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Women in Leadership
Name: Abbie Gardner
Role: Prison Governor – Head of Drug Strategy & Healthcare
Company: HM Prison & Probation Service
A bit about you: My family are at the heart of all I do. I have 7 wonderful children (just the 6 teenagers at home at the moment) and a gorgeous grandson that I adore. Outside of home and work I find thrills and peace in equal measure, in, on or near the water. I am an avid helmswoman racing a small yacht and occasionally winning trophies!
What is it like working in your company? My prison holds around 1000 men mainly serving long term prison sentences, including life sentences. Prison life is incredibly fast paced and no two days are ever the same. As a Governor and a Head of Function, I can run from a strategic planning meeting, to supporting a Prison Officer who has been assaulted, to coordinating a multi-agency approach to stopping the ingress of drugs into the establishment. I have a high level of autonomy in choosing how I work, though in a crisis it is always all hands on deck.
Why did you decide to go into your chosen field? After university I joined the Probation Service as I was intrigued about the paths that led people into crime, but also the paths that led them away from it. I wanted to see how the theories worked in practice. After 20 years working in Probation I saw an advert for the Prison Service Senior Leadership Scheme and saw it as an opportunity to challenge myself, to learn, grow and develop, working with prisoners in a different setting. It has certainly been a steep learning curve but one I have thoroughly enjoyed that has secured me a position as a Senior Leader.
What qualifications and work experience did you need to reach your current position? I needed an undergraduate degree to train to become a Probation Officer and relevant leadership experience to apply for the Senior Leadership Scheme. The scheme was highly competitive to get onto and I was required to demonstrate a high standard of behaviours from the Civil Service ‘Success Profiles’. Whilst I became a Prison Governor through a fast track scheme, many join the service as an Operational Support Grade or by completing the Prison Officer Entry Level Training and work their way up the grades to become a Governor.
What do you enjoy the most about your job? The people I work with, both staff and prisoners, are the best thing about the job. We are one big family and we share a journey that swings from comedy to tragedy on a daily basis. Seeing staff and prisoners pulling together in the most difficult of circumstances is truly heart-warming. For me the best think about the job is seeing people progress, whether in their career or through their prison sentence, sharing in the celebration of achievements makes it all worthwhile.
What obstacles have you overcome in your career? In the early days of my career I found that whilst I was learning to support people with mental health issues, I was struggling with mental health issues of my own. It was a battle to access and engage with support whilst progressing at work, but I did it and this has been one of my greatest achievements. HM Prison & Probation Service can be demanding in terms of unsocial hours as well as being traumatic at times and I have had to work hard to balance this with my family life and keeping myself well.
Why do you think it is important to have a strong female representation in your industry? Prisons have long had a reputation for being male dominated, and machismo is still a dominant trait among staff. It is critical to have a balance of approaches and different ways of thinking. Working in a men’s prison, particularly a high security one, often leads me to be asked how I cope. I have found the male dominated culture frustrating at times and I think strong female representation is important to ensure different perspectives are incorporated into our vision, strategy and action plans. I feels proud to set an example to female staff, and especially to my five daughters, of what you can achieve if you set your mind to it and work hard.
What advice would you give those wanting to take a similar career path? Seek volunteering opportunities with people who are at risk of offending or already within the criminal justice system. This will help you decide if you want to work in this field. There are prison and probation jobs to introduce you to the range of careers available, do lots of research on all the different specialisms and see what appeals most to you. Balancing what you are good at with what you love to do will give you the best opportunity of success and job satisfaction.
