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Defining and Assessing Competence Police Constable Pilot Overview Document for
Candidates and Assessors
Version 1.2
Police Constable DAC Pilot Overview Document for Candidates and Assessors
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Terminology:
Candidate – Constable who is nominated to take part in the pilot process. They will be
approaching either pay point 4, 7 or be later in service and as such subject to the
reconfirmation of pay point 4 competence1.
Supervisor – Sergeant/first line manager who has direct supervisory responsibility and
is also responsible for the development of their constable. This individual for the
purpose for the DAC pilot will act as the assessor of the candidate.
Reconfirmation – of competence against set standards for the rank of constable2.
Note: The process that you are participating in is a pilot scheme and therefore
the assessment criteria and methodology may be adapted based on feedback
received from those participating in the process.
1 When rolled out nationally the Foundation Threshold and Advanced Threshold reassessment will reoccur on
on a five yearly basis (quinquennial). The reassessment group has been setup for the pilot to reflect police constable who are at the stage in their career where they are at least five years on from the time at which they could first take their foundation threshold – 9+ years in service. 2 The Police Negotiation Board (PNB) have directed the College to develop threshold assessments where
reconfirmation of foundation threshold for all police constables occurs every five years (quinquennial) regardless of whether officers have met the advanced threshold at police constable rank as the foundation threshold is determining if a police constable still meets the minimum standards required to operate as a PC. Therefore an officer who has met the advanced threshold will need to reconfirm both the advanced and foundation thresholds every five years. Moving forwards for live roll out the College will develop an implementation timetable (subject to project board approvals) outlining this rolling programme of reconfirmations.
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1. Welcome and thank you! As the ACPO lead for Defining and Assessing Competence within the Police Service; I
want to personally thank you for taking part in the project and supporting the pilot
process. Your participation over the next 12 months is very much appreciated and your
input and feedback will be incredibly valuable.
The purpose of the pilot is to test and potentially adapt foundation and advanced level
threshold assessments which introduce a link between competence and pay. However,
there is no linkage between pay increments and the outcome of the assessment for the
purposes of the pilot. As such officers will still progress through the pay scale under the
current arrangements. The pilot will be limited to the rank of constable but the process
will eventually include all ranks up to and including Chief Superintendent.
Within the pilot, officers and their line managers will be required to complete the threshold
assessments designed by the College of Policing. The aim of the pilot is to test the
methodology and assess the equality impact consideration of the process. Furthermore,
the pilot aims to test that the threshold assessments brings with it minimal additional
resource requirement, which will be monitored and evaluated by the College of Policing
during the pilot.
The overall aim of the threshold assessments is to support the professionalisation of
policing. The assessments are designed to ensure that officers, irrespective of any
specialist role they perform, are able to undertake the core role of police constable and
through continuous professional development deliver a consistently high level of service
to the public. This will mean that nationally officers are working to the same standard of
service, know what is expected, and will reassure the public that officers remain
competent, continue to develop policing skills, and demonstrate the expected behaviour
for their rank.
It is proposed that this process will be introduced across all England and Wales forces in
2016 and assessments will take place up to the rank of Chief Superintendent. This links
to the bigger picture and changes in policing such as the development of professional
career pathways.
1.1 What is in it for me?
Whether you are participating as a candidate or assessor during the pilot, the next 12
months will offer you the opportunity to see how the process is intended to work. You
will have the opportunity to influence and shape the process, discuss your experiences
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and provide feedback. You will be acting as the ‘voice’ for all officers and your views will
determine future process/product changes and National Rollout decisions. In addition,
as a candidate you will have feedback on your current competence and as an assessor
you will have an opportunity to apply guidance and to shape the future guidance that is
subsequently rolled out.
1.2 Why Assess Competence?
Assessing and recognising competence is not a new concept, this has been routinely
performed and successfully implemented in several areas already, including teaching and
in the NHS – however these newly designed competence models will provide an
opportunity for Police Officers to demonstrate and showcase the challenging role officers
face and the excellent work being completed on a daily basis as part of their role.
Defining and assessing competence across the service provides a way of ensuring that
core skills are kept up to date through a structured framework to keep the role and skills
focused on the ever-changing role that police constables undertake.
1.3 What do I need to do?
You will be part of the pilot group in your force from January to December 2015 either as
an assessor (line manager) or as a candidate (constable).
