Employer Supported Policing

Employer Supported Policing (ESP) is a national scheme owned by the home office. It is a partnership benefitting employers, their staff and the police service by releasing special constables and police support volunteers to volunteer in the communities they serve.

Employers are asked to consider releasing their staff that are special constables or police support volunteers by giving them paid time off to undertake their volunteer police duties or training.

Once a business agrees to give employees volunteering leave, and have completed the Employer Supported Policing registration form, they will become a Partner on the Scheme.

As well as allowing additional paid leave for employees to volunteer, organisations can also promote ESP by actively encouraging staff to volunteer in policing.

For employers

Adopting an Employer Supported Policing policy is about more than simply meeting corporate social responsibility objectives, and while this is certainly a tick in the box, there are many more benefits:

Develop an enhanced reputation and profile within local communities
Contribute to morale, wellbeing, and employee retention
Team members gain valuable transferable skills, such as confidence, assertiveness, effective communication, teamwork and more
Gain a level of staff development that cannot be bought commercially
Provides positive marketing opportunities

Businesses have the flexibility to manage their own ESP policies, with no minimum commitment for the number of days offered, or timing of ESP days, which can be managed at the business’s discretion.

If your organisation is interested in becoming ESP registered, please get in touch with our team ESP@thamesvalley.police.uk

"We’re pleased that by embracing Employer Supported Policing we are able to support our colleagues that wish to contribute toward protecting their communities by volunteering with the police.

The advantages to the communities are clear, and by offering our team opportunities to acquire unique experiences, the skills and competencies they develop will undoubtedly strengthen us as an organisation."