Specialist recruitment venture ensures the Force is with you

A specialist recruitment agency has been launched in Liverpool aimed at the Police and emergency services sectors

Careers in Blue has been set up by retired Police officers Chris Farrell and Jan Scrutton, who between them, have a combined 60 years’ experience in the Force.

Its launch, in September 2021, follows Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s 2021 commitment to increase police numbers over the next three years.

Last October The Home Office announced that, in its drive to recruit additional officers, the Police Force saw a record number of women joining the ranks, with female officers accounting for 45% of new recruits between June-September 2021.

Over the past year eight Forces – Derbyshire, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Staffordshire, Sussex, Thames Valley, Kent and Suffolk – have hired more women than men.

Director, and former Detective Sergeant, Chris Farrell, said: “We feel we have a responsibility to give an honest account of what it is like to be a female in the Force and be part of the process to continue to break down barriers for females entering the sector.”

“We hope to grow significantly within the Police Forces over the next year and feel strongly that we have launched Careers in Blue at a particularly pertinent time, with record numbers of women taking up roles Police Force.”

The two former officers have worked with The Women’s Organisation – a Liverpool and Manchester-based social enterprise that supports female entrepreneurs – to develop their business plan.

They are now anticipating significant growth in 2022.

Founding director and former assessor for specialist national units, Jan Scrutton, said: “Starting a business has been a completely new experience for us, but Chris and I being best friends for more than 25 years has certainly helped the process. We complement each other’s skillsets and work well together, taking the pressure off one another when needed.

“Working with The Women’s Organisation has really helped expand our knowledge of what’s required to start and scale a business, and importantly helped grow our confidence.”

Chris Farrell, spent more than 30 years with the Police Force, specialising in counter terrorism policing and national forensic management, and was widely regarded for her knowledge on applications and interview processes.

Jan Scrutton also boasts more than 30 years’ policing experience in various roles, ranks and was responsible for recruitment process for specialist national units.

The Women’s Organisation has helped to start and scale more than 4,000 businesses since it was established in 1996.