As a candidate you will be involved in all aspects of the pilot. You will work with your line
manager on a regular basis to assess how you are performing against the standards and
what areas you need to develop to meet these standards. Manager meetings will include
discussions around your existing evidence which could be used to support competence
within the defined standards. Further discussions will include how you can develop
throughout the year and what action and development plans should be put in place to
assist in building evidence to support achievement of the standards.
As an assessor you will be involved in implementing the development meetings,
supporting your constable to find ways of meeting these standards of competence. As
assessors you will also complete the summative assessment of competence.
Both roles will be involved in the Pilot Evaluation process. You will be asked to provide
feedback on the Defining and Assessing Competence pilot and your experiences of it.
You will be engaged through surveys, one to one chats and group discussions. This is a
crucial part in the development of the product. It is only through providing your valuable
feedback that the product can be further developed and improved. Participants are
therefore encouraged to fully support this process and commit to it over the next 12
months.
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1.4 Who is there to support me?
As both an assessor and a candidate a Pilot Overview Document will be provided as an
initial point of reference for all the information you should need, which can be accessed
via the College website. Frequently Asked Questions will form an integral part of a
dedicated College web page, these will emerge as the project progresses.
In force representatives (known as Force Implementation leads) will be there for
support. Their objective is to provide you will all the necessary knowledge and tools to
assist in implementing the pilot process, and answer any questions or queries you may
have.
The College of Policing is not only designing the methodology and tools, but also
managing the pilot across forces. Through dedicated communication channels they will
be able to assist managers and Implementation leads cover any areas of uncertainty
throughout the project.
Thank you
Remember – what you say can make a difference! Don’t be afraid to ask questions and
please support the evaluation process to ensure your voice is heard.
Again thank you for your support,
Giles York, Chief Constable of Sussex Police
2. Overview of Threshold Assessments A key driver for the development of the models was to develop a process that was non
bureaucratic but equally was sufficiently robust. The proposed model includes milestone
assessments at regular points (i.e. thresholds) within the officers’ career to confirm
competence at the level expected both for the rank and the career progression point.
The model includes two complementary approaches, which (in combination) form the
overall threshold model:
i) a core, central ‘spine’ of professional development that all officers undertake
on an ongoing basis throughout their career.
ii) specific ‘milestone’ assessments, both at Foundation and Advanced levels.
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While emphasis has been placed on the importance of creating a rigorous evaluation at
the threshold points, the proposed system is intended to be sufficiently streamlined to be
workable (utilising and building on criteria and processes that are already in place) in a
policing environment in which increasing resourcing pressures are being experienced.
2.1 Development Spine
The principle of the central ‘spine’ of development is to ensure the continuing
development of officers’ knowledge, skills and abilities, beyond the completion of initial
training. This component of the model includes the following three key activities:
i) Completion of Core Learning Requirement by all constables;
ii) Flexible, role-relevant Continuing Professional Development Activity;
iii) Demonstrating and developing the required behaviours for the rank.
Within the model, there is an expectation that these core development elements would
be completed by officers on an ongoing basis, with an annual review of progress being
undertaken with the supervisor. The majority of the above development activity should
already be taking place and therefore there will be minimum additional activities.
An officer would need to have successfully completed all of these components in the
years leading up to the Foundation Threshold (see section 2.6) or Advanced Threshold
(see section 2.7) in order to meet its requirements. These core development activities
are outlined in more detail in the following sections.
2.2 Development Activity 1 - Core Learning Required for the Rank
In order to be eligible for the Foundation Threshold officers would need to demonstrate
that they have completed all of the required learning for their role, and have
demonstrated understanding and effective application of this learning in the workplace.
To help facilitate this, a list of core learning relevant to a police constable has been
developed, which covers the latest developments in legislation, policy and practice. This
can be found in Appendix A.
2.3 Development Activity 2 – Personal Continuing Professional Development
Role specific CPD activities would be recorded by the officer on an ongoing basis as it
takes place, with an annual confirmation and review of this learning, alongside planning
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Figure 1 – Police Constable Threshold Timeline
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future required learning. This would be an ongoing expectation, not just in the year of
the threshold assessment. In addition to national learning initiatives there will also be a
need to ensure that an officer is up-to-date with new policy and practice at a local level.
It is anticipated that role specific CPD will be planned and recorded by officers on an
ongoing basis, and this evidence will contribute to an annual submission, which will
demonstrate their ongoing professional development in role specific learning. It is likely
to include a short narrative of how the officer has progressed in their career, and how
their own CPD has enhanced the level of their own practice.
