Commercial and Property Hub

Carolyn is the Team Leader for the Hub and she explained more about its role and the work she and her colleagues do to support policing. She said:

“The Hub provides a ‘front-door service’ for all things commercial and property related. What this means is that pretty much everything an officer or member of staff uses on a daily basis has come through our team in some form – whether it’s the notebook a colleague is writing in or the contract for the body armour they might be wearing, it has come through our ‘front door’.

“The Hub was created 18 months ago and was then staffed by six people. Since then, we have expanded to a team of 11 support advisors and two support officers – all members of police staff – as we have taken on more areas of responsibility.

“Everyone is trained in all the basics and we then have ‘mini hubs’ to handle more specialised areas such as health and safety, access control, custody support and commercial. 

“All team members get a say in how our processes are formed, developed and improved and continually suggest ways where we can further support the business. For example, six members of the team recently received training on how to complete a Display Screen Equipment  Assessment, which means we are now better able to support colleagues who may need adjustments to their work station.

“Our base is officially at Darby House in Wellingborough, but mostly we work agilely around the county so we can provide a hands-on service in all our main police stations and offices. This means we can make sure our frontline have the supplies and equipment they need to do their job out in the community.

“In the background, the team is busy managing more than 1,600 monthly requests for assistance – ranging from a dripping tap, to ‘please can I have 100 large evidence bags’, to ‘my building needs a new roof’!

“Hub staff have a wide range of knowledge and experience and we’re able to deal with many of the requests for service ourselves – and our Teams chat is always busy with questions and suggestions to help each other do the best job possible. Anything we can’t deal with within the Hub will be allocated to relevant specialist, such as a Property Maintenance Technician or a Commercial Manager.

“Our goal is to provide all our colleagues with the best possible customer service every day, so they can be sure they have the equipment and tools they need to deliver the best possible service to the Northamptonshire public.”

Fiona is relatively new to a police staff role, having joined the Commercial and Property Hub last year. With previous experience as a police officer, she told us how the Hub supports the frontline...

"I have just reached my one-year anniversary as police staff, having been away from the police service for seven years. Previously I've served as both a PCSO and a police officer, which gives me a unique insight into the needs of frontline policing – which is why this support role appealed to me.

"I joined the hub when it was relatively new, so it was a fast-transitioning period for the department as it rapidly evolved, with new elements coming in monthly. This pace of change has continued and now we all just take it in our stride when new areas are added.

"There is a lot more to the department than just stocking stationary! We have worked hard behind the scenes making sure the frontline have absolutely everything they need in a way that is accessible to them seven days a week.

"What I love about my job is that it's fast-paced and every day is different. One day I could be covering reception at Wootton Hall, another day I could be doing a locker audit at Weston Favell. On Friday's you will usually find me in Custody, ensuring they have the food, clothing and other supplies they need.

"Another major part of what we do is to analyse everything we see and do, and ask the question: is it still practical, relevant and cost effective? If not, we work through it to refine it, and I find it really satisfying to find something where I can really make a difference."

Alana is a long-standing member of the Northamptonshire Police family, with more than 20 years’ service. She told us about some of the changes she’s seen and why she still enjoys the challenge...

“Having been based at Wootton Hall for more than 20 years, as the Force Registry Information Officer looking after the ‘post room’, I met and got to know a lot of officers and staff. I also saw lots of changes as we moved to a more digital world. There’s still a need for a traditional postal service though, as we still send a lot of official letters, as well as move paperwork, goods and equipment around the police estate.

“The last 18 months have seen the biggest ever change for me personally when my role transferred into the Hub. I found it a big challenge having to learn new systems (at my age!) but I embraced it because I am passionate about my job role moving forward and keeping pace with the 21^st century. 

“My main role is the management of the internal and external post system, and one of the great benefits of being part of the Hub is there is a team of people to support that role when I am on leave or if I just need an extra pair of hands.

“One of my proudest moments has been to successfully run the project to relocate the post room to our enabling services hub in Wellingborough. It took a lot of organisation and coordination, but we are now fully up and running, offering not just a full postal service but also mailshots and letter folding for any department that needs these services.

“With more than 20 years’ service, if colleagues need any post-related advice, my door is always open. And if I can’t help, one of my Hub colleagues will most likely be able to!”

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