The ‘Everyone Pause’ survey has been launched to mark World Menopause Day
Cambridgeshire Police Federation chair Liz Groom is urging all officers to take part in the Federation’s second menopause survey to help improve understanding and support.
The ‘EveryonePause’ survey is being launched today (Wednesday 18 October) to coincide with World Menopause Day.
“I would urge all officers to take part in this survey. If you are a woman experiencing the menopause, you could give valuable insight into how you are coping with this while working in policing but perhaps you are working alongside or living with someone who is having menopausal symptoms and you could share your experiences of that. Either way, the more people who take part in this survey, the better the findings will be,” says Liz.
“It is really important for everyone to have their say so that the Federation can get an accurate take on this issue and how it is affecting the whole workforce. It can then help shape future policy within policing.”
The survey is a joint project being conducted by researchers at the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW), and on behalf of PFEW, UNISON, the Police Superintendents’ Association, the National Police Chiefs’ Council, the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the Civil Nuclear Constabulary.
The Federation is hoping to build on the success of its first menopause survey, which was carried out five years ago and was used to help develop National Menopause Guidance which is in place across all forces.
National Federation women’s lead Hayley Aley, who is taking the lead with the survey, explained: “Across the Federation, women representatives have reported that there is improvement since the first survey findings and the progress forces have made to support officers and staff are welcomed. However, the picture varies from force to force and we now want to see what still needs to be done to support all at this difficult time in their lives.”
She added: “To support organisations in realising the scope and scale of issues around the menopause, we are asking officers, staff and line managers for their support with this survey. It’s not solely about personal experiences, we also want to understand the awareness of line managers and senior leaders around this subject and what training is in place. It is anticipated that the findings of the second survey will help with the education, standardisation, understanding and right support for all.
“Senior leaders have a responsibility for the welfare and wellbeing of their workforce, and to support individuals appropriately when they need it. The purpose of this survey is to give us the evidence we can provide to leaders to action what needs to change, to praise those that are getting it right, to share some good practice and to ensure forces provide the right support and guidance to all.”
The survey goes live today and will remain open for six weeks.
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