Swapping the Classroom for the Community, the story of PCSO Catharine
Having previously worked as a primary school teacher, PCSO Catharine was used to communicating with people from all walks of life, a skill that has proven invaluable in her career as a PCSO. We recently caught up with Catharine, to learn more about her journey, why she transitioned from teaching to a career focused on protecting her community, and whether she would recommend becoming a PCSO.
Catharine, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I’m Catharine, and I’ve been a PCSO in Wycombe for nearly seven years now. Before joining the force I was a primary school teacher for six years before moving on to work in an office. I soon found that sort of role wasn’t for me, I wasn’t best suited behind a desk, and I knew I wanted more, so the PCSO role appealed to me.
What attracted you to the PCSO role?
It was mainly the fact that you get to help so many people, I think that’s in my nature to help people coming from being a primary school teacher, you’re helping young children every day in their learning, so it was the opportunity to help people. Sitting in an office making money for someone else didn’t appeal to me, nor did it suit me. I love the fact that within my role now I can go out in the community and know that I’ve helped someone. Within this role, every day is so different. There are so many different things that we do as PCSOs, I love the variety as it keeps you on your toes. Sometimes you come away and think, wow, I didn’t think I’d be doing that today.
What skills from previous experience have helped you as a PCSO?
I think being able to talk to anyone. Children, older people, being able to adapt how you speak to those people, you’re always doing that as a teacher, you have to adapt to each child’s individual needs, constantly changing your lessons if something doesn’t work, so I suppose that helps. The skills that I had there, thinking on your feet all the time and thinking outside the box helps in this role as well. There are so many different scenarios that you could be involved with in this job that you have to be able to adapt and think of different solutions.
Listening is key, it is a really important skill as well as empathy. Especially when you’re dealing with vulnerable people in this job, it’s all really important. Your main tool in this job is your communication, how you talk to people and how you make an impression, could make the difference for them.
How do you feel you make a difference in your community?
A lot of what I do in my community is working with the schools and younger people because I think that’s what I’m well suited to and interested in, so I get a real sense that I am making a difference to those children and young people. Because I’m going into schools to talk about the law, crime prevention, and the consequences of committing crimes, I can see the impact it has on some students. Many of them start thinking, ‘Oh, I didn’t know that was against the law,’ or ‘I didn’t realise that could happen to me. It feels really good to know that you have helped children. And I think that makes a difference to our communities because, it hopefully changes their future decision making in terms of bad behaviour also might inspire them to work within the police and protect people. Whilst also changing their opinion of the police and how much they have trust us and have confidence in us.
I love the fact that within my role now I can go out in the community and know that I've helped someone. Within this role, every day is so different. There are so many different things that we do as PCSOs, I love the variety as it keeps you on your toes. Sometimes you come away and think, wow, I didn't think I'd be doing that today.
What has been your proudest achievement as a PCSO?
Proudest achievement? Oh gosh. It’s really hard to like pinpoint one thing, but one thing that stands out for me is, I did get a LPA Commanders commendation this year for some work that I did on Violence Against Women and Girls and creating a school talk on that. I helped create the presentation and then delivered it in quite a few secondary schools around Wycombe. That’s a really important topic at the moment. It’s obviously a force priority looking at how we’re going to tackle it. So I was really proud actually to be recognised for that.
Obviously you don’t come into this job for recognition or getting a certificate, but it was nice knowing that people had noticed and it definitely gives you some motivation to keep going and to keep working on those things. I’ve got some Ideas, things that I’m planning in my head to continue working on that and getting that message out.
What are the rewards and challenges of the role of the PCSO?
I think the thing that I find most rewarding is getting to meet so many great people in the community. The one of the advantages of being a PCSO is you get to see the best side of the community, and you get to speak to so many friendly people, particularly schoolchildren, and 90% of the time, they’re so grateful for our support and going in and talking to the children. We get to do some really fun things in schools as well, like the Mini Police project that I run in some primary schools in Wycombe. Which is a scheme for year five and six pupils is a little bit like police cadets, but for younger children and they do it during school time, but they do various activities with us each term and they get to learn a bit about the police and help us with a few exciting things in their communities to improve their local areas, so that’s really rewarding to get to see them enjoying it so much.
It’s just great to see so many people that are, grateful for us being there and supporting older people, vulnerable people as well. Who are, always so grateful that you’ve taken the time to check in on them or help support them.
Challenging things are that sometimes people can think that a PCSO can’t do anything. We hear ‘You’re not a real police officer, you can’t arrest me, and you can’t do anything’. But Police aren’t just there to arrest people, there are other ways we can deal with crimes. An ICR officer’s role is reactive to crimes coming in and responding to 999 calls whereas a PCSO, with their neighbourhood team, are very proactive in their approach and try to prevent crime before it happens, which in turn then takes the pressure off of the police, we play an important part in reducing that crime, and I think a lot of people don’t know that.
What would you say to people considering becoming a PCSO?
Please do it, because I think it’s one of the most fun things you could do. It’s mad that I can come to work and have so much fun and know that you’re helping people at the same time. I just really want people to consider it as a career. It’s not just a stepping stone to being a police officer, it’s not a voluntary job, it’s a full time job. You get training and you learn so much and so many transferable skills that you will pick up as well. It is a really fascinating and interesting career, it’s brilliant.
Inspired by Catharine’s story?
Catharine’s story shows that regardless of where you are at in your career now, as long as you have the key skills of communication, listening and empathy you can embark on a career to be proud of as a PCSO, and make a difference in your communities. To learn more about becoming a PCSO and to apply, click here.
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