Alumni – PC Ward

This week we were delighted to welcome back one of our ex pupils, who is now a PC in the
Metropolitan Police Force, to talk about his career pathway since leaving St Dominic’s and
how he copes in his job as a person with autism.
PC Ward started his talk by showing a picture of himself aged 10 sitting in front of our well loved tower, describing how he was the boy who liked to wear his hair over his face to hide
his anxiety. He admitted that his pathway into the Met was not without its challenges,
stating that he is ‘a practical person, rather than a paperwork person’. At one point he
wasn’t sure if he would get his warrant card but he soldiered on and managed to pass his
exams.
At first he found the job difficult, but once he opened up about his autism, things became
easier. He explained that his team and Sergeant have been supportive and he has devised
strategies to help him in his role. For example he does not hand write when taking witness
statements but uses his phone.
The pupils and students were interested to hear about the realities of policing. The up-side
being support of colleagues, the variety of work, the doughnuts and the down-side dealing
with challenging events and the affect that can have on police officers.
PC Ward advised the pupils and students that a career in the police force might not be for
all, but that everyone can be successful in their own way. He encouraged us all to be
ourselves and face the future in a positive way.