2.4 Development Activity 3 – Demonstrating and developing required
behaviours for the rank
The Policing Professional Framework (PPF) Personal Qualities at practitioner level are the
recommended criteria for police forces to use to evaluate that an officer is demonstrating
and developing the required behaviour for the rank of constable. Currently the vast
majority of police forces have signed up to using the PPF and are already applying the
framework. It has been indicated via Chief Constables’ council that other forces will be
moving towards the PPF in the future.
In essence the model proposes an evaluation of behaviour that is very similar to what is
already conducted across the majority of police forces within their respective PDR
processes. However, if a force currently has not adopted PDR then it is proposed that a
system is put in place where a supervisor is able to review the behaviour of a Police
Constable against the national role profile personal qualities. It is anticipated that this
could be achieved through a professional discussion. See Appendix B for further details
of the required personal qualities for the rank of police constable.
2.5 Overview of Milestone Assessments
The ongoing completion of development activities (outlined above) throughout an
individuals’ career will facilitate and confirm progressive development in the role, and
would form a key part of the requirement for award of the Foundation and Advanced
Thresholds. The following two sections outline the additional, specific milestone
assessment requirements of both the Foundation and Advanced Thresholds.
2.6 Foundation Threshold
The Foundation Threshold will require a constable to demonstrate that they continue to be
competent and have developed themselves in the core requirements of their rank and role.
Successful attainment of the Threshold will allow progression to Pay Point 4. However,
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officers will not be financially disadvantaged by participating within the pilot and will still
progress through the pay scale under the current arrangements.
The Foundation Threshold requires reconfirmation of competence in the ten Diploma in
Policing assessment units (in addition to the requirements within the central spine of
development outlined above) – see Appendix C for further details. Reconfirmation of
competence will not require repeating the formalised portfolio assessment of the
Diploma in Policing; ‘lighter touch’ methods will be employed to reconfirm competence.
Reconfirmation against the core requirements of the role will determine whether the
officer’s own practice reflects up-to-date policy, practice and legislation in the core areas
of the constable’s role, while highlighting any development needs.
2.7 Advanced Threshold
By this stage in their career, officers would be expected to have completed five years of
CPD and required core learning, and to have demonstrated competence at the Advanced
Threshold. Moreover, through having gained significant operational experience in
previous years, they will be expected to have developed considerably in both skills and
knowledge required for the role, and behavioural competencies relevant to the rank.
As such, the intention of the Advanced Threshold is to evaluate whether an officer has
reached an altogether higher level of competence, at which they can be considered to be
an example to others of how an experienced constable should operate. Appendix D
outlines the personal qualities that would be expected from an officer (in addition to the
requirements within the central spin of development outlined above) in order to
demonstrate that they are operating at a higher level with the Police Constable rank and
hence meeting the requirement of the advanced threshold.
3. Pilot overview – Pilot specific information for candidates and assessors
3.1 Who is it for?
Pilot forces have agreed to assist during 2015 to have a selection of ‘candidates’ involved
with the process, as close as possible to how the real life process will be rolled out. By
having forces from across the regions taking part this will mean we are able to evaluate
how the process works in both rural and urban settings, and gather feedback on what
success looks like across England and Wales. This will improve the process to inform
final decision making for the national roll out. Your assistance as either a candidate or
assessor (line manager) is essential in determining what the process will look like going
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forward to national roll out. The pilot will allow the capture of data to evaluate the
effectiveness of the agreed threshold model.
3.2 Who’s who?
Who are the people doing the assessing? These will be line managers of constables
approaching pay point 4 (foundation), pay point 7 (advanced) and those longer in
service (reassessment) during the calendar year of 2015
Who are the people being assessed? These will be constables approaching pay point
4 (foundation), pay point 7 (advanced) and those longer in service (reassessment3)
What are the timescales? The pilot will run from January 2015 – December 2015 with
January –June being the preparation phase, June-September being the assessment
phase and September-December being the evaluation phase. A detailed timetable
detailing each phase for candidates and assessors can be found in Table 1 and 2 below.
3.3 Who is not eligible to take part in the pilot?
Constables who are on the fast track development scheme and those officers who are on
long term acting up/temporary duties acting as a higher rank over this period. For the
pilot these constables will not be eligible to take part as further details about how the
model will work for national roll out for these officers will be developed over the next few
months. All other constables will be eligible to take part and any issues around how this
will work for different circumstances will be developed with the force directly.
