Hi, I’m Clare, Head of Communications and Engagement for Wiltshire Police and the PCC for Wiltshire. I run a shared service so I am keen to represent not only police communicators, but PCC communicators too.

I’ve been a Vice Chair for 12 months and I have absolutely loved the role, working alongside a team of exceptionally committed peers.

I’ve always believed passionately in the value we, as communications experts, bring to the delivery of policing/crime. We have so much we can learn from each other and I’m keen to help facilitate the sharing of our various experiences so we can all benefit from the learning of the diverse range of incidents we deal with. Personally, I’ve looked to share learning over the last year regarding the Novichok poisonings in Wiltshire, as the lead for the response communications for this global incident.

I believe I have been a really active and engaged member of the executive team. So what have I delivered?

  • An event for members in July where we explored employee engagement and the development of a toolkit for an EE strategy for attendees to take away and implement in their own forces
  • A key member of the planning committee for the APComm Academy programme this year, personally securing inputs from Nita Clarke, an expert in the field of employee engagement, and from Oscar Kilo, the national police wellbeing service
  • The attendance of the Wellbeing Van at the academy to provide support and free health checks to members
  • Delivery of a workshop on ‘Developing Self and Others’ pre Academy with my colleague Kate Quilley (Co-Chair).

So what will I do next year if elected again?

  • Arrange a wellbeing and resilience event for middle managers
  • Organise a further event to look in detail at internal comms and channels
  • Deliver a wellbeing survey across the APComm membership so we can truly understand the specific issues facing police and PCC communicators
  • Progress the sharing of resources around structures, job descriptions and interview material so that we can avoid duplicating effort wherever we can.

I’ve worked in policing comms for 19 years and believe my experience across three different forces would continue to be of value to the committee. I’m motivated towards developing talented communicators for the future and I believe APComm has such a vital role to play in adding value, and making a real difference to you in your role.