A former senior police detective and Senior Investigating Officer with more than two decades in UK policing, now an international Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) expert delivering world-class training and consultancy that prepares police and partner agencies to investigate and respond to some of the most serious and sensitive crimes.
Sexual and Gender Based Violence, Rape and Sexual Violence Investigation, Child Abuse and Exploitation, Domestic Violence and Abuse, Homicide and Major Crime Investigation, Serious and Organised Crime, Investigative Interviewing, Safeguarding, and Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) Development.
Experience:
More than twenty years in UK policing, retiring as a senior detective and Senior Investigating Officer, now an international SGBV expert with specialisms spanning safeguarding and the investigation of rape, sexual violence, child abuse, domestic abuse, serious and organised crime and homicide. A qualified national and international trainer holding the Certificate in Education, she is a trainer for the UK College of Policing, a national associate trainer for the domestic abuse charity SafeLives, and a Deployable Civilian Expert with the Foreign and Commonwealth Stabilisation Group. She holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Criminology and is Director of Safeguarding Against Abuse Ltd and Director of Quality Ethical Assessments.
Alison is a former senior police officer and Senior Investigating Officer whose career is dedicated to protecting the most vulnerable. Over more than two decades in UK policing she progressed from Inspector for learning and development to Detective Chief Inspector roles in both the protection of vulnerable people and serious and organised crime, where she targeted organised crime groups and economic crime including major fraud, money laundering and financial investigation. As a Detective Chief Inspector she implemented the domestic abuse, stalking, harassment and honour-based violence (DASH) risk model in Sussex as part of the national pilot.
Between 2015 and 2017 Alison was Head of the East Sussex Safeguarding and Investigations Unit, leading a team of more than 90 staff dedicated to the investigation and safeguarding of child abuse, child sexual exploitation, domestic abuse, vulnerable adult abuse and rape and serious sexual assault, and chairing multi-agency and regional groups for CSE, domestic abuse and Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) operations. As a Detective Superintendent at Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary she was lead staff officer for the National Child Protection Inspections, inspecting forces, publishing findings and making recommendations to drive improvement in child protection and safeguarding across policing nationally.
As an advanced investigative interviewer, advisor and trainer, Alison has designed and delivered training internationally on leadership, responding to sexual violence, investigative interview skills, major crime investigation, effective communication, crime scene management, child sexual abuse and exploitation, and femicide and domestic violence. She is a national and international trainer for the UK College of Policing and a national associate trainer for SafeLives, and as a Deployable Civilian Expert with the Foreign and Commonwealth Stabilisation Group she has delivered training in Uganda, the Seychelles, Cyprus, Greece, Georgia, Jordan, Ghana, Ukraine, Colombia and Fiji.
Alison introduced and developed a Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Sussex and established a SARC Management Board with key partners. She played a key role with the British Embassy in the development and implementation of a SARC in Burgas, Bulgaria, and now advises on similar SARC projects in Romania, Uganda, Nigeria, Peru, Japan and Cyprus, delivering workshops to key decision makers at the invitation of British Embassies and High Commissions, including producing a feasibility report on establishing a SARC in Cyprus for the British High Commission in Nicosia.
Alison delivers accredited domestic abuse training to police forces across the UK, including national Train the Trainer courses, and has co-delivered accredited courses on responding to victims of sexual violence for Independent Sexual Violence Advocates, PIP2 public protection and interviewing training to the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland, and a Leading Complex Investigations course to Serious Fraud Office investigators. As Director of Quality Ethical Assessments she specialises in the assessment of domestic abuse interventions, delivering monthly Domestic Homicide Review evaluations for the UK Home Office and ensuring effective, high-impact solutions in areas of complexity and risk.
Alison holds a Postgraduate Diploma with Merit in Criminology from the University of Brighton and a Certificate in Education in post-compulsory education, and is a qualified advanced investigative interviewer and both a suspect and witness interview trainer. She combines deep operational experience with an academic and evidence-based approach, and is a UK College of Policing Subject Matter Expert for Domestic Abuse and one of the "Cadre of Experts" for operational guidance.
Talk through how Salterton can help you to deliver the change you want to see