3.4 Will there be any differences between the pilot and the proposed national
rollout process?
Due to the nature of the agreed assessment model, it will not be possible to exactly
replicate the model within the 12 pilot month period.
In the reality of a national roll out of the product, candidates would have a much longer
window of time to gather evidence (two years leading up to the threshold date). Due to
the limits of the overall timeframe available within the Defining & Assessing Competence
Programme the pilot will reduce this timeframe to focus on how evidence is gathered and
assessed and evaluated. This will however be an advantage to test the impact of
gathering evidence in a shorter window and the evaluation will seek views from
candidates on the practicalities of delivering the threshold assessments.
3 When rolled out nationally the Foundation Threshold and Advanced Threshold reassessment will reoccur on
on a five yearly basis (quinquennial). The reassessment group has been setup for the pilot to reflect police constable who are at the stage in their career where they are at least five years on from the time at which they could first take their foundation threshold – 9+ years in service.
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What do I need to do and by when? - Pilot candidates (foundation, advanced and reconfirmation candidates) January February March April May June July August September October November December
Preparation/evidence gathering Assessment discussions Evaluation of the pilot
Register on the DAC pilot system and generate unique identification
number
Read and become
familiar with the user guide, how to access support and access
materials
Raise any queries or concerns with assessor/ force
implementation lead and access POLKA site for support
Final preparation for assessment discussion/ submit
final evidence
Provide any additional feedback on the process and ideas for
improvements for national roll out
Look at examples of evidence and documents
to complete Record evidence of where meet standards and where gaps are Attend assessment discussion
with assessor Provide any required feedback to the
implementation lead in force
Agree dates for discussions with assessor
through the pilot and book in assessment
discussion Confirm next discussion/catch up date
Raise any queries or concerns with assessor/ implementation
lead
Complete surveys/telephone
interviews/discussions with the evaluation team if required to provide
feedback on the pilot
Meet with your assessor (line manager)
Meet with your assessor (line manager) regularly throughout the
preparation phase
Respond to requests for feedback for the evaluation of the pilot (if required)
Agree how discussions,
evidence and actions are going to be recorded Record evidence against standards
Begin to look at where you fit against the
standards and what
areas need to be focused on
Look at evidence against standards to assess progress - confirm with assessor what need to do to meet standards
Begin time recording for discussions and
preparation through the
pilot Time recording
Agree actions to with the assessor to complete
before the next discussion
Agree actions to with the assessor to complete before the next discussion
Respond to requests for feedback for the evaluation of the pilot (if required)
Table 1 – Timetable for Candidates
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What do I need to do and by when? - Pilot assessors (line managers)
January February March April May June July August September October November December
Preparation/evidence gathering Assessment discussions Evaluation of the pilot
Register on the DAC pilot system and generate unique
identification number Read and become familiar with
the user guide, how to access support and materials
Raise any queries or concerns with force implementation lead
Meet with candidate for
assessment discussion. Assess final evidence
Provide any additional feedback on the process - forms, how it worked,
time taken, concerns and ideas for improvements for national roll out
Attend any briefings/ read any force communications about the process Provide candidate with outcome of assessment and feedback. Discuss and
carry out reassessment process if not meeting the standard
Read assessor standards and assessor specific documentation
Review assessor standards and assessor specific documentation on an ongoing basis. Be aware of
updates/in force communication about the pilot process Attend assessment discussion
with candidate
Complete surveys/telephone interviews/discussions with the
evaluation team if required to provide feedback on the pilot
Look at examples of evidence and documents to complete
Record evidence of where the candidate meet standards and where gaps are - support the candidate as to in where
to gain evidence and how Respond to requests for feedback for the evaluation of the pilot (if
required)
Agree dates for discussions
with candidate through the pilot and book in assessment
discussion Confirm next discussion date Raise any queries or concerns with implementation lead
Meet with your candidate. Discuss pilot process and agree understanding with candidate -
record any queries
Meet with your candidate regularly throughout the preparation phase
Agree how meetings, evidence and actions are going to be
recorded Record evidence against standards
Begin to look at where the candidate fits against the
standards and areas for development
Look at evidence and where it meets/does not meet
standards. Provide advice and guidance to meet the standards.
