Your commissioner Zoë Metcalfe

Your Commissioner Zoë Metcalfe

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Meet the team

Meet the Commissioner's team

The Commissioner appoints statutory and non-statutory officers to the Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (OPFCC) to ensure that the powers and duties of the PFCC are carried out efficiently and effectively.

Alongside the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (PFCC), the OPFCC ensures that the Commissioner’s strategic programme for policing, fire and crime is carried into effect – providing, commissioning and overseeing services which meet the objectives, priorities and outcomes set out in the Police & Crime Plan and the Fire & Rescue Plan.

The OPFCC ensures that the PFCC has full executive and professional support in carrying out his or her duties and responsibilities comprehensively and lawfully.

All OPFCC staff report to the Chief Executive as Head of Paid Service.

In addition to providing and supporting the roles of Monitoring Officer and Chief Finance Officer, the OPFCC undertakes a wide range of functions of the PFCC via a scheme of delegated powers, supporting and representing the PFCC in carrying out all aspects of the Commissioner’s public, service provision, scrutiny and governance roles.

With the exception of any Deputy appointed by a PFCC, staff within an OPFCC must not undertake political work.

Statutory Officers

Simon Dennis – Chief Executive & Monitoring Officer

Every Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) or Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner (PFCC) must have a Chief Executive in post who will support and advise the Commissioner and assist in the delivery all statutory duties.

The Chief Executive works with the Commissioner, the Chief Constable and Chief Fire Officer, the Chief Finance Officers and other senior managers to ensure delivery of the Commissioner’s vision, strategy and priorities and ensures rigorous scrutiny of operational activities.

The Chief Executive also provides effective leadership to the Commissioner’s Office (“the OPFCC”).

The Chief Executive holds the role of the Monitoring Officer, with a remit to identify any contravention of law, maladministration or injustice and to promote high ethical standards.

The post fulfils the statutory function of the Head of Paid Service, with responsibility for leading the Commissioner’s staff and ensuring that the OPFCC supports the Commissioner in the performance of powers and duties.

The post of Chief Executive is politically restricted and the post holder must be appointed on merit following a confirmation process held by the Police Fire and Crime Panel.

Responsibilities:

  • To carry out the duties of the Chief Executive appointed under the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011; the Head of the Paid Service for the OPFCC; and the Monitoring Officer to the Commissioner both as local policing body and in respect of fire and rescue powers.
  • To provide dynamic leadership and effective, high quality guidance, advice and support to the Police Fire and Crime Commissioner and staff within the OPFCC.
  • To ensure the Commissioner and the Office meets their statutory duties and strategic objectives, ensuring legality, effective governance and the highest ethical standards.
  • To advise and assist the Commissioner in the review, development and implementation of statutory Plans and commissioning powers.
  • To support and advise the Commissioner in the development of vision, strategy and planning, ensuring implementation and regular review.

Michael Porter – Chief Finance Officer

Michael fulfils the Chief Finance Officer and Section 151 Officer role on a part-time basis, being also Cleveland PCC’s Chief Finance Officer and deputy Chief Executive officer.

The Chief Finance Officer of the PFCC is the Commissioner’s professional adviser on financial matters. To enable these duties to be fulfilled and to ensure the PFCC is provided with adequate financial advice, the Commissioner’s Chief Finance Officer:

  • is a key member of the Commissioner’s Leadership Team, working closely with the Chief Executive, helping the team to develop and implement strategy and to resource and deliver the PFCC’s strategic objectives sustainably and in the public interest;
  • is actively involved in, and able to bring influence to bear on, all strategic business decisions, of the Commissioner, to ensure that the financial aspects of immediate and longer term implications, opportunities and risks are fully considered, and alignment with the PFCC’s financial strategy;
  • leads the promotion and delivery by the Commissioner of good financial management so that public money is safeguarded at all times and used appropriately, economically, efficiently and effectively; and ensures that the finance function is resourced to be fit for purpose.

Assistant Commissioner & Victims Champion

Jenni Newberry
Assistant Commissioner & Victims Champion
Director of Commissioning & Partnerships

An Assistant Commissioner and Victims’ Champion is a non-statutory, non-political role that supports the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner by providing resilience and visibility in their absence.

In this combined role, the public can expect to see an Assistant Commissioner with responsibilities such as engagement at community events, speaking at conferences, providing comment to the media on important topics, and working alongside the Commissioner to ensure people are safe and feeling safe in North Yorkshire and York.

