Stuck in the Mud

Back in July of 2008 - we reported "After a very significant delay, a claim of Sex Discrimination against Strathclyde Police continued yesterday (14th July 2008)".

Well, sadly, we were unable to report such progress in July 2009 - nor even now as we enter September 2009 with signs of the first leaves of Autumn.

Of course, beyond July 2008, the newspapers and online legal websites reported that the Tribunal had granted Robin Dixon the right to join Graeme McCullie in having all the facts of his case against Strathclyde Police heard in a full Tribunal hearing. Since then, very little has happened.

There were expectations that these cases would be completed by July of this year and this expectation was being reported back to AbsolutelyPC from within Police forces in other parts of Scotland.

The fact is that no date has yet been set for a full Tribunal hearing. That means it is likely that the Autumn leaves will not only have fallen by the time a hearing takes place, they will also all have been swept up.

We read today of a group of elderly people who were delayed when visiting a special performance of the Tattoo at Dumfries House recently - because a Strathclyde Police horse box had become stuck in the mud. The Tribunal's a bit like that too. I guess that's what we've come to expect from Strathclyde's Finest !

Colour Vision and South Yorkshire Police

Colour Vision Defects
Reference number: 20080511
Request date: 28 November 2008
Response date: 21 January 2009

Request details:

1. Has South Yorkshire Police service complied with Home Office Circular 25/2003 in respect of applicants to become a police officer with a colour vision defect.

2. If yes, do you accept recruits with (a) mild, (b) moderate and (C) severe colour vision defect.

3. If no, what standard do you apply for applicants to become police officers.

4. Please indicate the number of male and female officers who have been appointed by you since 2003 who have been identified as having colour vision defect.

5. What 'coping strategies' (Home Office Circular 25/2003) have you incorporated into your training/operational policies for officers who have been identified as having a severe colour vision defect.

Exemptions Applied: NONE

SYP response:

1- Has South Yorkshire Police service complied with Home Office Circular 25/2003 in respect of applicants to become a police officer with a colour vision defect.
South Yorkshire Police have complied with the Home Office Circular 25/2003 in respect of applicants becoming a police officer with a colour vision defect.

2- If yes, do you accept recruits with (a) mild, (b) moderate and (C) severe colour vision defect.
Please find attached a copy of the South Yorkshire Police Eye Sight form which outlines the levels of defect that are accepted.

3- If no, what standard do you apply for applicants to become police officers.
Not Applicable.

4- Please indicate the number of male and female officers who have been appointed by you since 2003 who have been identified as having colour vision defect.
South Yorkshire Police do not collate any statistics with regard to the numbers of colour defects, regardless of the type of deficiency.

5- What 'coping strategies' (Home Office Circular 25/2003) have you incorporated into your training/operational policies for officers who have been identified as having a severe colour vision defect.
South Yorkshire Police have no specific "coping strategy" in relation to this, Reasonable adjustments would be made on a case by case basis, dependent upon the level of defect in line with the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 2005 [1]. Please find attached a copy of the South Yorkshire Police policy [2] and procedural instruction [3] for Managing Disability which would give guidance in such cases.

Please note – This policy and subsequent procedural instruction is currently under review.

I hope the information we have provided is of help to your enquiries and I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in South Yorkshire Police.

Source URL: http://www.southyorks.police.uk/foi/disclosurelog/20080511

Links:
[1] http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2005/ukpga_20050013_en_1
[2] http://www.southyorks.police.uk/sites/default/files/20080511 - Policy - Managing Disability.pdf
[3] http://www.southyorks.police.uk/sites/default/files/20080511 - Procedural Instruction - Managing Disability.pdf

Contacting Absolutely PC

It has come to our attention that the e-mail contact information for AbsolutelyPC has become immersed somewhere in the site and almost impossible to find - so, our apologies to those who have been trying to contact us.

We have now added contact information to the sidebar, not just e-mail but telephone and fax as well.

The telephone service will take you to a recorded answering service - please do leave a message with your contact details and we'll endeavour to get back to you asap.

best regards

AbsolutelyPC

Strathclyde Police and National Fitness Standard for the Scottish Police Service

The following article is extracted from
http://hf911.cn/index.php?article/health/2009-01-28/13316.html

Strathclyde Police requires all new recruits to meet the new National Fitness Standard for the Scottish Police Service.

From 1st September 2007, all new applicants and recruits to the Scottish Police Service have been required to undertake the new national fitness standard as a demonstration of physical fitness.

The new standard replaces the variety of fitness testing regimes utilised by the eight Scottish Forces to date. In addition, it links into the fitness regime used by the Scottish Police College during both the Initial Training and Reconvention probationary courses.Once appointed, probationary officers will be expected to continue to demonstrate their fitness to the required levels throughout their probationary period.

Strathclyde Police appear willing to agree to this common standard yet have unilaterally rejected the common standards set down for colour vision by the Scottish Ministers, and approved by the same stakeholder bodies who will have agreed the new fitness standards, including ACPOS.

Throughout Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom, potential police recruits know precisely how their colour vision fits with the acceptable standards for being a police officer.

Only in the area policed by Strathclyde are they given the message "you are not wanted".