Agree actions for the candidate to complete before the next
discussion/catch up Agree actions for the candidate to complete before the next
discussion
Respond to requests for feedback for the evaluation of the pilot (if required)
Table 2 – Timetable for Assess
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3.5 How’s it going to work?
In each pilot force there is an implementation lead who will be your initial point of
contact for advice and support. They will provide communications about the process and
ensure that you are on track with the tasks required of the pilot process. Between
January and June 2015 you will have regular ongoing discussions (candidate and
assessor) and use this guide to begin to demonstrate your competence against the set of
constable standards for the threshold level you are at (foundation or advanced). With
your line manager you will look at where there are gaps and plan how to meet these
standards. You will have regular catch ups to look at progress and ensure everything is
prepared in advance of the assessment window (July – September). During the
assessment window you will have a more formal meeting with your assessor (line
manager) to review all the evidence you have collected to show how you meet the set
standards. This will be discussed and a decision made by your line manager as to
whether you meet the standards.
3.6 How long is it going to take me?
We do not want this process to become bureaucratic or a paperwork burden to forces.
This process is an extension of the regular development meetings that should already be
happening in force through one to one meetings and the PDR process (if relevant to your
force). In terms of preparation for the meetings and meeting the standards, there will
be time required to become familiar with what is required however we do not envisage
the process developing into portfolios of evidence or endless streams of paperwork. All
evidence should come from tasks that are carried out as part of the day to day job of
being a constable and where there is additional tasks that need to be done to meet the
standards, this can be planned in. One task may also help to meet more than one
standard and so it is not a requirement to have lots of evidence for each standard.
During 2015 the College of Policing will be seeking your views on the process through
surveys, interviews and discussion groups, as part of a comprehensive evaluation of the
pilot. We are keen to hear your views as a candidate and as an assessor to make sure
that the process works and so that any necessary changes can be made in advance of a
national roll out. Part of the evaluation will include monitoring how much time
candidates and assessors are spending on preparation and meetings.
3.7 How will I be kept up to date with what is happening with the pilot?
During 2015 you will receive regular updates from your implementation lead about the
pilot. They will let you know of any issues, areas that have required clarification and how
to provide feedback about the process. You will also be able to find out more information
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during 2015 through POLKA which will provide you with communications and also
support from others going through the pilot where you can share ideas and experiences.
4. Candidate and Assessor Guidance
Guidance documentation will be made available for both candidates and assessors.
These guidance materials will be covered in two separate documents that can be
accessed via the College website.
5. Monitoring & Evaluation
At the start of the pilot, we will be collecting personal details from all candidates. This
will be used by the College of Policing to analyse the results of the pilot, and to monitor
any areas in which results vary between different candidate groups. However,
individual details will not be identified and the data will only be used by the College
to inform the impact of the threshold assessments.
The College of Policing will be evaluating the pilot of the Defining and Assessing
Competence project. This is a key part of the pilot as it will inform a decision about the
national rollout of the assessments and examine the extent to which the overall aim of
the project has been achieved.
5.1 Feedback from Candidates and Assessors
It is extremely important to the College of Policing that we are able to gather your
feedback throughout the pilot; this will include areas such as your perceptions of fairness
of the assessment and the reality of combining the assessments with operational duties.
We are likely to gathering this feedback through questionnaire surveys and in some
cases one to one interviews. Your force implementation lead and the College of Policing
will provide you with further information on the ways in which this feedback will be
collected.
Your responses to these surveys and requests for data are really important in order for
us to ensure that national decisions about rolling out the assessments are based upon
the best possible evidence.
All data collected by the College of Policing during the evaluation will be used by the
College solely for research purposes. We will only be asking for information that is
required for the evaluation and the data acquired will not be used for any other
purposes. The data will be stored by the Knowledge Research and Practice Team for no
longer than five years, after which time it will be destroyed. We will not share the raw
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data with any other party, however the data collected will be reported in a summarised
form in our research outputs. We will anonymise all of the information reported and
ensure that no individuals can be identified in our evaluation reports. For more
information on how the College processes personal data please review our Fair
Processing Notice (http://www.college.police.uk/en/22139.htm ).
5.2 Overall Assessment Outcome
The outcome of the assessment will be shared with candidates by supervisors once all of
the evidence has been evaluated. To confirm, the overall ratings will not have any
implications for candidates own pay – there is no linkage between pay increments
and the outcome of the assessment for the purposes of the pilot. The overall
outcome will not be used for any purpose other than the evaluation of the threshold
assessment model itself.
