July 2000 Volume 81 Number 7 "serving the protectors"

Determined Recovery

Dear Sir

Those who read Ken Phillips’ letter, Intensely Appreciative (Police Journal, April 2000), will grasp why I now write of the gentleman concerned, whose actions surely deserve an imperial or Australian award. I therefore wish to make the “Shirley Phillips” award for the Australian Gentleman of the Year to Mr Andy Dunn. His actions will be held dearly in my heart forever.

Following my discharge from St Andrew’s Hospital, I was conveyed to the Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre. Hampstead? It is smack-bang in the centre of Northfield.

On arriving at the centre I was greeted with: “Shirley, we know about you. You are with the Retired Police Officers Association.” Peter Grogan’s wife is a member and had greeted Ken the day before. “Ah,” I said, “this is good - special attention.” Wrong.

Bearing in mind this is a rehabilitation centre, I was duly wheeled to the ward. “This is good,” I thought, “they will do things for me.” Wrong. Medically, yes.

I was informed that I would be going to the physio department twice a day. Gentle Grumps had informed me that physiotherapists received two diplomas - one at the completion of their studies and one for their ability to apply pain. Wrong.

Now one would assume that a rehabilitation centre which has many patients in wheelchairs would be built on level ground. Wrong. I was convinced that the gradient was one foot to a yard in some areas. For the first two days I was wheeled back and forward and then the crunch came. On the third day at 8:45am the nurse said: “Shirley, don’t you have to go to the physio?” In all innocence I replied: “Yes. I am waiting for someone to take me.”

“Oh no,” I was told, “you must take yourself.” And so my rehabilitation commenced. Pulling weights, exercises and mobility tests, picking up articles from one place and putting them in another, even going with therapy girls to a kitchen to cook a meal. I didn’t realize the balance one must have in just opening a cabinet door.

For the first time I saw people walking on temporary legs. By heavens, I’ll be doing that in a couple of weeks. Wrong. With the patient guidance of the physiotherapists, the care of Dr Sen and his medical staff and nurses but with the too-frequent breakdown of my stump, the comforting and informative talks with social worker, Chris, has allowed me to progress and I now have so many wonderful people to thank. I also have a greater understanding of Ken’s letter to the editor.

Who am I? I am Shirley Phillips and I can walk.

Shirley Phillips

Ever-changing System

Andy Dunn

It was with interest that I read Trevor Haskell’s most recent article (Promotional Qualifications, Police Journal, June 2000).

I, like many others now of my vintage, have seen three changes to promotional qualifications. Talk about living in the times of changes.

When I joined back in the ‘70s, I remember a lot used to grumble then about the lopsided promotional system that relied on passing a whopper exam and then waiting to be next on the list. It’s great that things did change and, like many others, I busied myself with completing the Police Studies Certificate. Unfortunately for me, I chose to specialize and went into Technical Services Branch.

This was when I saw how lopsided the promotional system really was. Working in a specialist area meant that promotional qualifications only counted for a part of the requirement to be selected for a supervisory position. Further education in internal training programmes and TAFE certificates were a necessary part of qualification, not only for promotion but also credibility in courts.

The trouble is that now the system is set to change again and there is a lot of we senior constables qualified senior sergeants who have two chances of promotion, thanks to Focus 21, but we have to take up further study. Now that is really asking a lot of people who did not join the job knowing that their careers were dependant on continual changes to the promotional system that required continual study into the twilight of their careers.

If we really are a profession, although I really do not see that to be the case yet, surely the structure requires modelling on a better system. I believed that, before entering the job, a member should have completed a policing diploma (two years’ full-time or four years part-time). Then they sit for promotional exams based on where they are working. When they choose to leave, they leave that rank with that position. Unfortunately, those who qualified under a now discarded education system are in a quandary as to what could happen to them.

I believe these exams can mix policing functions with specialist requirements so the right person is qualified for future selection. This needs to be seriously looked at.

The job in itself is stressful enough without having to worry about four years of study to then have to qualify for an exam, pass that exam but have a time limit placed on promotion to that position. We all know that at times it can take 10 years to get a senior constable position if you are lucky.

I can see that SAPOL management wants disillusionment among those younger members so it will get its 10 years out of them and will leave in complete disgust at the lack of promotional opportunities.

They already have that in among those members with 20 and more years’ experience so here we go again. The worst thing is that we really know the decision has already been made and anything we say is really a complete waste of time. Past experiences have led us to this way of thinking. Management has its head set on one thing and nothing sways its vision. No wonder we still haven’t got things right.

As far as continuing training, that is the biggest joke out and I can’t see how that will change without changes at management level.

Thanks for the opportunity of free expression.

Regards
Col Carger
Senior Constable 2724/9
South Coast Crime Scene

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