Parent support group wins national award
20 January 2025
A project set up by a Nottinghamshire Police Federation member to support colleagues on maternity and paternity leave has won a national wellbeing award.
Detective Inspector Chanelle Whitney established the Working Families Group following her own experiences during her return to work following the birth of her first child.
Chanelle recognised there were inconsistencies within the Force in how new and expectant parents were treated, with a number of colleagues feeling isolated from their teams and not informed about changes in the organisation.
Five years on, the group has had a transformative impact, helping to introduce a series of initiatives to improve people’s experience of maternity leave and of returning to work, and to improve the information and communication for new and expectant parents.
Its work has received national recognition at the Oscar Kilo Awards, which celebrate the work being done across UK policing to improve wellbeing support, winning in the Absence Management category
Chanelle said: “I’m hugely proud of the work the group has done and continues to do.
“It's been great to create something that helps colleagues have a better experience.
First baby
“The Working Families Group was my baby, set up after I had my first baby, and it has grown to be embedded within NEWS network (Nottinghamshire Empowering Women to Succeed) and supported by People Services and the Force’s wellbeing team.
“And since the award, we’ve been contacted by other forces that want to learn about our initiatives, it’s great that they want to replicate what we have done here in Notts Police .”
The group is made up of a cross-section of people in the organisation to reflect the experiences of the workforce, including officers and staff with experience of maternity, paternity, adoption and IVF leave.
Its objectives were to review policies and procedures relating to maternity and paternity leave and return to work, identify gaps or inadequacies, and develop practical recommendations for improvement.
Much of the group’s work has been driven by a survey of the workforce who have been on maternity, paternity, adoption, or shared parental leave in the past five years.
Conference
Chanelle identified common themes and issues, and presented the findings at the Senior Leadership Conference, which was attended by everyone ranked Chief Inspector and above in an attempt to increase awareness.
Initiatives introduced include virtual KIT (keep in touch) days for new and expectant parents.
Chanelle said: “These happen twice a year and they can dial in with their babies. It’s really great to see those little faces – it’s my favourite kind of meeting – and it’s a way for people to still feel connected to the organisation.”
Other initiatives include:
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The introduction of a phased return post-maternity leave
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New Parent Guidance Handbook
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A Working Families Group intranet site
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Review and amendment of policies and procedures
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Retainment of IT equipment and mobile devices for use on leave
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Parenting advocates and maternity buddies
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‘Mummy MOTs’
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Training resources for staff and line managers
Chanelle said: “They go for walks together and pass on baby equipment they no longer need. They share advice and information and can ask questions.
“This group helps to feel connected with others in the same boat.”
Future work includes creating a training course for supervisors, producing newsletters, and a review of how the Force supports families with children who have disabilities or are neurodiverse.
Maternity leave
Chanelle said the group’s work has had a really positive impact within the Force.
She said: “Not only did we improve policies around maternity leave and returning to work, but we also fostered a more inclusive and supportive workplace culture.
“Officers reported feeling more confident in their rights and more supported during their transition back to work, and a number have now volunteered to become part of the Working Families Group to support others.
The initiatives are believed to have led to a noticeable improvement in morale, retention rates of returning officers, and overall job satisfaction.
“It is well reported as part of the gender pay review and reaffirmed by Force data that female officers are most likely to leave policing following the birth of their second child, and this work goes some way to ensuring those individuals feel valued and their skills are retained by the organisation.”
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