Police Scotland to open voluntary redundancy scheme to civilian staff

Police Scotland has launched a voluntary redundancy scheme for civilian staff in a bid to save money.

Staff seeking either voluntary redundancy or voluntary early retirement will be able to apply from 8 January until 9 February.

It comes after the force warned that 3,000 officer and staff jobs were at risk without further investment from the Scottish government.

The force said it was under pressure following its budget settlement.

The Scottish government said policing was a priority and its funding had been increased to £1.45bn in 2023-24.

However Finance Secretary Shona Robison has warned Scotland's public sector workforce would have to shrink. ahead of the Scottish budget next month.

Unison has objected to the voluntary redundancy scheme, warning similar action a decade ago forced police officers to fill the roles vacated by civilian staff.

The union described the voluntary redundancy scheme as "short-sighted" and would "leave gaps in frontline policing".

The scheme was approved at the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) board last week and will be open to staff with at least two years' continuous service.

Some exemptions were made "to ensure the continued operational effectiveness" and staff were told that not all applications would be accepted.

Exemptions included staff working in call centres, control rooms and custody suites, described by Unison as "critical roles", and staff in the SPA cannot apply.

Formal statutory consultation with trade unions is under way and senior leaders have been briefed.

The force has warned that without an additional £128m, officer numbers could drop by almost 1,500 and it may move to a "reduced attendance model" nationwide.

Police and staff were given a 7% pay award this year, and Chief Constable Jo Farrell told the SPA board meeting that voluntary redundancies would be sought.

An internal memo said: "In the coming weeks and prior to Christmas we will launch a dedicated VR/VER intranet mini-site which will provide detail in relation to the scheme terms, eligibility, application process and an initial suite of FAQs.

"Similarly, a toolkit will be shared with those who line-manage police staff so that they can effectively support staff in their teams who are interested."

A Police Scotland spokesman said the force had been "very clear" about the pressures on policing because of this year's budget settlement.

He said: "These pressures have led to a reduction in police officer numbers to around 16,600 and we are building a service model which reflects that level.

"At the same time, we are reducing police staff numbers proportionately to the reduction in officer numbers and returning overtime costs to normal levels.

"Our commitment to no compulsory redundancies remains in place."

Unison Scotland regional organiser Deborah Clarke said Police Scotland was repeating "the same mistake as many other public sector organisations by axing staff to fix a cash crisis".

She said: "Unison has tried to work with the force to suggest other ways to make savings, but that advice has been ignored."

Scottish Conservative shadow justice secretary Russell Findlay MSP said: "Sadly, this is the inevitable consequence of SNP ministers ignoring Police Scotland's repeated warnings about the impact of their funding cuts.

"Police numbers are around their lowest level for 15 years and, predictably, crime rates are rising.

"The SNP must reverse their brutal underfunding of Police Scotland and provide the resources needed to keep our streets safe."

The Scottish government said Scotland has more police officers per capita than England and Wales.

A spokesperson added: "The deputy first minister said that the UK government's autumn statement delivered the 'worst case scenario' for Scotland's finances.

"Ministers are assessing the full implications of that statement as they develop a budget that meets the needs of the people of Scotland, in line with our missions of equality, community and opportunity."