I’m a boy from Bermondsey and I’m very proud of that.
When I first joined the Civil Service, there weren’t a lot of people that looked like me.
There weren’t a lot of people that talked like me and they certainly didn’t walk like me.
When I joined, women were underrepresented in the Civil Service.
Working part-time was even seen as quite a strange and unusual thing to do.
I did initially have my worries and concerns because I thought people who are in the Civil Service have known each other a long time.
They probably graduated from similar universities and go into the Civil Service and grow together. That was my impression from the outside.
I think there is a perception that civil servants all come from particular backgrounds, all very middle class, all very white, bowler hatted, those kind of stereotypes, and it’s definitely not that.
Some people on the outside might think they have to be a certain type of individual to work in this organisation.
And to be successful in this organisation. I would like to think that I’m someone who changes that perception a little bit because I’m not, you know, your typical senior civil servant.
Ever since coming to the Home Office, I have felt really welcome.
My managers, they’re really, really good and supportive.
They did want a person who can bring an outside perspective. So they do value what I bring.
I do think that’s one of the strengths of the Civil Service that actually, it does its best to be welcoming, diverse and inclusive.
I’ve been in the Civil Service my whole life and where we are now is a very different place from where it was when I joined.
I think we’re a much better organisation, an organisation I’m proud of in terms of being inclusive.
I really enjoy the fact that there’s so many different people from different backgrounds, different cultures.
I think it makes for a better working environment.