While working in a garden centre, Rebecca Matthews saw a newspaper advert for a role as a Prisoner Custody Officer, thought it sounded interesting and decided to go for it. 15 years later, she’s worked her way up to Operations & Safeguarding Manager at Serco. Today, she and her colleagues are contracted by the Ministry of Justice to be responsible for the welfare of all children and young people during their movement between secure establishments, police stations and courts in the south of England.
We spoke to her about the challenges, large and small, that she’s encountered over the course of her career, and what she’s learned about herself along the way.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BIGGEST DAY-TO-DAY CHALLENGES IN YOUR ROLE?
I’m jointly responsible for the oversight and management of the CYP (Children and Young Peoples) Service. Geographically, we cover a very large area in the UK, which includes 104 courts, 8 vehicle depots that operate CYP and 4 youth establishments that stretch from Bristol to Kent. As a relatively new service we are still working to embed the changes and help staff (circa 1800) understand the requirements of the contract. I need to ensure that I’m fulfilling my duties, whether that be reporting to my Senior Management Team and other stakeholders or conducting site visits to check on the welfare of staff and the young people in our care. Diaries can change and priorities shift in an instant — there’s a ‘to do’ list, but there’s also a need to review it regularly and re-prioritise. For example, recently I travelled to Gloucester and stayed overnight for a meeting the following day, but then I got a call during the night to notify me of a bed watch at Milton Keynes hospital. We’re contracted to provide resource when a young person is admitted to hospital from a secure children’s home or training centre, so we planned the resource and I drove there in the morning to conduct my management checks. The young offender institutions, secure training centres and secure children’s homes book their moves through a secure platform. Each booking is accompanied by a risk assessment. We review each risk assessment to determine the right mode of transport and staffing requirement. Due to the nature of our work, our staff manage some very difficult behaviours and situations, and it’s important that they feel supported. I try to ensure that I’m contactable as far as possible should our operational control centre or other colleagues need advice or support.
HOW DO YOU KEEP YOUR EMOTIONS IN CHECK WHEN YOU’RE DEALING WITH VULNERABLE PEOPLE?
In our contract we come into contact with people from all walks of life, some of whom are very vulnerable due to their current circumstances. I’ve worked in PECS (Prisoner Escort Custody Services) for 15 years now and whilst I’m quite resilient, empathy plays a large part in what I do. Many of the children that enter the custodial system have complex backgrounds which is why I’m so passionate in supporting them and ensuring our service is centred around their welfare. We come across court cases and personal situations that are upsetting, but it’s rewarding to see the difference that our work makes. In my capacity as a Safeguarding Manager, I am able to ensure that we do everything practicable to protect children and vulnerable adults. We are always seeking the best possible outcome for those in our care and that motivates me.
YOU’RE MAKING DECISIONS UNDER PRESSURE AND OFTEN THE STAKES ARE HIGH. HOW DO YOU APPROACH THAT?
The CYP Service is dynamic and we’re continually making decisions. There are many factors I need to consider such as the impact on the operation, staff, stakeholders and performance. It’s about ensuring you prioritise effectively and reflect on your decision-making and whether things could have been done better — and, if they can, admitting that. I’m fortunate to be surrounded by a wealth of experience and I won’t hesitate to seek opinions of others if they’re more knowledgeable in a particular area. It’s useful to have those conversations and bounce ideas off each other as it can help you see things from a different perspective.
DOES IT EVER GET TOO MUCH — HAVE YOU EVER FELT STRESS TO THE POINT OF BURNOUT?
It can be quite pressurised and the workload can be demanding but I’m generally quite laid back. I’m not someone that would ever raise my voice or lose my temper, or even appear outwardly stressed. But I think the negative side of that is that I’m someone who internalises stress and I do just plough on, trying to get on top of the workload and it’s me that suffers for that. There was a period of intense pressure last year and I did feel it physically. It’s really important to recognise and take action before that impacts more seriously — there were times when I’ve felt my heart racing. And I’m not somebody that has panic attacks, or anxiety, but even just trying to catch my breath — I could feel that my breathing was becoming shallow and that prompted me to take action before I made myself ill.
SO WHAT ARE YOUR STRATEGIES FOR DEALING WITH STRESS AND STAYING WELL?
Coincidentally, around that time, I got an email from a local yoga teacher who was offering online classes. It was really interesting to hear her talk about the negative effects of being on the go all the time, and the benefits of deep, calming breathing. I practised it, and then instantly after that, I felt better and then I thought, it is stress and I do need to think more about my wellbeing. Because of the nature of my job and the hours the operation runs, if you’re on call, you can be contacted anytime. So whilst I can’t control the calls I may receive, I can control how much time I spend on my laptop, so in the mornings now, if I’m working from home, I do go for a walk; I like getting the fresh air. Other things I enjoy doing: I like reading a book and I’ve recently started to learn the piano, which are hobbies that engage your brain and help shut off thinking about work… I’m still guilty of working over my contracted hours. But if I finish at 6 or 7 in the evening then I turn my laptop off and make time to go to the gym or get those hobbies in. It can be tempting to keep looking at the phone, at emails…
WHEN YOU LOOK BACK, WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST CHALLENGING PERIOD IN YOUR CAREER OVERALL?
At the start of 2019, my husband and I started having fertility treatment and we went on to have four rounds over the course of about 18 months. Unsuccessful IVF is undoubtedly the hardest thing I’ve experienced and living through that experience while working full time in a challenging operational role was really difficult. I think for me it’s probably about the lack of control because in my job I have control over a lot of things, whereas for the IVF you don’t have much control over anything. Trying to keep a brave face on when you’re at work and trying to maintain that professionalism and your high standards was a struggle. The challenges we face in the PECS Contract are difficult enough but coupled with personal issues over a prolonged period was tough. At work, I put pressure on myself to plough on at the detriment of my own wellbeing. The first time we had bad news from the clinic, I went back to work the next day and I wasn’t ready. I cried the whole way to work, then I composed myself, did my job, and then cried all the way home. My managers were supportive, but I think it probably needed to be me recognising in myself that I needed to practise more self-care, take a day at a time and check in more regularly with how I was feeling. We’re not robots and I think it’s important to remember that work can be delegated or reassigned. We often don’t extend the same level of compassion to ourselves that we do to others.
LET’S LOOK AT SOME OF YOUR HIGHEST POINTS — WHEN HAVE YOU FELT AT YOUR MOST CONFIDENT AND LIKE YOU CAN TAKE ON ANY CHALLENGE?
I’d say I’m at my most confident now, because I’ve got the most experience behind me. Recently I re-started an Operations/Departmental Manager Apprenticeship that I had deferred. The learning itself gives you confidence, but also as you progress you realise how much of it you already know and how much you’ve already covered in your role. It makes you think, ‘Oh actually, I do know quite a lot!’.
HAVE YOU EVER EXPERIENCED IMPOSTER SYNDROME?
I hadn’t heard of it until I was talking to my current line manager, and she said, ‘Oh, it sounds like you’ve got imposter syndrome!’ and we started talking about the variety of people that can suffer, from sports personalities to really high achieving CEOs. I looked it up and it really resonated with me straight away — the feelings of self-doubt and feeling like a fraud. The last two promotions, I wasn’t necessarily going to go for, but I was encouraged to apply. It’s taken me time to accept that I got the promotion based on my own ability and not because of other influences. Ironically, you have to be succeeding in order to feel like a fraud. It’s reassuring to know that imposter syndrome and fear are fairly common and now I practise more self-compassion using the positive outcomes to spur me on.
