disability issues. Internal
policies and procedures, such as grievance or disciplinary, must
not discriminate. Reasonable adjustments may have to be
made to allow disabled officers to use the procedures effectively.
Who is a disabled person?
The DDA defines a disabled person as someone who has a
‘physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and
long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal
day-to-day activities’.
This is a complicated definition and can include people with
mobility and sensory impairments, heart conditions, diabetes,
asthma, dyslexia and some psychiatric conditions.
In some cases other people might need to know about some
of the consequences of the disability, for example, because of
What should I do if I think an officer has a disability?
the reasonable adjustments that are being made (see below).
Talk to the officer about their disability or possible disability. If
However, they do not need to know about the nature or
you think that they might have a disability that is affecting their
diagnosis of the condition relating to the disability itself.
ability to do their job, you should refer them to an occupational
health adviser for a report. The occupational health adviser
What are reasonable adjustments?
should give advice about aspects of the individual’s job which
Reasonable adjustments are changes to premises or working
are causing them particular difficulty or, in the words of the Act,
practices and policies that the Act demands, which you might
‘placing them at a substantial disadvantage’ compared to
have to make to allow a disabled officer to do their job or
people without that disability. The manager is responsible for
continue doing the job of a police officer.
making any decision about making an adjustment.
The Act only states that adjustments have to be made that are
reasonable in the circumstances for both the disabled officer
Who else needs to know about the disability?
You should not tell anyone else about the individual’s disability
unless they give you their permission. However, if an officer
tells you about their disability in an official capacity, the law
treats the Force as knowing about it. This means that the
Force has a duty to take action if this is necessary to allow the
officer to do their job as well as possible. It does this by
making what are known as ‘reasonable adjustments’.
If you think that other people need to know about the disability,
for example, the occupational health adviser or another
supervising officer, explain why to the disabled officer. You
must reassure them that this will be in confidence before you
ask for their written permission to this.
and the force as a whole. However, it may be necessary to
make reasonable adjustments to a whole range of polices and
practices including recruitment, selection, training, promotion,
career development, appraisals, transfers and sickness
absence. You might also need to make reasonable
adjustments to the premises where the individual works,
or need to buy extra equipment. In considering what is
reasonable, the cost is a relevant factor.