A year on from joining the Federation as a workplace representative, Nicola Owen says she is ‘crystal clear’ on how she intends to use her role to empower other police officers looking for progression in their careers.
Detective Sergeant Nicola was elected as a Fed rep in March 2025, driven by a desire to broaden an already busy and varied working life. Alongside the role, she continues to serve with South Wales Police’s Rapid Video Response (RVR) unit.
The year also marked a significant personal milestone, as the experienced officer celebrated 25 years in the Force. Over the course of her career, she has worked across response, neighbourhood policing, CID and serious organised crime, often returning to previous departments and building a wealth of experience along the way.
However, despite what appears to be a fluid and diverse career path, Nicola is the first to admit that her journey in policing has not always been straightforward.
Now, with valuable insights gained from both challenges and achievements, she is using her experience to support Federation members as the next chapter of her career continues to unfold.
“The main reason I put myself forward to become a workplace rep was to help my colleagues, particularly around fairness and equality matters,” Nicola said.
“Half of my life has now been spent as a cop – although I actually first joined the Force in a civilian role even longer ago – and in that time, you obviously learn so much from both the good and the bad.
Supporting others
“Of course, the good has far outweighed the bad, but I want to use my many different experiences to support others – especially when I may recognise the position a certain Fed member finds themselves in.
“I feel as if I’ve begun doing that in this first year, so if I can continue in this way, I’ll be very happy.”
While acknowledging the common challenges that come with policing, Nicola says that two personal factors have most often shaped barriers to her career progression: working part-time to support her children as a single parent, and managing her dyslexia.
She revealed she has experienced discrimination at work around both, which left her feeling isolated and frustrated.
“To paint the picture, it took me several years to get promoted to sergeant, despite all my efforts. After I began working part-time to balance motherhood, I felt overlooked in favour of male colleagues for full-time roles, even though I was the most qualified PC on my team at the time.
Dyslexia diagnosis
“After years of struggling with certain tasks without always knowing why and often without being supported, I was diagnosed as dyslexic in 2018.
“The diagnosis answered a lot of questions for me, but it was still something I had to come to terms with. Thankfully, the Federation was there for me in a difficult period of my life, so another element of being a Fed rep now is wanting to give back.”
As she edges closer to completing her workplace rep training, Nicola has set ambitious goals to support neurodivergent workers in the Force.
The mum-of-two says she wants to contribute to change that is ‘far-reaching’, such as introducing mandatory training for all Force managers and supervisors with neurodiversity in their teams.
Reasonable adjustments
Nicola is also keen to be a point of contact throughout the Fed for members who may not realise what reasonable adjustments are available to them.
She may already be a familiar face from some of the Force’s interview panels for both entry-level roles and promotions, where her presence has helped ensure fair processes for candidates are taking place.
“I have also dealt with issues around long-term absences, flexible working arrangements, regulations and access concerns, so I’d like to think I am already having a good impact as I build up to do more,” Nicola added.
“Ultimately, everything that’s happened to me is still happening out there. For instance, as policing currently stands, there will always be issues with flexible working.
“But I want Fed members to know they can come to me with anything – not just the things I’ve specifically mentioned – because I genuinely care about my fellow officers.
“I’m honest, open and understanding, and I will do everything I can to help you be your true self and realise your full potential in the Force.”