6. Quality Assurance
To ensure a sufficiently robust system but one which is fair and equitable to candidates a
set of National Quality Standards have been developed. These standards are outlined in
Appendix E. Whilst the standards have been developed by the College of Policing they
are intended to be implemented locally.
It is expected that forces implementing Defining and Assessing Competence will adhere
to these standards. If there is a consistent and transparent approach across the force all
candidates will receive the same standard of assessment.
7. Complaints and Appeals.
Candidates who are unsuccessful and wish to appeal against the decision must do so on
a local basis. The appeals procedure is delivered centrally within the force and is
independent of the candidates’ line management to ensure impartiality and create
confidence in the process.
8. Further Information/FAQ’s
Further information can be found on a dedicated page on the College website, which
includes a number of Frequently Asked Questions. These will be updated as appropriate
throughout the pilot period. If you have any questions regarding the pilot then please
contact the Defining and Assessing Competence team at the following email address:
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Appendix A – Core Learning
All police constables will be expected to demonstrate that they have met the learning
outcomes that are related to their role in order to meet the minimum requirements of
the thresholds assessments.
Please note however that if a candidate has already completed the core learning, the
demonstration of continued competence can be used as evidence and the candidate does
not need to repeat the learning. This is to ensure that the pilot is flexible in terms of
taking account of what the candidate has already done due to the reduced timescales of
the pilot process.
Anti-Social Behaviour: Your Powers
Digital Communications, Social Media, Cybercrime and Policing
Emergency Procedures at Major Incidents: First Responders
Emergency Services Interoperability
Mental Ill-Health
National Decision Model
Out of Court Disposals
Public Protection
o Public Protection Initial Response
o Public Protection: Abusive Relationship
o Public Protection: Family Disturbance
o Public Protection: Man in Distress
o Public Protection: Missing Daughter
Victims’ Code
The College of Policing have produced learning outcomes for all of the above areas of
core learning that can be accessed via the College website.
The College of Policing have produced e-learning packages for all of the above packages
that can be accessed via the following web link: http://www.ncalt.com/
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Appendix B – Required Personal Qualities For The Rank of Police Constable
The table below outlines the required personal qualities for the rank of Police Constable
which are represented within the Policing Professional Framework as Personal Qualities
at Practitioner Level.
Area Personal Quality
Decision making
Gathers, verifies and assesses all appropriate and available
information to gain an accurate understanding of situations.
Considers a range of possible options before making clear,
timely, justifiable decisions.
Reviews decisions in the light of new information and
changing circumstances.
Balances risks, costs and benefits, thinking about the wider
impact of decisions.
Exercises discretion and applies professional judgement,
ensuring actions and decisions are proportionate and in the
public interest.
Openness to change
Positive about change, adapting rapidly to different ways of
working and putting effort into making them work.
Flexible and open to alternative approaches to solving
problems.
Finds better, more cost-effective ways to do things, making
suggestions for change and putting forward ideas for
improvement.
Takes an innovative and creative approach to solving
problems.
Professionalism
Acts with integrity
Takes ownership for resolving problems
Acts on own initiative to address issues
Upholds professional standards
Asks for and acts on feedback
Remains calm and professional under pressure
Service delivery
Understands the organisation's objectives and priorities and
how own work fits into these.
Plans and organises tasks effectively, taking a structured
and methodical approach to achieving outcomes.
Manages multiple tasks effectively by thinking things
through in advance, prioritising and managing time well.
Focuses on the outcomes to be achieved, working quickly
and accurately and seeking guidance when appropriate.
Serving the public
Demonstrates a real belief in public service, focusing on
what matters to the public and will best serve their interests.
Understands the expectations, changing needs and concerns
of different communities and strives to address them.
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Builds public confidence by talking with people in local
communities to explore their viewpoints and break down
barriers between them and the police.
Understands the impact and benefits of policing for different
communities and identifies the best way to deliver services
to them.
Works in partnership with other agencies to deliver the best
possible overall service to the public.
Working with others
Works co-operatively with others to get things done, willingly
giving help and support to colleagues.
Is approachable, developing positive working relationships.
Explains things well, focusing on the key points and talking
to people using language they understand.
Listens carefully and asks questions to clarify understanding,
expressing own views positively and constructively.
