Pauline Clare, the first female Chief Constable in the UK, is visiting Kent to share her expertise and experiences of 35 years of policing as a woman.
The visit to Kent Police Authority took place on the 19 April and 20 April, as part of a two-day programme involving over 150 officers and staff. The programme includes a number of workshops on one to one coaching, leading a force in times of change, and gender progression.
The majority of Pauline’s policing experience was spent in the North West, in Lancashire, Cheshire and Merseyside. She worked in operational uniform policing in every rank and served in a number of specialist departments including, juvenile liaison, computer projects and community and race relations. Whilst Chief Constable for Lancashire Police, Pauline was responsible for the direction and control of the Force, her main achievement was establishing Lancashire as consistently the country's top performing Force.
Having retired from policing Pauline now spends her time running coaching sessions.
Ann Barnes, Chair of the Kent Police Authority said: ‘I’m absolutely delighted that Pauline Clare has given up her time to come and talk to us here in Kent. We are in a time of change with a new Chief Constable to be appointed next month. It’s important that we look at leadership issues. Often the leader of an organisation imprints their own personality on an organisation. We wanted to tap into Pauline’s experiences of being a woman and rising through the ranks in what is primarily a male dominated environment. I’m really keen for the Authority to make sure it’s female staff and officers feel empowered to take that step and apply for promotion. Kent Police needs to reflect the people it is serving and to do that we need to have more women in higher ranks.’
Pauline Clare, ex Chief Constable of Lancashire said: ‘I’m delighted to have been asked to visit Kent Police. It is an opportunity to share my experiences, for people to learn, and to take away positive examples. I’m extremely impressed with the officers and staff I have met. There are a lot of talented people within Kent Police and I look forward to seeing the Force going from strength to strength in the forthcoming years.’