Case Study: Training and Development - Metropolitan Police Service

The majority of junior police staff in the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) are female (60%) but only 26% of senior police staff are women. The MPS Association of Senior Female Police Staff was founded to provide an opportunity for women to get together to raise the profile of senior women within the civilian police staff. The objectives are:

• To raise the awareness and understanding of issues affecting women within the Police Service
• To enhance the profile of senior women police staff to provide role models for junior colleagues
• To encourage networking
• To support career development and career counselling
• To contribute towards the development of a work/life balance policy for all staff
• To share information on issues affecting the Service, particularly women
• To work in partnership with trade unions and other staff associations

The Association held its first AGM in June 2006 and plans to run a programme of events to support its objectives. It works closely with the Association of Senior Women Officers (for uniformed police women).

The Committee, elected at the AGM, has met 3 times to plan events to encourage women to network and share experiences. A logo and website have been designed.

One key success was the Association’s contribution to Gender Agenda 2, the national strategy for ensuring that women make their full contribution to policing. As a result of the Association’s input, Gender Agenda 2 identifies specific actions to ensure that the service recognises the value of police staff, both male and female.

The Association also broadened the MPS’s attendance at the Senior Women in Policing Conference by working with another staff association to encourage the Management Board to sponsor places at the conference. This enabled the Association to offer opportunities to attend the conference to those who had not attended before.

The Association has also contributed to consultation about the implementation of the MPS’s Equalities Scheme and work on barriers to career progression for female police staff.