WOMEN IN THE FORCE


DETECTIVE CONSTABLE KERI ALLDRITT


When returning from maternity leave,


Originally joining GMP in 2007, Detective Constable Keri Alldritt spent five years in policing before deciding to pursue midwifery. After three years at university and two as a community midwife, Keri found her way back to GMP, where she remains today. Keri still holds her midwifery registration, and has transferred these skills, working tirelessly to support new and expectant parents within policing.


Keri noticed that maternity provisions across policing were disjointed with many having very different experiences, some positive and some not. Keri took it upon herself to try to bridge that gap and began work on bringing some consistency to the service and support offered to mothers, in collaboration with the British Association of Women in Policing (BAWP). At the start of the pandemic, Keri set up a WhatsApp group for expectant and new parents to ask questions, get support and to keep in contact at a time where many may feel extremely isolated. To date, there are 100 people in the WhatsApp group, and even more in the closed BAWP Facebook group that Keri also runs. It is a safe place for people to ask questions around work, or for advice on anything baby or pregnancy related and acts as great peer support for all members. Keri runs a monthly coffee morning for new mothers on maternity leave to ease the sense of isolation and set up a free aqua natal session, which she is rolling out across the entire north west policing family. GMP now offers a ‘Mummy MOT’ as part of their occupational health programme, so female officers and staff can have a full physical check-up after childbirth to identify any issues. Keri does a lot of work nationally and produced guidance around maternity and parenting


that is with the NPCC for ratification, in a mission to help more people across the country going forward. Keri has continued to undertake this


important work while juggling her own pregnancies and maternity leave and working in a busy CID office.


She says: “Becoming a new mother can have a massive impact on women. I feel like the knowledge and experience that I have as a registered midwife can help others, so I want to do everything that I can to empower women and give them that knowledge too, without them feeling isolated or that they can’t ask for help when they might need it.”


INSPECTOR LUCY SEWELL Inspector Lucy Sewell of Warwickshire Police created the Women of Warwickshire (WOW) Buddy Scheme. After seeing the detrimental effect of the pandemic on her elderly parents, Inspector Sewell recognised there are more people needing moral support than ever before, so she decided to do something to enhance the wellbeing of those vulnerable to isolation. In December 2020, she created a buddy


system, providing a chance for serving and former officers and staff to share experiences through a time where many have been living in solitude. Pairing up serving police officers and staff with older NARPO female members, the scheme has helped to end loneliness among retired and widowed police officers and staff. The scheme links two women – one


serving officer and one retired officer – together, allowing them to make phone or video calls, providing someone to talk to


and giving both women something to look forward to. The scheme is voluntary and carried out in the police officers and staff members’ own time – between the buddies, they have agreed a frequency of contact. Lucy’s buddy is 87-year-old June, a retired officer who left policing in 1985 after 30 years of service. Lucy and June speak on the phone every Wednesday evening, discussing anything and everything. While training for the Care of Police Survivors (COPS) Police Unity Tour, Lucy called by to see June in person, where June proudly showed off her garden and her old bike that remains in the garage before making lunch for the pair. Lucy says: “The common ground of policing has really made for some great friendships to develop. The scheme seems to have had a really positive impact on the mental health of the NARPO member, while officers and staff involved have told us how uplifting and rewarding they have found the scheme themselves.”


The buddy scheme is part of the


Warwickshire Police ethos #WeAreWarwickshire and demonstrates that supporting women who previously worked for Warwickshire Police is not just historical but very much of the here and now.


25 | POLICE | FEBRUARY 2022


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