‘I simply lost heart’ - officer outlines decision to leave Force
9 May 2023
An experienced officer who transferred to West Mercia Police has left after just 18 months over concerns around transparency, inclusiveness and fairness.
The officer, who has asked to remain anonymous, made it clear the Force has no shortage of good, hard-working officers and is extremely proud of the colleagues they supervised and worked alongside.
They also expressed full confidence in the Chief Constable and said they believe she has the right vision and priorities to take the Force forward.
But the officer was troubled by what they said were some deep rooted cultural issues that persist throughout the organisation and eventually moved back to their previous force.
“I simply lost heart at the end of the day and need to be somewhere where I feel is a better fit,” they said.
A major issue was being met with either hostility or apathy when being persistent in asking the question ‘Why?’
“On many occasions I have simply been told ‘that’s just the way we do it here’ with little to no explanation beyond that. The dominant management style is transactional which of course has its time and place, especially in a disciplined organisation,” they said.
“However, it also stifles innovation and inclusiveness. It can leave people feeling demotivated and unsupported.”
The officer said working groups and talented and clever individuals are trying to solve issues and make improvements but questioned how far they were actually going to gain broader insight both inside the Force and externally.
“How officers are treated in general remains a concern, along with how we try to get the very best from them,” they said.
“I have had no less than five supervisors in 18 months. I have not sat down with one of them to discuss in depth what my MyMax priorities were, how they will be measured, how my work fits in with the wider organisational context or what my own career aspirations are and how I might be supported to achieve these or even how my general welfare is.
“Some of the above I can figure out for myself and that’s not an issue for me but, when I ask around - anecdotal, I know - I’m not alone in feeling like I don’t matter and that my career, skills, experience are of little value to those who supervise. I have yet to meet someone of the same rank that has experienced regular and quality supervision.
The officer called for greater focus on welfare and better response to traumatic incidents that greatly affect officers’ mental health and warned that warm platitudes ring hollow when real support feels non-existent.
They said visible leadership only became apparent when sickness and near misses increased, describing it as “the true definition of slamming the stable door after the horse has bolted”.
“I do not believe that those in the leadership positions mentioned above have any ill intent, or do these things deliberately but, rather it is the style/culture that seems to dominate,” they said.
“Prioritising quality and regular supervision/reviews enables top down change to meet grassroots innovation and therefore achieve not only the organisation objectives but allow development, inclusiveness and positive morale to flourish.
“You simply cannot achieve your aims without it. I know this is obvious and I know it’s obvious to the Chief and her team too. That’s why I cannot understand why it seems sometimes sparse in this Force.
“The most frustrating element of this is that it is all within local leaders power to change with little cost. I have heard senior leaders say they cannot understand why West Mercia morale is so low, I’d hedge my bets that the above holds a big part to play.”
The officer called for bold, visible and empathetic local leadership which is open to challenge and change.
They said: “I believe in time though the culture will change and, what the Chief is trying to achieve will come to fruition but, of course culture is always the last domino to fall in any big change project.
“I am saddened that I don’t feel like I have the time left in my career to really help be a part of this at the moment, especially considering some of the fantastic officers that work here - I’d take them with me if I could!”
And they added: “It’s not all doom and gloom either as I’ve been inspired to utilise previous skills, studies and experience to try and work on a project related to models of policing supervision.”