Persuades people by stressing the benefits of a particular
approach, keeps them informed of progress and manages
their expectations.
Is courteous, polite and considerate, showing empathy and
compassion.
Deals with people as individuals and addresses their specific
needs and concerns.
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Appendix C – Police Constable Foundation Threshold (Diploma in Policing Units)
The following are the current ten Diploma in Policing units4. These will be the units that
are reference within the pilot.
Provide Initial Support to Victims and Witnesses
Gather and Submit Information to Support Law Enforcement Objectives
Provide an Initial Response to Incidents
Arrest, Detain or Report Individuals
Conduct Priority and Volume Investigations
Interview Victims and Witnesses in Relation to Priority and Volume Investigations
Interview Suspects in Relation to Priority and Volume Investigations
Searching People in a Policing Context
Search Vehicles, Premises and Open Spaces
Manage Conflict in a Policing Context
4 These units are currently under review and are likely to change when the threshold assessment goes live in
September 2016.
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Appendix D – Police Constable Advanced Threshold Criteria
Standard of work and behaviour is beyond that associated with a competent police
constable.
1. Works with minimal supervision and can be trusted and relied upon to get work
completed without being prompted by supervisor.
2. Takes initiative to generate own workload and doesn't wait to be asked.
3. Has developed breadth and depth of understanding of law, knowledge, evidence
based policing and understanding of complete role.
4. Takes an active interest in changes in law and evidenced based policing, consistently
identifying gaps in knowledge, and rectifying this.
5. Willingness to make decisions independently, escalating when appropriate.
6. Reasoned decision making based on evidence of what actually works in delivering
outcomes, consideration of the National Decision Making Model, and thinking ahead.
7. When making pressurised decisions does not focus on any potential negative impact
or repercussions on oneself.
8. Trusted to take control, take the lead, and can be relied upon to take over when
required from supervision.
9. Confidently and competently challenges and expresses opinions with peers and
supervisory officers using constructive language.
10. Confidently and effectively communicates with colleagues, members of the public or
external agencies on what needs to happen and the reason why.
11. Actively develops colleagues in terms of developmental or performance needs.
12. Is highly thought of and respected by colleagues for their knowledge, skills and
experience. Considered as a role model who colleagues seek advice from.
13. Retains knowledge (organisational, law, or evidence based policing) in order to share
with colleagues (including knowledge transfer that others benefit from).
14. Consistently copes with the demands of peaks in workload, balancing workload
efficiently, without impacting on the quality of work.
15. Shows commitment to professional development which is demonstrated through
frequent self-initiated learning, further education or skill enhancement.
16. Builds relationships with partner agencies (e.g. local authorities, community leaders,
or internal departments), bringing people together to tackle and resolve community
issues.
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Appendix E – National Quality Standards:
A. Governance:
1) That a senior member of staff holds responsibility for the successful implementation of
the constable threshold and advanced threshold assessment systems (Threshold
portfolio holder)
2) That staff resources are allocated to implement a system of local quality assurance of
the constable threshold and advanced threshold assessment systems based on this set
of national quality standards
3) That a quality assurance report(s) should be prepared and submitted on an annual
basis to the portfolio holder; including any recommendations for change. The portfolio
holder will determine the need for any subsequent action.
4) That a system exists to track the joining dates of officers and which will inform the
subsequent assessment dates for both threshold and advanced levels
B. Communication:
1) An approach to communication exists that ensures that all stakeholders, and
especially all constables and their supervisors, are fully aware of the requirements and
processes of constable threshold and advanced threshold assessment and the related
timeframes
2) An approach to communication exists that ensures that all constables and supervisors
are aware of the core required training and summative assessment (if required) for a
particular review period. This will be identified at the national level and disseminated to
forces.
