In 2017, I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, which if I'm honest, I took pretty hard. As much as I loved the role of Branch Secretary, I was also well aware of the stresses and strains that came with the role and this was having a detrimental impact on my health. After much soul searching, I decided it was time for me to step down and put my health first. Stepping down allowed me to be elected as the Assistant Branch Secretary and the Treasurer for the Branch. My friends have always called me the 'Spreadsheet Queen' (as I do love a spreadsheet), and this gives me the opportunity to be more proactive for the Branch and use my organisational skills for the better. I will of course still be attending corporate meetings, sitting on HR Change Boards and HAYE Panels, as well as representing our members and advising our Senior Management Team when required. I am also the elected Regional Women's' Officer, Chair of our Menopause Action Group and sit on the KNOW Exec group assisting where I can.
I continue to strive for knowledge and have completed a number of courses during my time with Unison, including CIEH Professional Trainer, H&S, Equality & Diversity, Diploma in Employment Law and a Diploma in Equalities. I also share the role of Women's Officer and hope to more involved with the Kent Network Of Women (KNOW) moving forward, and look forward to continuing to mentor our stewards in the coming years.
I enjoy being part of the team within Unison as it can be both challenging and exhilarating. Representing our members is at the heart of what we do. Our aim is to provide guidance, support and advice for individuals with workplace issues. If you've ever considered yourself the kind of person that wants to help others, challenge when things aren't quite right, or you can ask those questions that no one will, why not pop along to the Unison Office where we'd be happy to talk to you about the roles we play. It's not always easy, but it can be very rewarding when you make such a positive impact on someone's life.
Over the years we have been all too well aware of the budget restraints that have led to the need for re-organisation. We have witnessed first hand the devastating impact this has had on some of our members, but we also have to recognise the need for change and do our absolute best to assist and identify the best way forward with the least impact or detriment that change can incur.
As a union we sit on a number of the corporate boards and part of our role is to represent the best interests for our members and be the voice of those employed by our organisation. We liaise with our Chief Constable and Senior Management Team as well as the PCC and raise any concerns that we have or indeed concerns that are raised by you.
I joined Kent Police Unison Branch in 2007 as an administrator.
Since then I have developed my role in a number of areas from Membership Officer to Communications Officer including the lead negotiator for our branch. I was elected as our Unions Branch Secretary in March 2014. The years have no doubt been very challenging for us all. We have seen a number of our friends and colleagues feel the pressures of organisational change, and represented our members through those times to ensure they are treated fairly and with dignity and respect.