Frontline Perspectives: new research project shines a light on Northamptonshire’s police and fire services

The University of Northampton’s Institute for Public Safety, Crime and Justice (IPSCJ) is undertaking a project to research the daily challenges members of the police and fire services experience in their roles.

The Frontline Perspectives (FLP) project hopes to capture the views of ‘those in the know’ – the people who work at all levels within Northamptonshire Police and Northamptonshire Fire Service. These frontline, public facing members of staff face many challenges during their day-to-day work. They work with members of the public with complex and changing needs, and maintain and improve standards under a climate of increasing fiscal constraint.  While many of the challenges are recognised formally within these organisations, there is no formal evidence base with which to appraise these experiences, which is why the Frontline Perspectives research project has been established.

The FLP research team hope to capture the ‘voices’ of frontline staff, and researchers aim to interview 150 members of staff from the two organisations. Lauren Ward, Research Assistant, explained: “The team will be conducting 45-minute long interviews with volunteers, both on the telephone and face to face – at a time to suit the volunteers. We are keen to hear from people within a variety of different roles to gain the diversity of experiences. The responses will allow us to have a better and more grounded understanding of the day-to-day challenges members of the Police and Fire Service experience. The findings will then be used for future decision making in these organisations, and improve experiences on the frontline.”

To find out more about the research, visit the blog discussing the research on the IPSCJ website.

Alternatively, if you work with the public on a regular basis within Northamptonshire Police or Northamptonshire Fire  and Rescue Service and would like to take part, please contact the research team on FLP@northampton.ac.uk or telephone 01604 892544.

​T​he IPSCJ is a joint venture between the Northamptonshire Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner and the University of Northampton. The Institute is working on a variety of different research projects, and aim to facilitate the delivery of evidence-based policy and practice across public safety services.