Dave Brewster

Dave Brewster is a former Police Officer (Chief Inspector - Metropolitan Police Service) with 30 years’ operational and leadership experience across a broad spectrum of challenging policing environments. Dave has always maintained a strong focus on staff wellbeing and meaningful leadership and in the latter part of his career was responsible for developing the national strategy (Op Hampshire) to improve the response to officer and staff assaults for the College of Policing – National Police Wellbeing Service. 

In policing, the strategy has been adopted across the UK and has received significant support through key stakeholders (Police Federation/National Police Chiefs Council/UNISON) as the industry standard. With over 8 years’ experience in this specific field Dave is considered a subject matter expert and is confident that the experience and insights accrued through this work are adaptable and transferable across a range of public facing sectors.

His key message is that it is essential for colleagues to feel valued as victims of assault and aggression. This in many respects means a change in culture to recognise that every assault regardless of injury has a potential impact. How employers manage that impact can have long term effects on individuals, the wider workforce and beyond. The response promoted through Op Hampshire calls for authentic, supportive leadership and a recognition of the incredible work our colleagues do against a backdrop of the realities they face.

Op Hampshire now features as a priority work stream within the Home Office Police Covenant which he continues to drive forward on a consultancy basis providing management training inputs and senior level strategic development advice.