Meet the new chair of Derbyshire Police Federation

6 August 2024

I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce myself to you, as the new chair of Derbyshire Police Federation.

My name is Keith Chambers, and I am an inspector with 24 years of policing experience behind me. Most of my time has been at South Division, the majority of which was at Peartree, covering all ranks. Those who know me will instantly link me with Peartree, as ‘part of the furniture,’ some may say, but I also worked at Swadlincote for four years and Derby North as a safer neighbourhood team sergeant.

Since September 2022 I’ve worked at Force headquarters on a Niche project, as well as a cost saving project, conducting a force review of the organisations overtime expenditure, with my last role being organisational learning inspector.

Caring for my wife

I’ve been away from the organisation since December 2023, caring for my wife Jennifer, who was diagnosed with bowel cancer in November 2020. After a major operation and fifty-five rounds of gruelling chemotherapy, she subsequently passed away in January, aged just 50. My wife and I shared 33 years of our lives together.

The passing of Jennifer has been the most traumatic experience of my life and has left an indescribable pain that I will carry with me forever.

Making Jennifer proud

Jennifer was immensely proud when I was elected to the role and told me I would make a difference. I stand by the belief that the strongest of people help others even when they have problems of their own which is why Jennifer insisted that I stand for chair. It means so much to me, to know that she was alive to see me be successfully elected.

During her cancer journey, Jennifer raised an incredible £34,000 for Macmillan Cancer support. The pride that our three children and I have for her personal and professional achievements are immeasurable.

Keith and Jennifer.

My role as your chair

As your new chair, my aim is to change the perception of Derbyshire Police Federation. No doubt, many have a negative opinion of what we do for you – or, rather, what people believe we don’t do. I recognise changing these attitudes will take time and lots of work, but rest assured I am committed and passionate about turning those opinions around.

This is an exciting time for our branch: we have a team that are closely aligned in their views, ideas and most importantly dedicated to working for you, our members.

We all believe in cascading your views – whether they’re good or bad - with the sole aim of making your working life enjoyable, safe and prosperous. We want to restore that love for policing that many seem to have lost.

I am also extremely lucky to have the pleasure of working with our secretary Kirsty Bunn, who I have known for more than 20 years. Kirsty’s dedication to her role is nothing short of inspiring. Our newly appointed misconduct and wellbeing lead Helen Gallear is also someone who has a deep passion for helping others and influencing change to benefit members.

Representing our members

We will always be open and transparent. For example, if a vote is required at national Federation level, you, as members, should know how we voted, that is the level of transparency we should aim for.

This will involve some honest conversations with our members, and I encourage you to ask questions that may make us uncomfortable. I believe that this will only help to improve and positively change the way we as we serve you.

Firstly, we need to ensure you know who we all are, what we do and what we can do for you and when and how to contact us, even down to our wonderful back-office staff, Pete Roberts and Joanne Johnson who may well be your first point of contact.

Improving the service we provide

During my time away from the organisation, I had time to reflect - on a personal level I felt my welfare and support could and should have been better, not just at the point of my wife passing but along her three-year cancer journey.

If I’m being honest, I’ve frequently questioned the term ‘police family’ over the past three years, and I am committed to ensuring we get better at this, so nobody is left feeling as I did. We all have a responsibility to make this better.

Some of our members have told me personally they feel let down by the Federation over the pension challenge. We must take responsibility for this and accept our failings, but we must also move on and work towards rebuilding trust. This is a critical time for the Federation, but we are confident that the process of change that we are undergoing will only benefit members, when we can share more details, we will ensure this is communicated.

There are many scenarios where members require the assistance of the Federation, for example, during a misconduct allegation. We want to focus on providing you, our members, the best service we can in whatever situation you find yourself in. We want you to be inspired by the support and advice you receive, even if the outcome is not always favourable.

Building strong relationships with the Force

As a branch, we have a great responsibility to work with senior leaders across the organisation to help shape a healthy future. We will always be committed to this, but it does not always mean we will agree though. However, what is crucial, is we maintain solid working relationships. It is our job to ensure that our members' views are heard and conveyed upwards appropriately, and we have a chief officer team who are equally committed to enhancing the relationship. These relationships will undoubtedly benefit our members.

Over the coming weeks and months, I aim to get out and about, especially across the north to meet officers, seeking their views.

Of course, I encourage you to contact me if you want to discuss anything directly or request a specific visit.

Look after yourself

Finally, please remember to always look after yourself. Your physical and mental health is more important than the position you hold - it’s more important than any crime on your workload.

Always ensure you look after you, speak up if you are struggling, know your own body and seek medical help if you aren’t feeling well, your family need you fit and well and as always please look after each other.

I look forward to representing you as your chair and listening to your concerns, ideas, and thoughts. My sole aim is to improve your working lives so that we can ultimately provide the best service to our communities.

Keith Chambers

Chair of Derbyshire Police Federation