What can the Gay Staff Network do for you?
The Gay Staff Network is a support network for all employees of South Wales Police. Our main aim is to achieve an environment that is free from direct and indirect discrimination, harassment and victimisation in the form of homophobia, and we are trying to achieve this by:
- Working towards equal opportunities for gay, lesbian and bisexual police service employees within all aspects of the organisation
- Offering advice and support to gay, lesbian and bisexual police service employees and assisting in policy development
- Working towards better relations between the police service and the gay, lesbian and bisexual communities in South Wales
- Developing links with the national Gay Police Association
OUR AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:
The roles of the South Wales Police Gay Staff Network are diverse. Its membership structure includes operational police officers and police staff from the training department/diversity unit. The support network is recognised and supported by chief officers of South Wales Police. Furthermore, membership of the South Wales Police Gay Staff Network is not taken as an indication of a person’s sexual orientation. The group is governed by a constitution, which clearly directs its activities and responsibilities.
What the South Wales Police Gay Staff Network can do for you as an LGB police service employee:
- Provide confidential assistance and offer support.
- Provide information, options, and confidential support: for example, during the ‘coming-out’ process if required.
- Identify local colleague support where available.
- Make specific First Contact officer support available to assist resolve grievances and personal situations confidentially.
- Identify appropriate welfare or counselling agencies if required.
- Host regular local ‘drop-in’ social events to assist networking.
What South Wales Police Gay Staff Network can do for you as a non-LGB police employee:
- Offer confidential assistance and support.
- Provide information to help you support colleagues, for example during their ‘coming-out’ process.
- Offer consultation to assist you in dealing with instances of bullying involving lesbian, gay, bi-sexual or transgender colleagues as victims.
- Offer assistance to deal with welfare situations.
- Raise personal awareness of colleagues where appropriate.
- Provide consultation during operational problem solving situations.
Other roles of the South Wales Police Gay Staff Network include:
- Provides awareness training to probationers.
- Supplies delegates to represent South Wales Police at National / Regional conferences.
- Works closely with the National Gay Police Association.
- Represents South Wales Police at recruitment events (such as the Cardiff Mardi Gras)