I am a member of the Emergency Response Team (ERT). We play a crucial role in supporting and coordinating crisis response functions that affect UK policing. This could relate to protests, the environment, serious violence, cyber or other crises. My work ensures that ministers, senior officials, and policy leads are well-informed and equipped to make critical decisions whenever there is a high-profile crisis.
I work closely with operational partners, including the National Police Coordination Centre and the National Security Cyber Centre, as well as with other government departments, to ensure effective coordination on local and national emergency plans. I also work on policies to improve preparedness for cyber-attacks on policing. Our team’s impact is felt through our rapid crisis response, which supports the effective management of emergencies and supports decision-making at the highest levels of government during times of extreme pressure.
I work in a close-knit, supportive team, which really eases the pressure when working in a crisis response environment. A typical day involves analysing cybersecurity threats affecting UK policing, reviewing cyber preparedness projects and coordinating threat forecasting meetings with ministers and policing leaders. I have to be flexible and ready to respond to emerging cyber and other high-profile incidents that my team covers. If I’m on call duty, my day-to-day differs as I manage our joint inboxes, monitor key open-source media outlets for any potential interest, alert teams to incident alerts, and respond to requests from ministers’ private offices.
I would say our teamwork, especially during crises, is strong, and I love how our team is always encouraging and helping each other, whether it be on managing workloads or career development. My colleagues are approachable, resilient and show genuine commitment in their day-to-day work to keep the public safe. They have a collaborative approach to addressing difficult issues and they seek to understand all perspectives. From day one, my team has placed a strong emphasis on learning and development, offering me opportunities to sign up for courses that are of interest. I’ve also had the chance to step out of my comfort zone by leading high-profile projects and working with senior leaders, all while receiving plenty of guidance and encouragement especially from our senior team. The Home Office offers opportunities to explore and grow, and no matter the role, you’ll be part of an organisation making a real impact on society. Be open and adventurous and take the opportunity to meet and learn from dynamic people and teams that will contribute to your personal development