The Recruitment and Retention of Special Constables: A Case Study

The following case study provides an overview of the challenges surrounding the recruitment and retention of Special Constables (SC) for the 43 police forces in England and Wales and proposes a set of recommendations for organisations to follow in order to maximise volunteer numbers and minimise attrition rates.

Fundamentally, the challenges surrounding the recruitment and retention of SCs can be seen as early as the application and assessment stages of the joining process, where inconsistencies in the quality and accessibility of information from force to force, acts as a barrier to entry. Furthermore, a number of reported challenges such as significant time delays, poor communication from recruiting forces and limited support mechanisms are impacting applicant experience, potentially causing candidates to reconsider their decision to join.

Further still, the early experiences of Special Constables, from recruitment to first operational deployment, plays a significant part in potentially determining the longevity and commitment to the role, with factors such as negative relationships between Specials and regulars often seen as a common demoralising theme.

Focusing specifically on the following HMICFRS (2023b) PEEL inspection framework Question 9 - How good is the force at building, developing, and supporting its workforce and encouraging an ethical, lawful, and inclusive workplace? - this case study primarily explores the impact to Special Constable candidates during the recruitment process but also considers how challenging working relationships and personal experiences may also damage volunteer officer retention levels. In particular, the PEEL 2023-25 cycle places a greater onus on inspecting, “…how forces are ensuring those newly recruited into the organisation are retained and how they develop into front-line leaders” (HMICFRS, 2023b: pg1) which can clearly be applied to both Special Constables as well as regular officers.

Lastly, a set of simple and achievable recommendations including more support during the recruitment process, more timely updates from recruiting teams, a culture of respect and acceptance, greater use of conversations with potential leavers, plus the recognition of the value that Special Constables bring to the workforce will be detailed. By embracing these recommendations, police forces should help their respective organisations achieve the outstanding classifications they strive to meet as detailed in the HMICFRS judgement criteria.