Family network

Families have told us that they want to feel part of the police family, but that they also want to be connected with other police families and feel less isolated. 

In our research, police families spoke of the validation and support they felt from speaking and hearing from other police family members within focus groups and said they would like to see something similar replicated on a more regular basis, by their family member’s police organisation. Similarly, three quarters of survey respondents stated that they either might or would be interested in networking with other police families. 

Due to the disparate nature of the police families’ community, geographical spread, and those police family life challenges, connecting families can be difficult. 

Further work is being conducted to understand and develop online spaces that are safe for police families to connect (Police Families Support Networks), with a view to producing a detailed roadmap for police organisations to connect their families.

Tips to prepare for implementation

Check out the tips below for helping families feel more connected to the police.

Reaching families

  • Identify your ‘touchpoints’ with your families i.e. attestation, awards, family days – see separate sections.
  • Understand who your families are and how they would like you to communicate with them.
  • Establish a channel of communication i.e. a quarterly families specific newsletter – emailed direct to families (if they opt in!) or posted. You may need to go through officers and staff initially – but in our research, families wanted to be contacted directly, and not through their officer or staff family members.
  • For newsletter inspiration, find out more here.

Communication

  • Keep families updated and ‘in the loop’ with what is going on in policing, within the organisation, and particularly with things that affect their loved ones and themselves. I.e., point them to the new Families Hub on the Oscar Kilo website, or a change to maternity and paternity policy.
  • Develop a relationship with your families i.e. acknowledge families and the work they do in supporting officers and staff and the wider service (consider the OK families thank you toolkit) whilst often managing their own busy careers and responsibilities.
  • Consider more regular opportunities at team and divisional level, to celebrate families and to bring them together – and consider different demographics – partners, children, mums and dads (Grandparents) they all have a part to play, but all have different experiences.
  • Be public in your recognition of your families (organisation specific) i.e. social media feeds, web pages. Make them proud of the invaluable contribution they make and listen to their concerns.
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