Building a team to help keep Essex safe

As Police and Crime Commissioner, I am committed to delivering an efficient and effective service at significantly lower cost than that of the former Police Authority, whilst ensuring that I have a high performing team to deliver our core tasks, including holding the Chief Constable to account, commissioning community safety services with public money, and engaging with and listening to the people of Essex.

I’ve now been in post for ten months and I have made a number of key decisions to help take this forward.  I have appointed a new leader for Essex Police in Chief Constable Stephen Kavanagh, a highly experienced officer from the Metropolitan Police Service.  I have also recruited a Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner in Lindsay Whitehouse, formerly Deputy Governor of HMP Chelmsford, and a new Executive Director in Susannah Hancock, who has a strong track record in leading work to support victims and tackle the cycle of youth offending.

Having made these key senior managerial appointments, I am now starting to build a specialist and highly professional team to support our work.

Back in March 2013, I stated that my aim was to run the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner at a cost around 20 per cent less than that of the Police Authority three years ago.  In 2009-10, the Essex Police Authority budget was £1.44 million.  In 2013-14, I am aiming to work within a budget of £1.15 million, which will deliver that saving of 20 per cent as compared with the former Authority.

I inherited a team of highly conscientious and professional colleagues from the former Police Authority, but it has become increasingly clear to me that I need staff with a different and distinct set of specialist skills to deliver our core work in the future.  The work of the Police and Crime Commissioner is significantly different from that of the former Police Authority, with a greater role in commissioning community safety and crime prevention services, an enhanced focus on scrutiny and performance, and a need to be highly proactive in engaging with the people of Essex. 

Therefore, working with my Executive Director, I have decided to restructure my professional office, remove some existing posts, and create a new team specifically designed around the core PCC functions of scrutiny and performance, commissioning and public engagement.

I am committed to continuing to being open and transparent, so the jobs are being advertised nationally and locally.  You can see the advertisements and job descriptions here:

Assistant Director Performance and Scrutiny

Assistant Director Commissioning

Assistant Director Engagement

Media and Engagement Officer

Financial Scrutiny Officer

https://www.essex.pfcc.police.uk/contact-us/recruitment-and-vacancies/

If you feel you have the right skillset, I hope you will apply!

I remain totally focussed on working with the Chief Constable of Essex, our county, district and unitary councils, partner agencies such as the NHS, and the voluntary sector to deliver excellent policing ,crime prevention and community safety services which meet and respond to the needs of everyone who lives and works in Essex. 

Nick Alston, Police and Crime Commissioner for Essex