The Company:

Strategic Direction was established in 1999 recognising that police service managers needed access to cost effective technical support as well as impartial expert advice. Working in conjunction with colleagues in the United States and Canada, health care professionals and academics in the United Kingdom we have put together a range of services designed to address some of the most pressing concerns of today’s police managers. 

The Company operates primarily in the Public Safety Sector where a substantial portion of its work is derived from Police Commanders operating at Divisional level. We have assisted in preparatory work for ‘Best Value Reviews’ and Divisional Inspections; ensuring compliance with Working Time Regulations; design and negotiation of work schedule changes; analysis of sickness absence trends and absence management training for supervisors and managers.

 The Company is based in Neston, United Kingdom but operates on a world wide basis. 

 As an organisation we can draw upon over 200 years of first hand experience in working rotas and compressed working week systems within the police environment.  This knowledge is brought to bear all Patrol Manager Projects.

 Dr. Sue Woolfenden (Director) and our associates are fully conversant with Occupational Health and Safety issues, having attended courses approved by the Institution of Occupational Safety & Health. 

 Dr. Woolfenden has had numerous articles published and presented papers at many international venues (the latest in St. Petersburg in May 2006) on the very subject of the effect of shift work and rotational work patterns on workers sleep, psychological, physical and other aspects of well being.

 Dr. Woolfenden was a career police officer for 30 years and has experience across a wide range of policing environments including operational command, administration, personnel, training and research.

 She has undertaken a considerable amount of work for Central Government including the Home Office, Foreign Office and Ministry of Defence including advising on HMIC publications (‘Lost Time’ 1997, ‘In Sickness and in Health’ 2000,  ‘Inspection Protocol for Patrol’).

 She held the post of associate tutor at the National Police College from 1993 to 1999 and is a visiting lecturer at various institutions. She is the foremost authority on absence and resource management within the British Police Service and is internationally known in policing circles for her research.  She holds a doctorate in social administration conferred by the University of Manchester.

Bill Stevenson (Director) is an Accountant by profession and has been involved in Police Service IT systems for more than 25 years.  The last 20 years he has been directly involved in the design and development of Police specific computer aided resource management systems, marketing these in Europe and North America.