PCSO sickness a ‘problem area’ in Sussex

The civilian staff, who do not have the power of arrest, are now being targeted by Sussex Police managers to try to improve attendance.

Staff representatives say PCSOs may be suffering more because of a punishing work rota.

Among officers, days lost due to illness fell from 9.8 a year on average in 2005/06 to 7.37 on average in 2010/11, while overall staff sickness rates fell from 10.33 to nine in the same period.

By contrast, PCSO absences fell only from 11.91 to 10.30 days a year.

The report said the PCSO sick rate in Sussex was not believed to be higher than other forces but remained a “problem area”.

About half of overall sickness is short-term – less than 28 days – and about half is longer-term.

The force is recommending a countywide project to reduce absences among PCSOs after successfully slashing the number of sick days taken overall in East Sussex.

Andy Stenning, of police staff union Unison, said the variable shifts PCSOs work involve late hours followed by early mornings and could be putting them under extra strain.

He said: “It causes a good deal of stress and I think that’s coming out in sickness.

“It’s not conducive to maintaining your body in a good deal of health. It hurts you in one way or another.”

In July 2009 police officers voted to scrap a shift pattern which had been blamed for dozens of their number leaving the force.

Sussex Police Authority is today considering giving new powers to PCSOs, including the right to detain people for up to half an hour until officers arrive.

A spokeswoman for Sussex Police said rotas would be looked at as part of that work.

She said: “We have proposed to set up a g roup that will look at this and believe that the reasons for relatively high sickness rates will be addressed and resolved in the neighbourhood policing review with changes to PCSO powers, new roles created within neighbourhood policing teams and looking to more closely align officer and PCSO shift patterns.”