The PSA represents superintendents and chief superintendents in 49 police forces – the 43 Home Office forces, British Transport Police, Civil Nuclear Constabulary, Isle of Man Constabulary, the Bermuda Police Service, the Royal Gibraltar Police and the Gibraltar Defence Police. There are also proxy branches for members seconded to HMICFRS and the College of Policing.

The branches are grouped together into five districts, A-E (see below). These represent largely geographic areas but are configured to ensure a mixture of large metropolitan forces and smaller forces within each district.

Branch officials, elected by their peers, are the voting members who attend district meetings. The number of delegates who attend from each branch is in proportion to the number of members within the branch as prescribed by the Association’s Rules.

District meetings are held three times a year, hosted by different branches in turn on a rota basis. National officers attend each district meeting.

Delegates at the district elect a chair, vice chair, secretary, assistant secretary and treasurer and then nominate two representatives from that number to attend meetings of the Association’s policy-making forum, the National Executive Committee (NEC).

The NEC consists of the district representatives, plus the president, vice president/president elect plus five reserved place members representing gender issues, BAME, LGBT+, disability and Welsh members. The non-voting members are the national secretary and assistant secretary.  The NEC meets five times a year.

Branch officials are encouraged to bring issues from their local level to the attention of colleagues at the district and, where appropriate, district representatives will take matters to the NEC for a policy decision.

The president, vice president/president elect and national secretary posts are full-time, based at home. They are elected to their posts. The assistant secretary is a full-time appointment and is based at National Office in Pangbourne.

The other team members at Pangbourne are the PA to the Presidential Team, PA to the National Secretariat and the finance officer.

The professional standards co-ordinator and media and communications adviser work from home.