This is an independent and confidential service for Police Federation members and staff to raise concerns about integrity, behaviour or misconduct involving the Federation.
- Anonymous or semi-anonymous reporting options available
- 24 hours a day, 7 days per week
This service is offered fully independent of the Federation
Who does this line cover:
This line covers concerns relating to any of the following:
- Elected Federation officials at branch and national level
- Federation representatives
- Employees of the Federation at branch and HQ
- Contractors working on behalf of the Federation
Concerns that may be reported include (but are not limited to):
- Misconduct
- Criminal offences
- Lack of integrity
- Discrimination
- Victimisation
- Unprofessional behaviour
- Other serious concerns
This line is not for reporting more widely about police officers or staff where the concern does not directly involve the Police Federation. Such concerns should be reported to Force Professional Standards departments or via separate confidential reporting routes.
How to report a concern
There are two paths offered to report a concern. Both are equally valid – choose whichever you are most comfortable with.
Report online
Use Safecall’s secure online portal to submit your concern in writing. You can track your case, receive updates and respond to any follow-up questions without needing to call.
Call the Integrity Line
Speak directly with a Safecall operator, who is entirely independent of the Federation. They will take a written record of your report with your consent.
0800 046 5670
Free to call · available 24/7, 365 days a year
Your identity is protected
You may report entirely anonymously. If you choose to identify yourself, your details will only be shared with Safecall, the Federation’s Ethics and Standards Team and investigators on a strict need-to-know basis. Disclosing your identity can help us investigate more thoroughly and provide you with updates – but it is never required. If you report through Safecall (online or by phone), you will be given secure login details to track progress and communicate about your case.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why have PFEW introduced this service?
Reporting concerns in any organisation can be difficult. Some individuals feel unable to speak up through internal channels, particularly on sensitive issues, and this service provides members with a route for that together with reassurance that their voice will be heard and handled impartially. It is important for the Federation that members raise their concerns, have them assessed, investigated and appropriately dealt with, which should lead to increasing trust and confidence throughout the membership.
Who operates this service?
This line is operated by Safecall, an entirely independent external organisation. The people taking your information and carrying out the initial assessment are not Federation employees or officials. This ensures your concerns are handled impartially.
What happens after I report a concern?
Once your concern is received, Safecall’s Operations Director carries out an initial assessment and recommends a course of action. Your concern is then referred to the Federation’s Ethics and Standards Team. Depending on the nature of your disclosure, this may lead to an internal Federation investigation, an externally conducted investigation, or the information being passed onto a police force if it appears there is criminality or police misconduct involved. In some cases there may be insufficient information available to take your concerns further. You will also be informed should your concern fall outside the scope of this process and directed to a more appropriate channel.
How can you guarantee anonymity?
This service has been designed to maintain your anonymity should you choose, whilst also enabling your important information to be made available to the Federation to investigate and take action. SafeCall are already highly experienced in dealing with such calls and will never pass on details of a person wishing to remain anonymous to the Federation. The SafeCall portal does enable two way communication through a pin number system, if you agree. This is useful to investigators to follow up on information but they will still never have your identity passed to them or confirmed if you have chosen anonymity. You can of course choose to waive your anonymity at any time but will never be pressured to do so.
Will I be asked for further information?
The person taking your report may ask you to provide additional information. This may include documents if you have them to help evidence your concerns. Similarly, an investigator allocated your report may wish to seek further information from you. This can be achieved via a two-way interface within the SafeCall portal which, should you choose to remain anonymous, withholds your identity from the investigator but helpfully allows further questions to be asked and information sought. You may also choose to share your identity with the investigator at any stage to ease communication, perhaps as your confidence builds.
Will I be told the outcome?
Wherever possible, the case officer will provide the fullest possible feedback on the outcome via the Safecall portal. Please be aware that there may be occasions when feedback is limited by obligations around confidentiality and data protection – it may confirm that an investigation has concluded, action has been taken and that recommendations are being implemented, but without giving full details. If you report anonymously, we may not be able to contact you with updates.
I’ve heard that SafeCall’s call takers are all former police officers, is that true?
Yes, the call takers employed by SafeCall to deliver this service are all former Northumbria police officers, the majority of whom retired many years ago. They were employed on account of their investigative mindset and the Federation considers their instinctive understanding of what the Federation is will assist in taking our calls. In the unlikely event of the call taker identifying a conflict of interest with any particular call, a procedure has been agreed which will see this call diverted to another individual to guarantee independence. The call centre, based in Sunderland, already answers calls from a wide variety of organisations across different sectors, including police, and they have become very experienced in respecting confidentiality.
How is my personal information protected?
Both Safecall and the Federation are committed to protecting your privacy. Information you provide will be processed in accordance with Safecall’s Privacy Notice and the Federation’s own data protection policy, in line with UK data protection law. Further details are available on Safecall’s website at www.safecall.co.uk.
For information on how Safecall process your data, please see the Safecall Privacy Notice.