Banter training ‘to help police decide what is acceptable’

THE police force has given its employees the chance to have “banter training”.

The force brought in an external company to help employees understand what is acceptable, and what is not, in comments made in person and online.

Although the training is voluntary, the force said it was vital after employees questioned what was appropriate.

External company Inclusive Employers delivered the training. It was paid £462.50 for a half-day workshop.

It offers a workshop called Banter – balancing wit and wisdom, which aims to guide delegates “along the fine line between fun, stressreducing, morale-raising workplace communication and a harmful, debilitating and persistent verbal barrage”.

Lynne Woodward, of the police’s diversity and inclusion unit, said: “The force places a great deal of emphasis on upholding professional standards and the code of ethics in the workplace.

“We celebrate the fact we have a hugely diverse workforce where people have differing opinions and views and this is something that everyone needs to be mindful of.

“This voluntary session aims to provide our officers and staff with the opportunity to have a practical discussion about how comments made, either in conversation or online, can be interpreted by others.”

“We recognise the workplace should be a sociable environment and this training is not about constraining and restricting conversations among colleagues.”

A year ago, eight police officers were found to have posted “offensive or discriminatory” messages on a Whatsapp group that had been started in 2013 on their private mobile phones. In a police mis- conduct hearing, a barrister said the officers had considered the messages to be “banter”.

However, four of the officers were found guilty of gross misconduct and sacked on the spot.

The other four officers, who were found guilty of misconduct, were all given a final written warning.

Very little detail of the content of the messages was made public.