Police_World_02_2018

IPA News

Queen’s Police Medal Neil Hallam Editor PC Adele Owen from Greater Manchester Police has been awarded the Queen’s Police Medal in this year’s New Year’s Honours list. A serving officer for almost 20 years, Adele is the current Tactical Mental Health Lead for the Force, transforming the way police officers in Greater Manchester respond to people suffering from mental ill health and also trailblazing the Force’s response to colleagues who need support themselves. Adele has been instrumental in developing processes that help officers work with partners to access professional advice when responding to someone needing mental health support. This helps services give the most appropriate care possible. She is involved in the devolution of Health & Social Care in Greater Manchester, working to improve mental health care pathways across the city region, and is also a member of a National Expert Reference Group, working with the Royal College of Psychiatrists to set standards for achieving better access to crisis care. As well as this, Adele is also being honoured for her work in recognising officers and staff who struggle with their own mental ill health due to the demands of the role – she developed policing’s first Mental Health Peer Support Network two years ago, persuading colleagues to act as peer supporters and arranging for third sector organisations to provide mentors with coaching skills. This eventually led to the development of GMP’s Wellbeing Strategy. Adele said: “I’m absolutely delighted to receive this honour. It’s a huge surprise and I’m very grateful to those who nominated me. I feel very proud to represent GMP in my current role and have been privileged to work with many dedicated colleagues during my 20 years with the Force.” Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said: “Adele’s leadership in a challenging but important area of our work is exemplary, and her use of evidence based practice to develop the ways that we support members of the community and our colleagues helps us now and in the future. “We’re really pleased that Adele has been recognised in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours, and on behalf of GMP I would like to extend my congratulations to her on this wonderful achievement.” Minister for Policing and the Fire Service Nick Hurd said: “Police Constable Adele Owen has been fundamental in driving improvement in mental health care and provision, both within Greater Manchester Police and in the wider community. Her attitude and determination have galvanised change and it is only right she is recognised for her leadership in this area. It is also heartening to see that more than half of the Queen’s Police Medals continue to be awarded to rank and file police officers.” The Queen’s Police Medal is awarded to police officers in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth of Nations, for gallantry or distinguished service and was instituted by its royal warrant in 1954. It is awarded to officers of any rank for acts of courage and conspicuous devotion to duty and superseded the King’s Police Medal, which was originally created in 1909.

WINTER WARMERS Pauline Osborne Thames Valley Branch, Social Secretary On 20th Jan Thames Valley Branch decided to blow away the cobwebs from the New Year with a winter walk around Abingdon, the oldest continuously inhabited town in England. Starting with a meet up in the local cafe run by the Salvation Army, steaming cups of coffee and biscuits or for the less strong willed, bacon sarnies! So delighted were they to receive us they took photos to post on their own website. Then it was off on the walk and thanks to the encyclopaedic knowledge of chairman, Kevin Goodman, we were taken off the beaten track to see ancient churches and ‘teeny weeny’ almshouses, built at the huge cost of £1700, dating to the early 1400s. Then onto the Malthouse which was once a medieval dye house and recorded in the 1554 survey and a beautiful merchant’s house where William of Orange stayed in 1688 on his way to London to claim the English throne. During the walk we bumped into the editor of the Abingdon Blog who took this photo and within an hour we were featured.

Then to round off the day as is our custom, a leisurely lunch. On this occasion, continuing our international dining theme we retired to a small Lebanese restaurant, which we had to ourselves and indulged in Meze, a tradition of small sampling dishes, a little bit of everything and everything was delightful.

POLICE WORLD Vol 63 No. 2, 2018

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