Metropolitan Police Careers

Profiles

Debbie Gilbert

Occupational Health Adviser

Being an Occupational Health Adviser in the MPS, means working on anything to do with health issues that impact on work, like assessing fitness for all the roles available within the MPS. It's a really varied job, for example, I could be providing sickness absence management, or helping people with sickness or injuries to continue working by modifying their role slightly.

It's not just an office-based job. I could also be helping people cope with bereavement, or dealing with the aftermath of a traumatic experience. There's also delivering health related training, raising awareness of issues like managing stress, how to sit at a computer, or even what to do if a prisoner bites you!

I like the variety and the fact that as long as I honour my responsibilities I can manage my own time and my own diary. I love being out and about but I also like spending days in the office, catching up with paperwork, writing reports, updating managers, that sort of thing.

I've been working in occupational health for ten years now and joined the MPS just over three years ago. I wanted to get back to working in London and switched from primary care nursing so I could work more family oriented hours. Previously, I'd worked for a number of large and small private companies, getting a good grounding in health and safety and work related issues, but I was interested in the fact that the MPS supports ongoing professional development. I didn't have a degree in Occupational Health Nursing and they were prepared to sponsor me to do that.

I've recently finished my degree. The MPS was very good, supporting me throughout, paying my fees and giving me one day off a week to go to lectures. So thanks to them, I'm in a good position professionally because I've now got the combination of experience and a qualification. I suppose that makes me more marketable now, although I'm not planning to leave!

My recent deployment to Thailand in support of the Disaster Victim Identification Process following the tsunami was both rewarding and the most diverse yet while working as an Occupational Health Adviser. My specific role was to keep the officers working in Thailand heathy and safe, by managing risks and proactively supporting their day-to-day work.

The risks to the deployed staff were varied and included infection, psychological pressures, heat and handling loads. The most physically significant of these was working in the intense heat and humidity with temperatures around 45 degrees whilst dressed in protective clothing. However, the most overwhelming was the enormity of the disaster and the associated loss of life. Despite all this, the deployment proved to be one of the most satisfying experiences of my career and I feel privileged to have been involved. 

My work with the Met is very welfare driven. Having worked for PLCs where the shareholders come first, I know this is rare. The MPS is one of the few places where you can have a job for life. You could do over 30 years' service and nobody in my social circle has that security. For them, the fear of downsizing and short contracts is the norm. For me there is a marvellous feeling of security.

The MPS suits me perfectly. It's like a big family - a very protective environment.