Looking back and going forward | WIG Article

After a six-month secondment to Oxfam last year and since returning to my home department, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), just before Christmas, I’ve had a few weeks to look back and reflect both personally and professionally. Quite opportune as the New Year is traditionally a time when many of us have some capacity to not just look back but also look forward to what may be in store.

The first thing to note is that the secondment went by in a flash and although I was conscious from the outset it was only going to be six months, I really had to make the most of my time at Oxfam. Although in my circumstances it wasn’t possible to have an extended secondment, my advice to anybody looking to do the same would be to ensure you do consider the length of time away in the host organisation and have the right amount of time to do it justice.

Being flexible and open minded

Be clear about what you want to achieve in your time away, you may not be able to do everything you set out to do and lots of changes happen at organisations so prioritise three or four key objectives. Things will be different once you are there, getting involved in the work, learning quickly, getting to know lots of different people, attending meetings and sometimes being pulled in different directions (in a good way) but do keep reminding yourself of why you are there and what you thought you set out to do will inevitably shift – just be open to this. Be flexible and open minded about what the terms of reference were so you don’t put yourself in a strait jacket and miss out on any opportunities.

I had to say no to some things and seek out different things, but with a very supportive manager and through open discussions we were able to ensure that both organisations and I personally benefitted from the secondment within the framework set out.

I undertook research, gave presentations (including at Board level), provided scrutiny of policy documents, contributed to strategic input with chief officers, was part of discussions and debates at many different levels, I also mentored, coached and role modelled. I was able to share a lot of ideas and policies, where applicable, to help Oxfam, for example in their development of protocols. I couldn’t finish everything I started nor see things through to the end of everything I was involved in but exposure to both the operational and strategic side of Oxfam was fascinating.

Benefitting all

I really benefitted from being immersed and challenged in a completely new environment, the charity sector. Being able to directly apply my senior leadership skills and experience to the global challenges of a large charity undergoing transformational change in strategy and culture was invaluable. To learn and be inspired by how others operate and get things done in different ways was hugely beneficial, and of course I also diversified my network.
And there were benefits for the CPS too, including the enhancement of its organisational reputation, a better understanding of what the CPS does and how. There was genuine interest generated in the benefits of secondments for the department at Board level, appreciation of the how the broader application of operational, leadership and executive expertise can readily move across into other sectors, over and above the already recognised legal and technical skills of our chief officers.

Certainly, post secondment, I have been keen to convert this opportunity in some way and bring the learnings back to the CPS. So, I have shared my experience with CPS colleagues, who have been curious to learn about how I transitioned myself both ways there and back! with the Executive Board, who were keen to learn about the value of such secondments to the wider organisation, with the Cabinet Office Secondments Unit, who were very interested in my experience and wanting to share this wider across the civil service.

The wider benefits of secondments are well known, they can attract talent, harness talent and support talent and by moving horizontally to support one’s own personal development enhances skillsets in lots of positive ways and at different times throughout a leadership journey. They also allow, in my view, exposure to different types of leaders from different backgrounds and this then allows for greater diversity in the long run. Mature organisations will embrace secondments confidently, seeing them as a structured route to movement that retains freshness and engagement and not as a negative, fearing losing talent as this is too short sighted.

Taking time to reflect

I was both professionally and personally motivated to undertake this secondment and the timing was right for me. This will of course be different for different people; it may suit them earlier in their careers or mid-way through or later. The important thing is, it doesn’t matter because it’s what you make of it and it has to be right for you. But the opportunity provided through WIG was fantastic and I have returned being even more motivated and engaged – I have stretched myself, challenged myself, and truly stepped out of my comfort zone. And being at Oxfam, such a different organisation from the CPS, proved for me to be a validation of my much broader leadership skills and not just the legal technical skills which will always be there as a solid bedrock and foundation.

So, as I return to my busy life as a Chief Crown Prosecutor, engaging with victims and witnesses, reviewing cases, determining charges, meeting Judges, clearing backlogs, working with other criminal justice partners I remind myself of that experience and will look back fondly. 

Photo above: Jaswant at Aylesbury Crown Court, with the Resident Judge, local MP, HMCTS and CPS staff

I do think about what is common to both organisations, reflect on the different styles of leadership, how we are all trying to shift cultures, how we influence internally and externally, how the public view us, the subtle nuances and intricacies of affecting change. And of course, how the pandemic impacted on our working lives at both Oxfam and CPS.

It’s important for me that I continue to reflect and think about my time at Oxfam and the learning I took from it, otherwise it’s too easy to get completely engrossed in my job as a prosecutor. These reflections won’t necessarily be big revelations or life changing moments for somebody, like me, who has many decades of service behind them, but they will be important reminders of the work we do in the CPS, a justice led organisation serving the public, and the commonality with the charity sector also, you can argue, seeking justice for humanity globally.

An important reminder of “What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make….”will stick with me and I implore others to reflect on the same.

Finally, I want to thank WIG, for facilitating the opportunity and both my own department, the CPS, for being forward looking and open to a secondment of this type and fully supporting me and to Oxfam, for being so welcoming and warm and making it feel like home.