A Victims’ Champion acts as the voice for Victims, listening to their lived experience and engaging with support services to identify themes, trends, and gaps in service provision so that the development of policies, planning and commissioning can be framed with Victims needs in mind. This element of the role advocates alongside the Commissioner, who is also a Victims’ Champion.

Find out more about Jenni and her role: Assistant Commissioner & Victims Champion

Delivery & Assurance

Tamara Pattinson – Director of Delivery and Assurance

Tamara ensures that North Yorkshire Police, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service and our own OPFCC drive forward progress towards the Priorities and Outcomes under our Plans for Policing and Crime and for Fire and Rescue.

Tamara also ensures that our new assurance model gives the Services the freedom to innovate and improve, whilst focussing on what the public tell us is important in order for them to be safe and feel safe.

Delivery and Assurance

  • Tim Edwards – Delivery and Assurance Manager
  • Vicky Booty – Project Manager – Delivery & Assurance
  • Faihaa Alnaser – Commissioner’s Officer for Delivery & Assurance
  • Polly Etheridge – Commissioner’s Officer for Policy & Research

Fire and Rescue Authority Management

  • Fiona Kinnear – Fire & Rescue Authority Manager

Business Governance

  • Not yet commenced – Business Manager & Data Protection Officer
  • Tina James-McGrath – Temporary Office & Volunteer Manager
  • Claire Tomenson – Commissioner’s Executive Assistant
  • Sarah Davies – Executive Management Team’s Executive Assistant
  • Sheree Ashman – Business Governance Assistant
  • Position vacant – Business Governance Apprentice

Contact the Business Governance team

Inclusivity & Public Confidence

Amanda Wilkinson – Director of Public Confidence
Deputy Monitoring Officer

Amanda has specific portfolio responsibility for the OPFCC’s pioneering customer service function, our inclusivity and public confidence work and for ensuring effective communications and engagement with the public.

Amanda also deputises for the Monitoring Officer, ensuring the highest standards of decision making.

Sarah Arnott – Interim Director

Inclusivity & Public Confidence

  • Not yet commenced – Inclusivity & Public Confidence Manager
  • Position vacant – Commissioner’s Officer for Inclusivity & Public Confidence

Customer Service

  • Not yet commenced – Customer Service Manager
  • Mark Ayres – Senior Customer Service Advisor
  • Melanie Flintoft – Customer Service Advisor
  • Ana Monteiro Kett – Customer Service Advisor
  • Position vacant – Customer Service Assistant

Contact the Customer Service team

Communications and Engagement

  • Holly Jenkinson – Communications and Engagement Manager
  • Amanda Bowers – Community Engagement Officer
  • Simon Jones – Media Officer

Contact the Communications and Engagement team:

Commissioning & Partnerships

Jenni Newberry – Director of Commissioning & Partnerships

In addition to her role as Assistant Commissioner & Victims Champion, Jenni also leads the Commissioning and Partnerships Team, to develop and deliver commissioning/procurement processes, in the creation and development of services, which support victims, offenders and communities across North Yorkshire.

Commissioning & Partnerships

  • Nicole Hutchinson – Commissioning & Partnerships Manager
  • Sally Lynch – Commissioning & Partnerships Manager
  • Sarah Arnott – Commissioning & Partnerships Manager
  • Wendy Green – Commissioning & Partnerships Manager
  • Keith Taylor – Commissioned Services Data & System Manager

Crime, Offending & Justice

  • Katie Wright – Commissioner’s Officer for Offending & Justice

Supporting Victims

  • Claire – Supporting Victims Team Leader
  • Cai – Victim Care Coordinator
  • Emma – Victim Care Coordinator
  • Helen – Victim Care Coordinator
  • Ian – Victim Care Coordinator
  • Lea  – Victim Care Coordinator
  • Melissa – Victim Care Coordinator
  • Sophie – Victim Care Coordinator

Contact the Supporting Victims Team

OPFCC structure and statutory officers

Organisation structure

OPFCC team makeup – 14 March 2023

  • 34 – Total number of OPFCC staff (excluding volunteers, committee members and apprentice)
  • 64% – Percentage identifying as Female
  • 36% – Percentage identifying as Male
  • 0% – Percentage disclosing a disability
  • 0% – Percentage identifying as Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic (BAME) 0%

OPFCC location

  • Our office is at 12 Granby Rd, Harrogate HG1 4ST, which we share with the Customer Service team and the Commissioning & Partnership team.
  • Our lease on the premises runs for five years – from 16 July 2018 to 15 July 2023

Updated 14 March 2023

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