Professional Standards
This committee oversees the work of BTP’s Professional Standards Department, reviews the progress of recent cases and complaints, and monitors the operation of complaints and discipline processes within the Force.
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Lew Adams
Lew Adams (member with knowledge and experience of employee matters) was General Secretary of the Train Drivers Union ASLEF. In this position he provided leadership and direction for the Union through the turbulence created by the Railways Act 1993 which led to the privatization of Britain’s railways. He played a key role in the development of new Industrial Relations and Safety procedures which operated in the rail industry following the the 1993 Act and is considered to be an expert on both subject.
Mr Adams is a past chairman of the BRB Pensions Management Committee, and is currently member of Friends of the National Rail Museum and patron to Transport Benevolent Fund.
Lew Adams (member with knowledge and experience of employee matters) was General Secretary of the Train Drivers Union ASLEF. In this position he provided leadership and direction for the Union through the turbulence created by the Railways Act 1993 which led to the privatization of Britain’s railways. He played a key role in the development of new Industrial Relations and Safety procedures which operated in the rail industry following the the 1993 Act and is considered to be an expert on both subject.
Mr Adams is a past chairman of the BRB Pensions Management Committee, and is currently member of Friends of the National Rail Museum and patron to Transport Benevolent Fund.
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Howard Collins
Howard Collins has been a BTPA member with knowledge of rail industry affairs since September 2009. He became Chief Operating Officer of London Underground in March 2009, taking place at the head of a team of 12,500 staff. He has more than 30 years of experience in public transport including buses and the Docklands Light Railway, and has worked in almost every operational role within London Underground. He is also on the board of the London Transport Museum.
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Elizabeth France
As well as being a member of the Authority, Elizabeth France is Chair of the Office for Legal Complaints, which runs LeO (the Legal Ombudsman service); Chair of the UK Public Affairs Council; Vice President of Aberystwyth University and a member of the General Assembly of Manchester University.
Until 1 July 2009 Elizabeth was Chief Ombudsman and Chief Executive of the Ombudsman Service Ltd., which provided the Telecommunications Ombudsman Service (Otelo), the Energy Ombudsman Service and the Surveyors Ombudsman Service. She was a Non Executive Director of the Serious Organised Crime Agency from 2005-2010.
Elizabeth began her career in the Home Office, resigning to become the Data Protection Registrar in September 1994 and becoming Information Commissioner in January 2001.
Elizabeth has been awarded honorary doctorates by the Universities of De Montfort, Loughborough and Bradford and is a Fellow of Aberystwyth University. In June 2002 she was awarded a CBE, for services to data protection.
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Wendy Towers
Wendy became a Member of the Authority in July 2004. She is a former deputy chair of the Police Complaints Authority where she had overall responsibility for supervising investigations into the most serious complaints and non complaint matters involving the police and investigations concerning Chief Officers. Previously she was a member of the Parole Board and has also spent 25 years working in Human Resource management, mainly in the retail sector dealing with managing change and establishing HR and training functions. Other relevant experience includes three years as a magistrate. Currently she is also a board member of the Security Industry Authority and an assessor at the senior police assessment centres for the NPIA.
Wendy holds a degree in chemistry and a masters degree in management.
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Lew Adams
Lew Adams (member with knowledge and experience of employee matters) was General Secretary of the Train Drivers Union ASLEF. In this position he provided leadership and direction for the Union through the turbulence created by the Railways Act 1993 which led to the privatization of Britain’s railways. He played a key role in the development of new Industrial Relations and Safety procedures which operated in the rail industry following the the 1993 Act and is considered to be an expert on both subject.
Mr Adams is a past chairman of the BRB Pensions Management Committee, and is currently member of Friends of the National Rail Museum and patron to Transport Benevolent Fund.
Lew Adams (member with knowledge and experience of employee matters) was General Secretary of the Train Drivers Union ASLEF. In this position he provided leadership and direction for the Union through the turbulence created by the Railways Act 1993 which led to the privatization of Britain’s railways. He played a key role in the development of new Industrial Relations and Safety procedures which operated in the rail industry following the the 1993 Act and is considered to be an expert on both subject.
Mr Adams is a past chairman of the BRB Pensions Management Committee, and is currently member of Friends of the National Rail Museum and patron to Transport Benevolent Fund.
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Howard Collins
Howard Collins has been a BTPA member with knowledge of rail industry affairs since September 2009. He became Chief Operating Officer of London Underground in March 2009, taking place at the head of a team of 12,500 staff. He has more than 30 years of experience in public transport including buses and the Docklands Light Railway, and has worked in almost every operational role within London Underground. He is also on the board of the London Transport Museum.
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Elizabeth France
As well as being a member of the Authority, Elizabeth France is Chair of the Office for Legal Complaints, which runs LeO (the Legal Ombudsman service); Chair of the UK Public Affairs Council; Vice President of Aberystwyth University and a member of the General Assembly of Manchester University.
Until 1 July 2009 Elizabeth was Chief Ombudsman and Chief Executive of the Ombudsman Service Ltd., which provided the Telecommunications Ombudsman Service (Otelo), the Energy Ombudsman Service and the Surveyors Ombudsman Service. She was a Non Executive Director of the Serious Organised Crime Agency from 2005-2010.
Elizabeth began her career in the Home Office, resigning to become the Data Protection Registrar in September 1994 and becoming Information Commissioner in January 2001.
Elizabeth has been awarded honorary doctorates by the Universities of De Montfort, Loughborough and Bradford and is a Fellow of Aberystwyth University. In June 2002 she was awarded a CBE, for services to data protection.
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Wendy Towers
Wendy became a Member of the Authority in July 2004. She is a former deputy chair of the Police Complaints Authority where she had overall responsibility for supervising investigations into the most serious complaints and non complaint matters involving the police and investigations concerning Chief Officers. Previously she was a member of the Parole Board and has also spent 25 years working in Human Resource management, mainly in the retail sector dealing with managing change and establishing HR and training functions. Other relevant experience includes three years as a magistrate. Currently she is also a board member of the Security Industry Authority and an assessor at the senior police assessment centres for the NPIA.
Wendy holds a degree in chemistry and a masters degree in management.
This committee’s terms of reference are:
- To oversee the work of the Professional Standards Department and to make appropriate recommendations to the Chief Constable;
- To review the progress of cases and complaints that are under investigation;
- To track trends in relation to public complaints, non complaint investigations and investigations into civil claims and internal matters conducted by the PSD and make recommendations as appropriate;
- To satisfy itself as to the operation of the Complaints and Discipline processes within the Force;
- To review any complaint received about a Chief Officer and to make recommendations to the Chairman in relation to the need to carry out an investigation;
- To monitor the mandatory requirement for referral of cases.
