Helen takes on regional role with Federation’s National Council

8 March 2022

Suffolk Police Federation workplace representative Helen Self has been elected to a regional role on the Police Federation of England and Wales’ National Council.

Helen is now Additional National Council Member (Female) for Region 4 which covers Suffolk as well as Cambridgeshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire and Norfolk.

She has been a police officer for 25 years and a Fed rep for eight, recently completing a course on equality.

Helen said hoped the experience gained throughout her service will stand her in good stead with her new role.

She believes there are a number of issues faced by female police officers that have to be properly recognised and taken seriously.

“I am obviously quite passionate about some of the issues that affect women in policing,” said Helen, speaking today on International Women's Day.

“One of the key things we need to talk about is the menopause and how that can have an impact on female police officers. That's very important.

“And then there are other issues like the bleep test - the Job-Related Fitness Test - maternity leave, part-time working and so on.”

Helen said she felt comfortable addressing such issues and is eager to contribute to the discussions.

She explained: “I have 25 years’ service so I think I have the experience and knowledge to pass on. I have been a Fed rep for eight years so I have gained quite a lot of experience from that.

“I like making a difference. I bring communication and listening skills to the role. And I think because of my age I have quite a lot to offer, perhaps from a more personal perspective.”

Helen explained she was looking forward to meeting colleagues in her new role at national level and hoped to swap ideas and broaden both her knowledge and contacts base.

She said: “I like to learn new things all the time. I think we have a responsibility to grow and develop and we all want to help others and the more we know, the more we can help. Knowledge is power.”

Helen, who has also just taken up the role as Suffolk Police Federation’s wellbeing lead alongside her existing position as health and safety lead, said the equality training she completed last December was important as she felt that she needed to be more familiar in that area.

She said: “More often than not, younger officers are coming to us for advice, so training like the equality course strengthens our knowledge and puts us in a better position to support them.

“And not only do we learn new information, but the training courses allow us to network with fellow officers from other forces, sharing our experiences with each other.

“We share real life scenarios with one another, that we can take back and learn from in our own role.”