As senior operational leaders, dealing with the highest levels of operational responsibility and handling significant forms of threat, harm and risk, superintendents can be placed ‘at risk’ when things go wrong.
  
 Conscientious and experienced superintendents/chief superintendents can make decisions which may be questioned and which occasionally can form part of a formal investigation.

All fully-paid subscribing members of the PSA are covered by a Legal Protection Insurance (LPI), managed by Markel Insurance.  The cover is also extended to retired members and members who revert to a former rank (conditions apply).  The insurance is wholly ‘defensive’, in that it provides for legal advice and representation to defend actions arising from members’ professional liability.

Should a PSA member find themselves in need of advice or support in connection with any complaint or investigation into their role in dealing with current events they should in the first instance contact Professional Standards Co-ordinator, Kate Halpin on 07471 472541 or via email to: [email protected]. 

 

If you're unable to contact Kate, contact Assistant National Secretary Dan Murphy on 07711 922625 or [email protected].

 

In rare cases where a PSA member feels that they need urgent out of hours legal advice they should contact Markel Insurance on 0330 013 9968 (listen to the message explaining the office is closed and then push option 2 to be put through to the out of hours contact desk who will contact the on call lawyer – DAC Beachcroft Solicitors).  If you use this provision, you must also notify Kate Halpin or Dan Murphy at your earliest opportunity. 

 This out of hours service is for urgent matters such as post incident procedures following a death or serious injury, it should not be accessed for issues which are not work-related.

The PSA’s Panel of Friends is a large group of members who have the experience, training and expertise in providing a ‘friend’ to superintendents/chief superintendents who become ‘at risk’ and the subject of a formal investigation.
 
 If you are interested in becoming a 'friend', contact Kate Halpin - [email protected].