Meet Claire: A Journey of Growth and Opportunity at TVP

Building a career in policing often means embracing the unknown and stepping outside of your comfort zone, and that’s exactly what Claire has done over the past 17 years. From starting in an administrative role to stepping into leadership positions, her journey is a great example of the power of seizing opportunities and pushing past self-doubt. In this blog, she shares her unique career path, the challenges she’s faced, and the invaluable lessons she’s learned along the way—offering a fresh perspective on how to carve out a rewarding and varied career within policing.

Can you tell us about your journey within Thames Valley Police (TVP) and the different roles you’ve taken on? What inspired you to explore different opportunities within policing?

 As a police staff member in TVP, the career routes are less obvious, but I did not let this deter me. I have seized opportunities as they arose and have not been afraid to take a risk and learn something new. I have been in TVP for almost 17 years now. I started as an Admin Support Officer in Contact Management and spent over four years there. I wanted to do more and learn more, but it was incredibly hard to move out of an administration role. I sought advice from a leadership coach who identified me as a mentor, which was so helpful at a time when I saw no way forward. Over the next 7 years, I did a variety of roles as a researcher, analyst, and later as a Lead Analyst across a number of different operational departments.

After a long time in more fast-paced operational roles, I wanted to explore something different. In 2020, I was successful in getting the Corporate Governance Manager role in Governance & Service Improvement. I had limited knowledge of risk management and strategic planning, but I got the job, and I quickly learned. A year and a half later, my line manager was successful in getting on the Strategic Command Course, and during the four months that she was away, I acted as the Head of Strategic Governance, a position which I later got permanently. Just over a year ago, I was then successful in being selected for the Head of Governance & Service Improvement role, a position that has always been held by a Chief Superintendent previously. This has certainly been one of my proudest moments in my career in TVP, and 17 years ago I could never have foreseen where my career in TVP would take me.

Have you ever had doubts about your ability to take on a new role, and how did you overcome them?

Yes – many times! It is normal to feel apprehensive about a new role, and it does not matter what role you move into; you will not be an expert on day one. You will always have lots to learn, new skills to develop, and new situations to manage. The best training and development I have had is just doing the job, pushing myself outside of my comfort zone, taking on new and different pieces of work, and collaborating with others and learning from them. Confidence comes with time, and we have to be patient with ourselves too. We all have things we find difficult, but that is ok, and that does not mean we cannot do the job; it just means we have to work a bit harder on the areas that worry us, and then that confidence will eventually come.

What achievement are you most proud of in your career?

My proudest personal moment was to get the role I am currently in as Head of Governance & Service Improvement. I feel so honoured to be able to do this role, and I am proud that my department gets to help support the whole of TVP to strive to be better every day.

I have many highlights across all the roles I have done for a number of different reasons, but it has been the variety of things I have been involved in that I really value and appreciate.

At the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s first-ever National Police Staff Recognition Awards, Claire won the Police Staff Ally of the Year Award for her remarkable efforts in championing police staff. Claire has played a key role in enhancing career development opportunities and creating initiatives, enabling police staff to gain new skills while supporting departments across the force. 

Dr. Helen Bevan from the NHS and Warwick Business School presenting Claire with her award

Congratulations on your recent award! How did it feel to be recognised for your work?

I was shocked and surprised but also incredibly happy. We have been trying so hard in TVP to help support our police staff and to raise awareness of the fantastic work that all our staff do every day. There is still a lot of work to do, but with every small thing we achieve, hopefully, at least one person feels supported or starts to see a way forward. Change does not happen overnight, and we still have challenges to overcome, but if we are all supportive of our police staff and encourage and empower them, our positive culture will grow stronger. I have had many people who have supported and believed in me along the way, and I will always be grateful to them for their belief in me.

As part of the TVP Police Staff Talent Mobility Project, we are continuing to pursue other opportunities for staff, trying to push boundaries where we can and also recognise that the needs of staff vary across the different leadership levels. We continue to promote project opportunities and shadowing while also identifying new operational opportunities for staff in collaboration with our senior leaders. It does take time to work through these and get the support needed, but we are making progress, and other forces have been keen to see the research we have undertaken and speak to us about some of the initiatives we are pursuing.

 What advice would you give to someone looking to build a varied and fulfilling career in policing?

Policing is hard, and you are always managing multiple priorities, but the challenge is the most rewarding one you will get. Every day, I work with selfless people who give so much to protect our communities, whether that is on the frontline or those who strive to make things better behind the scenes. Policing can be a career not just for those who want to be police officers but for our police staff professionals too, and the roles are varied; you just need to be curious and willing to learn.

My top tips are:

• Always seek to be challenged – this is how you learn.
• Don’t be afraid to move into a new area of business – this will help you grow & open you to new opportunities you would never have even imagined before.
• Collaborate with others – no one single person can teach us everything; we learn from the experience and expertise of others and their feedback.
• Have a positive mindset – anything is possible with hard work and determination. Being positive in your work helps to keep you energised, even when challenges arise.

What’s next for you in your career?

I have never actually known what I wanted to do throughout the whole of my career. I have just been open to opportunities as they arose, worked hard, and was determined to do better. I was never afraid to put myself forward when an interesting opportunity appeared.

I still don’t have a plan, but that is ok. I love what I am doing now, and I work with fantastic people. I come to work and just enjoy each day, and I feel privileged to feel this way. We often put so much pressure on ourselves to be a certain way or do something specific that we lose sight of what really fulfills and motivates us.

—

If Claire’s journey has inspired you to explore a future in policing, visit TVP Careers to discover the wide range of opportunities within our force. Start a career that truly makes a difference today.