As a former Detective Chief Inspector and Senior Investigating Officer with the Metropolitan Police Service, Rachael has led on the investigation of serious and complex crime. She is used to operating in a fast moving and dynamic environment, managing risk, and dealing with conflicting priorities. Her mantra is simple though – keep the victim at the heart of every investigation and you can’t go wrong.
A highly trained and experienced interviewer, Rachael specialises in the interviewing of vulnerable witnesses and victims, including victims of sexual assault and harassment. She understands the importance of gaining the trust and confidence of victims so that they feel supported and empowered to recount their experiences in a safe environment.
Rachael has a wealth of experience in leading multi-agency investigations and reviews and understands the importance of working collaboratively to get the best outcome. She has worked with Healthcare Trusts, the Care Quality Commission, and Local Authorities. She led the investigation into allegations of abuse and neglect of elderly residents across several care homes. Whilst no criminal offences were identified, her findings led to a multi-agency review and action plan to improve awareness of, and training for, those involved in the care of the elderly.
One of Rachael’s particular fields of expertise is public protection. At a strategic level, she was involved in formulating MPS policies and procedures around domestic violence and hate crime, working closely with special interest groups to understand all the issues. She was the police lead for public protection and safeguarding at both Westminster and Sutton working with internal and external stakeholders to keep vulnerable children and adults safe. She has chaired numerous multi-agency panels, including those responsible for overseeing Child Sexual Exploitation, Adult Safeguarding, and Domestic Violence. At Westminster, she was the police lead in setting up the first Tri-borough Multi-agency Safeguarding Hub in London to improve information sharing across agencies, manage risk more effectively, and improve outcomes for children.
Rachael has a strong background in Professional Standards. As a senior officer, she has investigated complaints from members of the public and internal misconduct matters. She also has considerable experience in dealing with fairness at work issues, understanding the importance to both individuals and organisations of grasping the nettle at the earliest opportunity and wherever possible seeking to resolve an issue before it escalates.
As a manager, Rachael understands that a happy and supported team is a productive team. She has a proven track record of building and leading effective and high performing teams, taking particular interest in the welfare, training, and development of her staff. She led on the training and mentoring of trainee detectives at Westminster and introduced a coaching and mentoring programme at Sutton called “Aspire” for officers seeking promotion.
Outside of work, Rachael loves to walk with friends and family in the Surrey countryside – or even just with Chester, the dog, who is a new acquisition to the family and the best money she has ever spent.
