Kate Maxwell
Wakerley,QLD
Summary
Selected to lead a project team partnering with Youth Justice (YJ), to facilitate the Queensland (QLD) Government Priority of YJ Reform- Five Point Plan. Working under pressure and accelerated timelines established the North Brisbane District (NBD) Youth Co-Responder Team (YCRT). Drawing on relationships and reputation, secured staffing for a three-shift roster, with no available budget. Ensuring alignment with the strategic intent of the Queensland Police Service (QPS), I engaged the workforce through direct consultation to examine a range of options for the contemporary delivery, meeting with key points of contact (KPOC) throughout the state. I drafted the NBD concept of operations recognising and focusing on the need for early engagement, intervention, and the identification of precipitating factors leading to offending. I translated the strategic priorities of reducing youth offending, considered peer insights, and utilised partnerships with YJ to review the concept. I identified and monitored changes in crime trends, policing issues, and government priorities and analysed this information to develop strategies to address these issues. Factoring in succession planning and diversity of staffing, I conducted interviews for YJ staff, and disseminated expressions of interest (EOI) for QPS staff, ensuring all had the ability to work intensively with young people. Through feedback loops, potential bias was identified, and police uncertainty acknowledged as a significant obstacle affecting buy-in. I developed and presented an education package to resistant stakeholders and fostered a culture of continuous improvement. I provided technical expertise on intensive therapeutic interventions and criminogenic needs challenging current policing standards and led a multi-disciplinary team ensuring collaborative case management of young people and their families. Representing the work unit, I attended management meetings articulating the projects parameters, advantages, and barriers, clarifying the direction, and intended outcomes. When confronted with uncertainty, mutual exchange of ideas was encouraged, ensuring examples were goal and outcome focused, empowering police to embrace change. Result: My joint-agency approach has allowed the establishment of NBD YCRT in ten days. I secured $80,666 for intensive bail supervision, and $213,000 for NBD YCRT, aligning with the strategic objective of strengthening our capability to prevent, disrupt, respond, and investigate crime and deliver safe and secure communities. “Maxwell demonstrated critical thinking in her role implementing the YCRT including providing great insight and driving innovation in the complex YJ environment.” Assistant Commissioner Chris Stream.
Overview
8
8
years of professional experience
Work History
Officer in Charge- Detective A/Senior Sergeant
Queensland Police Service
11.2021 - Current
Drive the strategic vision of the QPS within the Inner West Child Protection and Investigation Unit, ensuring alignment to the government and community priorities of making Queensland the Safest state
Lead and manage crime within the Inner West Patrol group by planning and overseeing operations that prevent, disrupt, respond and investigate crime throughout the patrol group.
Provide financial oversight across the unit ensuring service delivery.
Represent the QPS through numerous functions and roles including the Sexual Violence Liaison Officer, and Police Negotiator, build and sustain both internal and external relationships to ensure stakeholder engagement, and to develop a coordinated trauma informed, victim centric approach.
Represent the QPS effectively in public and internal forums. Provide regular legislative and policy advice and the impact on service delivery.
Detective Sergeant
Inner West Child Protection and Investigation Unit
10.2018 - Current
Senior Investigator- lead and manage a team to prevent, disrupt, response and investigate crime with a focus on our most vulnerable victims.
Detective Sergeant
Queensland Police Service
04.2021 - 11.2021
Develop and lead a high performing inter-agency team that focused on early engagement with young people and their families. Build culture, provide financial oversight, risk mitigation and ensure welfare of all staff.
Detective Sergeant- Senior Investigator/ SCAN
Queensland Police Service
04.2016 - 09.2018
Senior Investigator and Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect (SCAN) Team Representative for Queensland Police Service (core member) - enabling a coordinated, multi-agency response to children where statutory intervention is required.
