Fed members praise Force’s commitment to HeForShe campaign

4 October 2023

Hertfordshire Police Federation members have spoken about the positive impact the Force’s HeForShe campaign has had on their work - and even on their careers.

This is the third year that Hertfordshire Police has taken part in HeForShe, a global drive started by the United Nations to accelerate progress towards gender equality.

For Hertfordshire Police, the campaign provides a focus on men supporting women in the workplace. It’s also an opportunity for female colleagues to mentor male teammates and reflect on their lived experiences.

Work that’s already been carried out by the Force includes support through the promotion process and internal moves, talent spotting, identifying suitable roles for parents returning to work, and encouraging a wider understanding of menopause.

Hertfordshire Police Federation members Ricky Bartlett and Andy Thomas are currently leading the campaign.

Ricky said: “I cannot stress enough how devoted we are as a force to support and help all genders to achieve equality across the workplace. I have learned so much from reverse mentoring. It has enabled me to support people in the organisation better.”

Now Hertfordshire Police officers have spoken about how the campaign has helped them at work.

One officer highlighted the support she received after finding it difficult to return to a frontline role after maternity leave.

She said: “My partner is also in the job so trying to complete a work-life balance to suit our shift patterns and our home life was problematic.

“I found it almost impossible to leave my son and return to a role that offered no routine or much flexibility for my home life.

“This alongside my concerns for my son, as he is extremely vulnerable due to his health, made returning to work unbearable. Unfortunately, it started to affect my mental and physical wellbeing.

“Having the support to continue my career in the Force on an attachment away from the frontline has benefited me and my family enormously.

“It’s allowed me to return to work while providing the flexibility, support and understanding that me and my family need.”

A supervisor spoke about how the campaign helped them support a member of staff.

They said: “I had an officer who was going through fertility treatment.

“I didn’t fully understand what this journey was like. With support from HeForShe I was able to ensure I had a critical friend to speak with to ensure I was giving as much support as possible to the member of staff.”

Another officer said the Force supported her in her goal to become a sergeant, which had made her reflect on her leadership style.

She said: “I’ve had lots of one-to-one meetings to develop board skills and my leadership style, which have helped me to attain an acting police sergeant role.

“It’s also helped me with interviews and I’ve been supported with opportunities for training and development.

“I’ve also been given access to a network of other people who can support me with my career path.

“I'm very grateful for the help and support and having someone believe in me when it was difficult to believe in myself. I’ll never underestimate the value of the time invested in me.

“This unwavering support has allowed me to think deeply about the kind of leader I want to be and emulate this to ensure that I return this level of support and development with my own teams.

“Without this guidance and mentoring, I would not be where I am now, with the skills and qualities I’ve been able to develop in the last 12 months.”

Another officer spoke about the support she received from an old colleague to help develop her career.

“I wanted to progress my career and wasn’t sure about what the next steps should be,” she said. “I reached out to an old colleague who had significantly progressed with their career and was given really helpful honest advice.

“We met monthly over Teams to discuss my options and how I could progress and network myself.

“I was given advice on how to get short and long-term attachments and how to gain skills that would help with boards and future roles.

“Due to these regular meetings, my confidence built up and I went for a role and passed my board with flying colours. I’m now in a role that fits my needs for further career progression and to build up my skills.

“Without the help, support and advice this journey would have been more unsure and difficult.”

One officer said mentoring also helped her gain a promotion.

She said: “Having that independent support when preparing for a promotion process was absolutely invaluable.

“The mentoring offered was varied and you could use as much or as little as you needed.

“From portfolio critique, group board prep, mock boards or even a friendly but firm ‘you’ve got this, pull yourself together’, I’ve no doubt the assistance was instrumental in my success on more than one occasion.”

Another officer said the campaign has helped him to support his wife away from work.

He said: “As a male officer whose wife is currently going through the menopause, the support and advice I got from people involved in HeForShe was very useful.”