Thames Valley Police wins Menopause Friendly Employer of the Year Award

Thames Valley Police wins Menopause Friendly Employer of the Year Award

Thames Valley Police has won the coveted 2023 Menopause Friendly Employer of the Year Award at this year’s prestigious awards ceremony

Hosted by Henpicked: Menopause in the Workplace and powered by headline sponsors HSBC UK, first direct, M&S Bank and Peppy, the industry-recognised  Menopause Friendly Employer Awards were presented by broadcaster Louise Minchin on Thursday September 14, 2023 at the Royal Lancaster Hotel. Over 350 guests gathered there while another 250 joined virtually from across the country.

Now in its second year, the 2023 Menopause Friendly Employer Awards recognise organisations and individuals whose commitment and determination have succeeded in providing support, solutions and resources that normalise menopause in the workplace. Two new categories this year celebrated the work of SMEs and organisations fully embracing diversity and inclusion.

The extensive range of winners included a government department, high street bank and NHS organisation alongside a football club, university and telecoms giant. They were judged by the Menopause Friendly Independent Panel who were looking particularly for the impact achieved within the workplace.

The Menopause Friendly Employer of the Year category was fiercely competitive with this award the most prestigious! Organisations from across both the public and private sectors showed highly impressive track records of embedding a menopause friendly culture in their workplace. A wealth of good practice demonstrated creativity, inclusivity and organisation-wide commitment including policies, training programmes, support networks, champions, advocates and peer-to-peer engagement.

The finalists alongside Thames Valley Police in the Menopause Friendly Employer of the Year category were BAE Systems, Bristol Myers Squibb, Cadent Gas, HSBC UK | first direct | M&S Bank, Marine Management Organisation and Unilever UK & Ireland.

Thames Valley Police (TVP) was the first police force to be accredited as Menopause Friendly in 2022 and, despite its many other pressing priorities, has continued to go from strength to strength.

The Independent Panel considers TVP a truly exceptional organisation that understands menopause at a deep level, knows what their colleagues need and want, along with rich appreciation of their partners and service users.

Among its many initiatives, TVP introduced menopause friendly uniforms, policies, sickness absence codes, women-only fitness tests, a buddying scheme and male allies.

It provides mandatory training for front line supervisors and a series of workshops for all nursing staff working within occupational health, run by their local GP Menopause Specialist. This ensures that wherever colleagues go for help they are assured of a good level of understanding. Furthermore, talking about menopause is becoming normalised including amongst younger male officers.

As well as looking after its colleagues, TVP is expanding its efforts into the custody suite to better support detainees, improving understanding and most importantly, outcomes.

TVP knows that they are retaining talented staff who would otherwise have left the organisation and can show this is as a direct result of the menopause support they have put in place across the organisation.

Detective Superintendent Kelly Gardner, Force Lead for Domestic Abuse and Stalking, and Strategic Lead for Menopause, comments:

“As a force, this award proudly reinforces our standing as a flagship Menopause Friendly Employer. At TVP, women currently make up an impressive 48% of our workforce, and we’re proud to say that 38% of our Police Officers are women. Reflecting on the journey we’ve embarked on, it is impressive to see what has been achieved in just two short years. The shift in dismantling the menopause taboo has been nothing short of extraordinary, filling us with hope that it will continue to flourish, inspiring and supporting generations to come.”

“I am so pleased for our Menopause Action Group (MAG) as the award is recognition for our collective efforts. We do this work in addition to our daily responsibilities, often dedicating personal time to it. We have been committed to fostering an environment where discussing menopause is as natural as discussing the weather, ensuring that every woman in our organisation has the support necessary to feel valued, belong, and continue to carry out the roles they love on a day-to-day basis. We value our people, this award is another shining example of that in action.”

Thames Valley Police was presented with its Award by headline sponsor Peppy and the Rt Hon Caroline Nokes MP, Chair of the Women & Equalities Committee.

“I would like to offer my sincere congratulations to Thames Valley Police for being named the Menopause Friendly Employer of the Year 2023,” says The Rt Hon Caroline Nokes MP. “Not only is this a huge honour for them, it’s testament to the extraordinary work they are doing for not just for their colleagues in the force but also, importantly, for the wider communities they serve. The impact of being Menopause Friendly will be felt far and wide and I hope other public services take encouragement from their achievement and follow in their footsteps.”

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To find out more information about how your physical, mental and financial wellbeing will be supported during a career with TVP, visit our Supporting You on TVP Careers.