3) An approach to communication exists that ensures constables and supervisors are
aware of the current Diploma in Policing Assessment Units
4) An approach to communication exists that ensures all constables and supervisors are
aware of the relevant complaints and appeals system
(Note: The phrase ‘An approach to communication’ has been used because it will be at
the discretion of the force as to which communication media are utilised)
C. Constables:
1) That a system exists to ensure that all constables are provided with a copy of the
national guidance for constables provided by the College of Policing
2) That all constables are provided with an account on the NCALT Managed Learning
Environment to facilitate the completion of any relevant E-Learning
3) That all constables are provided with a common force system to record their
Continuous Professional Development; covering both the core required training and
assessment and role related training and assessment
4) That a system exists to capture feedback from constables participating in the
constable threshold and advanced threshold assessment systems
D. Supervisors:
1) That a system exists to ensure that all supervisors are provided with a copy of the
national scheme guidance for supervisors provided by the College of Policing
2) That a system exists to ensure that all supervisors are provided with a copy of the
national guidance on assessors standards and related learning materials
3) That supervisors, particularly those new to role, have the opportunity to undertake
the relevant units from the Core Leadership Programme or equivalent
4) That the force takes steps to ensure that supervisors are working to the principles of
the College of Policing Assessors Standard, and are following specific assessment
guidance for the Defining & Assessing Competence project (i.e. reconfirming competence
rather than assessing initial competence).
5) That supervisors are thoroughly briefed on the required assessment process
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6) That supervisors, particularly new to role, are trained in assessment methodology,
especially regarding professional discussion, observation and the appropriate level of
assessment to deem an officer competent at reconfirmation
7) That supervisors are provided with guidance on recording the outcomes of
assessment; whilst acknowledging any recommended practice from the College of
Policing
8) That standardisation events are provided by the force to ensure the fair and equitable
assessment of constables and that supervisors are required to attend one such event in
any two year period
9) That a system exists to capture feedback from supervisors participating in the
constable threshold and the advanced threshold assessment systems
(Note: There is no implied requirement for the formal training of supervisors. It is more
about ensuring that supervisors have the skills to guarantee the successful
implementation of the schemes.)
E. Assessment:
1) That all stakeholders, and particularly constables and supervisors are aware of
proportionate assessment and the difference between reconfirmation of competence and
formal assessment of competence
2) That constables understand and comply with the need to achieve:
i. Any nationally defined Core Learning requirements
ii. Any role relevant Continuous Professional Development
iii. The demonstration and development of the required behaviours for the rank
3) That where possible, bearing in mind the operational need, the force will facilitate
opportunities for constables to demonstrate competence against all ten assessment units
within the Diploma in Policing (Threshold Test only)
4) That the force will develop and publish an approach to assessment which covers
situations when a constable is not able to demonstrate competence against all ten units;
and which defines:
i. The limited occasions where this is acceptable
ii. Alternative assessment methodologies which are acceptable to use in such
circumstance, for example professional discussion (Threshold test only)
F. Recording of Evidence:
1) That irrespective of if the force uses the national system of Performance and
Development Review or an equivalent, the evidence recording system employed for the
Threshold assessments captures:
i. The successful completion of core required training and related assessment on
an annual basis
ii. The successful completion of planned role related learning and assessment
iii. The successful demonstration of the required behaviours for the rank of
constable
iv. Any benefits provided to colleagues, host department and / or the wider
organisation
v. That constables meet the eligibility requirements to undertake the threshold
assessment
vi. Successful reconfirmation of the 10 assessment units from the Diploma in
Policing over a two year period prior to the agreed date for the threshold
assessment.
2) That constables and supervisors understand the crucial role of the planning element
of PDR process.
G. Policing Professional Framework:
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1) That irrespective if the force uses the Policing Professional Framework (PPF) or an
equivalent the system used encompasses the Personal Qualities for the Practitioner Level
as defined in the PPF
H. Equality:
1) That a system is in place to monitor the outcomes of the threshold and advanced
threshold assessments across the force to ensure that no officer is disadvantaged
because they hold a protected characteristic or have other equality needs. Separate
guidance will be provided on the capture of data.
2) That the monitoring results are incorporated into the overall local quality assurance
report
I. Complaints and Appeals:
1) That separate complaints and appeals procedures are available to constables
undertaking the threshold and advanced threshold assessments
2) That such complaints and appeals procedures incorporate as a minimum the College
of Policing guidance
3) That any outcomes from complaints and / or appeals are considered as part of the
annual report
(Note: there is no requirement for new or separate complaints and appeals procedures
to be developed. Existing ones may be utilised. However, they may benefit from review
to ensure that they meet the requirements of the threshold and advanced threshold
assessment systems)
J. Reasonable Adjustment:
1) That an approach to reasonable adjustment is available to constables undertaking the
threshold and advanced threshold assessments
(Note: there is no requirement for a new reasonable adjustment procedure to be
developed. An existing one may be utilised. However, it may benefit from review to
ensure that it meets the requirements of the threshold and advanced threshold
assessment systems)