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PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT Keep going, you’ll get there in the end


Equip to Achieve is the Metropolitan Police Service’s intensive one-year development programme for ethnic minority police officers from constable up to and including chief inspector rank. It is designed to identify and develop talent and an officer’s competencies, skills and experience to compete for and succeed in the national assessment process for the High Potential Development scheme (HPDS). Participants benefit from personal and


leadership development, one-to-one coaching, mentoring and career planning support. It is also part of a broader positive action strategy to improve representation and diversity in the service. DC Bronwen Powell joined the Met Police in 2005 when she was 27 years old, here explains why she applied for the Equip to Achieve programme and what she has already done to help herself progress. “Like many women I spent the first few


years of my service feeling as though I had to prove myself twice over, worried that others thought I had been given an easier time of things because of my sex and the fact I am mixed race. I was also anxious to attain that all important level of credibility among my peers. I struggled to gain confidence, but over the years have gradually learned not to be so hard on myself.


Gwent Sharing skills to help others


ONE officer’s experience of working as a family liaison officer during the 7/7 London bombings is being used to help to develop crisis support workers in Wales. PC Krishna Chauhan, who is now a neighbourhood officer for Gwent Police, worked for the


Metropolitan Police Service when the bombings took place. She was deployed to support the family of a Mauritian national who was on the underground at the time of one of the explosions. It was this personal experience she was asked to share with members of the Crisis Support


Worker Scheme, a joint enterprise between Gwent Police and the local authorities of Monmouthshire, Torfaen and Blaenau Gwent. The group was made up of a mix of local authority emergency planning officers, crisis support


workers and police personnel. “I hope my input not only assisted in the ongoing development of the scheme, but also helped to


develop the skills of those involved in the Crisis Support Scheme,” said Krishna. “Family liaison work is a real passion of mine and something I continue to do alongside my day job with Gwent Police,” she added. 9


GRAPEVINE Spring 2013


PC Krishna Chauhan


programme. I believe the best leaders are those who help you to identify and nurture the latent talent within. Surely building a strong team around you and leaving a lasting legacy of learning and continuous improvement is the best means of achieving success? A member of my cohort recently


confided in me that as he was the youngest in service he felt everyone had so much more experience. Having been in this position before, I pointed out to him that if he were to turn this on its head, surely he had recognised his potential earlier than any one of us? With all our service and experience we were in fact the ones that were slow on the uptake. I once heard Lynne Owens speak about


DC Bronwen Powell I currently work in the Sapphire


Command which is Europe’s largest sex crime investigation unit. I decided to apply for Equip to Achieve because I wanted the support and structure of a career development programme to help me to reach my potential and allow me the opportunity to work in a variety of disciplines. I was selected to take part at the end of


last year. I am about to begin my leadership and management qualification on the


“going where you are wanted” and seizing opportunities when they arise. I did that last year by joining the International Liaison Unit on the Olympics Command. At the time many thought it wasn’t a suitable job for a detective. However, I have gained skills and experience in networking, diplomacy, and negotiation by being part of a multi- agency team. I look back on my London 2012 experience with pride. I was also seconded to the US Embassy’s Joint Operations Centre, working alongside the Secret Service, FBI and Homeland Security. Next to my desk is a card with the words,


“Keep going, you’ll get there in the end.” But you have to really want it. 9


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