Education
Skills
- Team building
- Self-Directed
- Task Prioritization
- Written Communication
Accountability
As the Officer in Charge of Inner West CPIU, I mentored the investigative team throughout Operation Uniform Salwood, the murder and torture of a 7 month old. Subsequent the arrest of two offenders, investigators continued to be exposed to traumatic subject matter. I engaged relevant experts to ensure diverse perspectives and held regular briefings creating an environment that allowed for open discussion. I promoted inclusive practices, assigning investigators with varied abilities to the investigation centre allowing continual professional growth. I connected regularly with the team, prioritising their psychological wellbeing, and advocating and empowering team members to be mental health literate. I reassigned members who were identified with trauma fatigue and commenced appropriate psychological first aid (PFA) intervention. I critically evaluated my own performance and leadership, promoting development of my own skill set. Result: Fostered an inclusive workplace where health, safety and wellbeing were prioritised and promoted. As the Officer in Charge Inner West CPIU, I was tasked by QPS executive to take carriage of a disciplinary file. Concerned Person (CP) had disclosed that the Subject Member (SM) had sexually assaulted her training. Using trauma informed practices, I investigated the criminal complaint without bias and upheld confidence in the disciplinary system and QPS, charging the SM with sexual assault. Ensuring I was mental health literate, I created the environment for open discussion, cultivating trust and connecting regularly. Support was provided to the CP, her family, and WM throughout the court process, due to their genuine perceived perception of reprisal, educating and empowering them to look after their own psychological wellbeing. Arrangements were made ensuring engagement by Workcover and internal witness support. I recognised the need for intervention with the CP and advocated for improvements to her working environment, by facilitating her participation in a mentoring program. I ensured constant contact with her OIC, and substantive OIC, promoting her safety and wellbeing. I championed with the QPUE victim-centric processes when supporting CP, WM, and SM during criminal and disciplinary investigations, when all parties are sworn police officers. Due to long-term risks to service delivery, I liaised with experts in training, and local instructors within NBD promoting improvements to current packages, ensuring a safe environment for all participants. Result: Positive feedback from the Senior Crown Prosecutor. Due to the support provided to CP, CP returned to full duties. QPUE developing a more victim-centric policy for support for sworn CP/WM/SM. OST policy and procedure updated to ensure a safe environment, managing risk to service. SM issued dismissal notice electing to resign. A post separation finding of dismissal was made against the SM. Awarded highly commended ‘Integrity and Courage’ award for excellence in policing - Australasian Council of Women and Policing
Results
Appointed protracted relieving opportunity as the Officer in Charge (OIC) of the Inner West Child Protection and Investigation Unit. Substantive OIC removed due to disciplinary investigation involving dominant and influential staff. Understanding the reputational harm and the possible impact on service delivery, I conducted an environmental scan identifying that the unit performance was destabilised, triggering general low morale. I acknowledged a lack of correlation between work unit goals and the QPS Strategic Plan, and recognised splintered and dysfunctional cliques causing diminished culture, and an absence of cohesion between staff. I served Professional Development Strategy Documents (PDSD) on remaining subject members (SM), provided development strategies, reassigned their duties to ensure compliance, and maintained governance. I convened meetings with the Detective Sergeants (DS) encouraging strategic thinking and critical reflection, discussing performance and general discipline gaps, and seeking collaboration around solutions and their implementation. I actively mentored and coached relieving DS to enhance their capability and confidence. I developed an informal mentor/mentee relationship for staff and supported team leaders taking responsibility for performance and maintenance of files. Realigning core duties to ensure governance and discipline of respective teams, I ensured a focus on staff resilience throughout disciplinary process necessitating welfare as a priority. I revised previous performance reviews and updated the Development and Performance (DAP) system, meeting with every officer within the unit. I utilised the DAP process to normalise feedback and monitored goal progress, coordinating professional development and training of investigators. I held inter-agency days in roles as both the OIC and Sexual Violence Liaison Officer (SVLO), strengthening relationships and embedded a culture of engaging with external stakeholders and the community, creating a coordinated and integrated approach to support members of the public. I harnessed information and opportunities to empower team members, by allocating specific portfolios to encourage ownership, and greater community contact. I showed judgement, intelligence, and common sense by promoting clear pathways into plain clothes, encouraging succession planning and diversity. Result: All SM participated in PDSD creating a culture of excellence creating a high collaborative office. Assessed and managed investigational and organisational risk within work unit, ensured a high standard of professionalism, and implemented measures to oversee and control exposure to trauma. “Maxwell has demonstrated leadership skills whilst maintaining high standards of practice and being an exemplar officer with respect to professionalism, persistence, and transparency.” Assistant Commissioner Chris Stream.
Timeline
Officer in Charge- Detective A/Senior Sergeant
Queensland Police Service
11.2021 - Current
Detective Sergeant
Queensland Police Service
04.2021 - 11.2021
Detective Sergeant
Inner West Child Protection and Investigation Unit
10.2018 - Current
Detective Sergeant- Senior Investigator/ SCAN
Queensland Police Service
04.2016 - 09.2018
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