From OU student to Councillor hoping to fight crime

Nicky will now face candidates from the Lib Dem and Conservative parties, in a public vote on 15 November 2012.

Nicky spoke to Platform about her chosen career and OU studies.

Can you tell us about your new role as Labour candidate for the Police and Crime Commissioner?
The Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) are a new initiative by this Government. Their aim is to cut crime and deliver an effective and efficient police service within their force area. PCCs will be elected by the public to hold Chief Constables and the force to account effectively making the police answerable to the communities that they serve.

What does it involve? And how did you progress to this role?
Once elected the PCC will engage with the public and communities to enable them to set a five year police and crime plan for their local force and appoint the Chief Constable. They will do this by talking to the public and local communities in order to set priorities for the police and make important decisions about how services are funded.

How did you progress to this role?
My interest in the role stems from the real difference I have seen neighbourhood policing make in the ward I represent. Working with the local community the police have been able to solve issues of anti-social behaviour and gangs, and as a result crime levels have dropped dramatically. So when I heard about Police and Crime Commissioners, I was keen to bring this experience to this role, my strength is in working and reaching out to communities. Local people need to have a voice in how their neighbourhood is policed. So, I filled in an application form, was interviewed at great length with a number of other candidates to ascertain whether I was a suitably qualified candidate. I then attended a number of hustings (meeting) with the other candidate so that we could be questioned on our views and finally all labour members were asked to vote for their preferred candidate. Luckily for me, I won.

What inspired you to become a councillor?
Having a family made me feel that I had to stand up and be counted I want the best possible future for my children and if I want that to happen I need to make a difference and not rely on others to make the case for me.

You are at the end of studying for a degree in Social Science specialising in Social Policy and Criminology with the OU. Why did you choose the OU?
Because I needed to work and earn a living but was to keen to get some formal qualifications to back up the work I was doing professionally. The OU allowed me the flexibility I needed and the courses were interesting.

How have your studies impacted on your career?
They have been complementary to my career as a political advisor - quite often I have been asked to research policies around subjects, which we have actively been looking at within the course materials. For example when I initially started studying I was working for an MP at the time when genetically modified crops were at the forefront in the media, I was studying this in my OU course, at the same time I was writing to constituents on this matter. The study enabled me to deepen my understanding of the issues. In my current role as cabinet member, we have to actively develop policy and the study process helps in the methodology and research methods.

You seem very active on Social Media: twitter, blogging, website – do you find this attracts lots of interaction/comment and helps your campaigns as much as meeting people in person?
I think it widens my campaign. The difficulty in politics is ensuring you hear the views of the widest number of people possible. We know young people are often not engaged in the political processes, but we do know is that when they do engage it is through social media like twitter. It is a good way of reaching out to groups who wouldn’t normally be heard and making it relevant to them.

Which came first – being a councillor, OU study, family? Or all at the same time? And how did you juggle these commitments?
OU came first; I took a break to have my family, and then went back to the OU before becoming a Councillor. Having said that, I had been working as a political advisor since 1999 and my lack of formal qualifications in this field is one of the reasons why I started studying with the OU. Family and friends have been really understanding when I have locked myself away for a weekend when a TMA is due, but really because I have an interest in the subjects I’ve studied it’s incentivised me to make the time to sit down and study rather than sit down slumped in front of the TV.

What have you personally gained from studying / what has your experience with the OU taught you about yourself?
It’s given me the confidence that I can study a higher level, and that I can stand up and make a coherent argument, to put forward my political views, ideas and policies based on the knowledge that I know how to research and build a case based on evidence.

What’s next for you? (future aims in career or study)
I’ve just taken my final exams and hope to be graduating soon. I am busy at the moment campaigning for the Police and Crime Commissioner elections. I have no immediate plans for further study until I know the outcome of that election, however I have to admit being bitten by the OU bug, so you never know; maybe a Masters is on the horizon.