Sarah Cosgrove, Assistant Director of Communications and Marketing, South Wales Police

Finalist: Team Leader

South Wales Police is the largest force in Wales, with 5,000 staff serving a diverse community of over 1.5m people.

Sarah took over the leadership of the communications department at very short notice. What was expected to be a short stand-in post became more long-term, but rather than see her job as temporary Sarah worked to make a difference within the department.

She developed close ties with chief officers and senior managers, creating a greater role for the communications and marketing team that has given it a voice in the organisation.

She identified pressure points the department was facing and worked with Chief Officers to bring about change. A key issue was the extra pressure the team was finding itself under, without the necessary resources to address those issues. Sarah’s work resulted in extra staff being appointed and greater understanding of the department’s significance in South Wales Police.

Sarah has implemented internal communications strategies during difficult periods of transition for the organisation and managed media relations through a number of high profile cases and incidents.

Within her department, Sarah has given members of her team ownership of projects, adding to their sense of achievement and self worth. The daunting extra responsibilities she took on have not fazed her, leading by example in a situation where the department faced crisis.

Sarah has steered the department through a period of difficulty and change when lines of communication with senior officers were being compromised. Through her efforts, the external profile of South Wales Police has been raised and ties with partner agencies, businesses and communities have been strengthened.