The awards, sponsored by Birchall Blackburn Law, Horwich Cohen Coghlan Solicitors and Slater and Gordon Lawyers, celebrated FLOs’ commitment and dedication to bereaved families.
Three categories were available for nominations; the ‘Award for Excellent Longstanding Service’ and ‘Outstanding Officer Achievement Award’, both open for peer-nominations from Police colleagues, and the ‘Family Award’, nominated by families supported by an FLO.Outstanding Officer Achievement Award winner:
- PC Jo Baxter, Nottinghamshire Police [1]
Highly commended nominees:
- PC Louise Phipps, Avon and Somerset Police
- PC Allison Sellers, Metropolitan Police
Award for Excellent Longstanding Service winner:
- PC Tony Hayhurst, Cheshire Police [2]
Highly commended nominees:
- PC Nick Anderton, Cheshire Police
- PC George Trayner, Police Scotland
Family Award winner:
- PC Tom Kerr, Devon and Cornwall Police [3]
Highly commended nominees:
- PC Craig Booth, Lancashire Constabulary
- Investigation Officer Sophie Law, Nottinghamshire Police
Brake’s 2019 FLO Awards ceremony was attended by Brake partners, supporters and volunteers. The awards were presented by Detective Chief Superintendent Richard Wood, of the Metropolitan Police.
Mary Williams, Chief Executive at Brake, the road safety charity, says: “In the aftermath of a road crash, FLOs provide vital care to families, when they need it most. We were delighted to receive such a high number of exceptional nominations for our second ever FLO Awards, and it has been inspiring to read so many exemplary accounts of guidance and support.
"It was an honour to see the winning nominees celebrated at the ceremony at the Houses of Parliament, and on behalf of Brake, I would like to congratulate all of this year’s entrants and nominees for their outstanding contributions to bereaved families. We are also incredibly grateful for the support of Birchall Blackburn Law, Horwich Cohen Coghlan Solicitors and Slater and Gordon Lawyers, without whose funding these awards would not have been possible.”
For additional information and photos from the ceremony, please email news@brake.org.uk.
Notes for editors:
[1] Outstanding Officer Achievement Award winner, PC Jo Baxter, Nottinghamshire Police, was commended by the judges for:
- Her excellent professional dedication, and ability to develop and maintain relationships with families in the most challenging circumstances.
- Her flexibility and adaptability, and commitment to providing bereaved families with fully tailored and encompassing support.
- The judges also praised PC Baxter’s thoughtfulness and compassion, and considerate use of external agencies, to ensure that families receive comprehensive care.
[2] Award for Excellent Longstanding Service winner, PC Tony Hayhurst, Cheshire Constabulary, was commended by the judges for:
- His ability to overcome challenging situations. In particular, the judges praised PC Hayhurst’s creative and innovative work in a case where the victim was a foreign national, and the bereaved family lived overseas.
- PC Hayhurst’s longstanding dedication to supporting his colleagues. Alongside providing outstanding support to bereaved families, PC Hayhurst ensures that he shares his experiences at training events, and supports new FLOs through their first deployments.
- His exceptional commitment to family liaison, which led in once case to PC Hayhurst personally transporting donated organs to Cambridgeshire, for the NHS.
[3] Family Award winner, PC Tom Kerr, Devon and Cornwall Police, was commended by the judges for:
- His thoughtfulness, understanding and compassion, which combined with his exceptional communication skills, ensured that the nominating family felt fully supported.
- The nominating family also praised his dedication and commitment. PC Kerr was there to support the family throughout their entire journey and experience, including attending court with them, regardless of whether he was on duty or not.
- PC Kerr also had exceptional awareness of the family’s needs. When he became aware that the family wanted to raise awareness of road safety, he proactively liaised between them and the media to enable this.
