My Vision for the Vice Chair role
As the Corporate Communications Manager for Norfolk Constabulary I have led on many major incidents and with nearly 20 years in police communications, I have experienced both the highs and the lows of supporting our officers and staff, seeing the culture and expectations on policing changing again and again.
As communications lead within force, I have introduced a number of communication plans against the strict deadlines, budgets and governance we are all familiar with. One of my most successful initiatives has been delivering the communications for one of the most detailed and extensive policing model reviews in my force’s history. The ongoing positive response to this was the result of delivering an extensive variety of communications strategies and products across a wide range of audiences. Norfolk was the first force to consider removing the PCSO role entirely and as a result our plans have been subject to intense national scrutiny. Having been involved in shaping the communications for these plans from the outset, with a seat at the top table, I was heavily involved in the communications work this required and the need to successfully influence our key stakeholders and partners.
Having been a Vice Chair for two years I have helped to successfully deliver a number of different training days including a two-day mutual aid training course and two conferences. I have remained keen to share this knowledge with other forces, underlining the benefits of good, effective communications and if successful in my nomination, I would use the opportunity of being an APCOMM Vice Chair to continue to use the role to learn even more and share further, with all member forces, the change communications best practice we have gathered. With the proposals around Operation Uplift facing us all and challenging budgets likely to remain for many years to come, I would look to make the most of any learning that can be gained from stakeholder networking and connections across the PR and communications world. I have attended a number of different communications meetings representing APComm and would like to continue to do this, using the knowledge acquired to assist us all with this challenge, reviewing and evaluating how to gain the most from it and at the same time taking any openings available to me to underline how significant the role of a police communicator is.
I firmly believe that being part of the Executive Committee has helped me share this learning more widely and enables us all to have a greater influence on change communications both locally and nationally in the future.