• Colour vision defects are no longer a bar to entry. However severe colour vision deficiencies (monochromats) are not acceptable [Devon and Cornwall]
• The use of colour correcting lenses and sever colour vision deficiencies (monochromats) are unacceptable.Severe anomalous dichromats or trichomats are acceptable. [Cheshire]
• Severe colour vision deficiencies (monochromats) are not acceptable. Anomalous trichromats are acceptable. Severe anomalous trichromats or dichromats are also acceptable but you will need to be aware of the deficiency and make appropriate adjustments. [Northamptonshire]
• Severe colour vision deficiencies (monochromats) are not acceptable. Mild anomalous trichromats are acceptable. Severe anomalous dichromats or trichromats are also acceptable but you will need to be aware of the deficiency and make appropriate adjustments. [Northumbria]
• Click here for information on the Standards for Scottish police forces

Colour Vision and Cheshire Police

Cheshire Police and Colour Vision
Freedom of Information Disclosure

from Cheshire Police - Freedom of Information: Disclosure Logs - 2008

Severe Colour Vision Defect

Request "Severe Colour Vision Defect"

1. Has Cheshire Constabulary complied with Home Office Circular 25/2003 in respect of applicants to become a police officer with a Colour Vision Defect?

2. If yes, do you accept recruits with (a) mild, (b) moderate and (c) severe Colour Vision Defect?

3. If no, what standard do you apply for applicants to become police officers?

4. Please indicate the number of male and female officers who have been appointed by you since 2003 who have been identified as having a Colour Vision Defect.

5. What 'coping strategies' (Home Office 25/2003) have you incorporated into your training/operational policies for officers who have been identified as having a Severe Colour Vision Defect?


Response 17th December 2008
In accordance with section 1(1) (b) of the Act our response is provided below;

Question 1. Yes, Cheshire Constabulary complies with the afore mentioned circular.

Question 2. Each applicant is assessed by the provider of our medical services. Applicants are assessed individually and we cannot specify any further than this.

Question 3. As stated in question one,

Question 4. We do not hold this information. (held by the medical services provider)

Question 5. Each applicant is individually assessed by the medical services provider and with each one a series of 'Coping Strategies' and reasonable adjustments are put in place, which are unique to the applicant.

Strathclyde Continues Discriminating

Dateline - October 2008

Strathclyde Police continue to discriminate against men who are diagnosed as having moderate colour vision deficiency.

Why is this discrimination? Because

1. according to the Medical Advisors to the Scottish Police Service (MASPS) "Full colour vision is not a requirement of the role of an Operational Police Constable" and
2. according to the Scottish Ministers "Severe anomalous trichromats and dichromats are acceptable" for recruitment into the Scottish Police Service.

Dave thought he was on the way to becoming an officer with the Strathclyde police, having successfully reached the final interview stage.

Dave had been told by his optician that he had mild colour vision abnormaily but an examination at Caledonian University classed him as moderate deutanomalous trichromat - broadly meaning he would have difficulty in determining shades of green.

Wondering what this might mean to his chances of becoming a police officer, he asked others for advice. "Don't worry" was the reply he received - "red/Green is fine mate. Try not to worry! Been there before as you know and you'll be fine!!!" - "I have red green and passed. sometimes you have to be aware of the limitations and may not be able to be in FSU, but other than that you will be fine!"

And when Dave read the information available on the Scottish Government website and the PoliceCouldYou website they both said the same - "acceptable".

But Dave's hopes of serving in his local police force were dashed when he received a letter of rejection about a month later.

Initially devastated, Dave made enquiries of other forces, to be told that he would be acceptable as per the Regulations. Dave is now considering applying to another force, even though they are not his local force, and said "I just hope one day Strathclyde Police fall into line with the Scottish Minister's, the Home Office, the Police Federation (Scotland) and MASPS (Medical Advisers to the Scottish Police Service) as well as the rest of the forces up and down the country."

While Strathclyde Police continue to to arogantly defy the law of the land, at the same time two Discrimination cases continue their way through the Employment Tribunal in Glasgow. Perhaps sometime soon the courts will force Strathclyde Police to have some respect for the law.

Case "could set a precedent"

From the Freeth Cartwright Employment Review September 2008

Pre Employment Discrimination

A graduate who had his initial application for the Strathclyde Police turned down due to his colour blindness has successfully won the right to a tribunal hearing on the grounds of sex discrimination.

Robin Dixon, 26 of East Kilbride, who lost his initial claim of disability discrimination, joins Graeme McCullie 29, whose application to Strathclyde Police was also turned down due to his colour-blindness, in bringing a claim of indirect sex discrimination as men are more prone to suffer from colour-blindness than women.

Chief Inspector Douglas Campbell told Mr Dixon’s previous tribunal that Mr Dixon would have made a good police constable but his application would not be progressed, as there were concerns about his own health and safety, the safety of other officers and the general public. His mother Marie Dixon, from East Kilbride, said: “There is something very wrong here when the force rejects candidates despite the evidence.

His condition means that he only has problems differentiating between shades of green. He is distraught that he has not been accepted after being suitable in every other way.”

Although this case has not yet been heard, it is predicted it could set a precedent for claims against employers who refuse applications on the basis of colour blindness or other such medical condition.

It is best practice for employers not to adopt such a blanket refusal of job applicants based on a medical condition but to assess each individual applicant on their own merits to avoid any claims for disability and/or sex discrimination. This can be done, depending on the condition, by referral to an occupational therapist or an assessment by a GP.