Dear Members,
The NEC have recently made some important changes to your member legal provisions. These changes became effective on 1 July 2023 and have been driven by:
1. The need to provide you (and your reps) with an ever-improved member service by making best use of your subscriptions without the need for increases.
2. Reputational risk in continuing to provide support for some criminal behaviour.
Many of the more niche cover options were rarely utilised and continued to contribute to escalating charges in using an insured product. Our legal provisions from 1 July will now be far more focused on:
• Employment Law
• IOPC/PIRC/PONI
• Criminal Law assistance for matters which arise out of NCA employment.
• Well used important member services
It is for these reasons that the NEC took the decision to step away from our former provider to focus on NCOA members lawfully carrying out their legitimate NCA duties. This will see us remove the existing requirement for you to navigate via a ‘middle’ broker to engage with lawyers, instead you will have contact with experienced lawyers either direct or via NCOA Workplace Representatives, dependent on circumstances.
Member Services
From the outset, it was necessary to ensure very well used ancillary services such as GP24, Motor Breakdown and Health Assured would remain unaffected … there are no changes to these important member benefits.
Employment Law
Our next priority was to retain the services of our bespoke employment lawyers at JFH. Since negotiating JFH to be ARC panel lawyers, the service to members has improved immeasurably together with an enviable success rate.
JFH will be there to provide bespoke, targeted assistance to members on all matters concerning
➢ Workplace grievances
➢ Discrimination
➢ Disciplinary hearings & appeals against outcomes
➢ Settlement and ACAS procedures
➢ Class actions against the employer
JFH will also be there to provide you with a one-hour advice meeting to assist members with internal HR and employment law matters, including pre-appeals against disciplinary panel outcomes, merits, and proportionality assessments.
If matters progress with merits, the NCOA will continue to fund JFH, on your behalf, to provide Employment Tribunal representation and throughout the entire process.
Criminal Law
Given the obvious disbelief we have all felt following some notable recent convictions of police officers, your NEC has decided to act and revise its member cover. Moving forward, the NCOA will only provide legal support for Criminal matters where assistance and representation is sought when criminal investigations arise out of any members’ employment with the NCA. ‘Off duty’ criminal offences will no longer be covered by this trade union.
It is, however, imperative that members have confidence in the knowledge that on duty/duty related allegations and IOPC (PONI/PIRC) investigations will continue to receive the full funding and support of the NCOA. This includes Post Incident Procedures you may become involved … including as a witness.
* If any member has an ongoing, NCOA supported action, that this will continue to be maintained until its conclusion. *
Your Reps will all have received updated guidance on the new provisions and will be able to assist you with any questions you have. Additionally, full details of your new ‘member focused’ cover will be available online at www.ncoa.org.uk or by contacting our office at membership@ncoa.org.uk 01925 214360 from 01/07/2023. The new 2023 booklet can be viewed at www.ncoa.org.uk/membership/
Simon Bashford