Training and Development as a Police
Officer and Police Community Support Officer
Initial Training for Police Officers and
PCSO’s
All new police officers undertake an extensive
and professional training programme known as the Initial Learning
and Development Programme (IPLDP). The programme is non-residential
and student officers travel daily from their authorised home
address to the training. This programme went live in Dorset Police
on the 2006 and replaced the training undertaken at Regional
Training Centres.
The training is a 32-week foundation training programme
which is of modular approach and is based predominantly in a
purpose built facility within the Bournemouth conurbation.
Prior to joining, students must complete a
series of workbooks and attend a pre-induction day before the start
of their course. During this day the students are fitness tested
and sit an examination based upon the workbooks.
On joining Dorset police the Induction phase
is 5 weeks and Police Community Support Officers (PCSO’s) now
generally undertake the first 5 weeks of the training alongside
their student Police Officer colleagues. This phase is essentially
2 weeks of induction and 3 weeks of community involvement,
including community placements with partner organisations. At the
conclusion of this phase, a de-brief day takes place where the
students give presentations. Each student is also required to
complete a project based on their community placement.
Student officers undertake a fitness test in
their first week of employment and further fitness assessments are
conducted at approximately weeks 18, 45, 70 and 90 of the
probationary period.
At the end of week 5 the PCSO’s have 3 more
weeks of training specific to their role (currently at Force
Headquarters) and are then based at their divisional stations to
undertake the role of PCSO in the community.
Please follow this link to
download our PCSO Training FAQs >
Meanwhile, Student Police Officers commence
week 6 of their 24 week programme which takes place at Bournemouth.
During this period they cover phases in ‘Evidence and Procedure’,
‘Acquisitive Crime’, ‘Protecting People’, ’Stop and Search’ and
‘basic road traffic’.
A phase of workplace training follows, which
is made up of 4 weeks of Divisional attachments including driver
training. The workplace attachment meets agreed learning outcomes
and will take place on the division the officers will be posted
to.
On returning to the Bournemouth, Officers will
continue to develop interviewing skills as well as phases in
‘Social crime and traffic’, ‘Hate Crime’, and ‘Violent Crime’.
During this training student officers are
assessed by way of knowledge checks, examinations, project work and
assessed practical exercises which frequently take place in the
public view. Each IPLDP
course undertakes three perceptual training days at the Streetwise
Safety Centre where community volunteers also role act.
On successful completion of the 24 week
course, students move on to the Professional Development Unit (PDU)
of their Division where they are closely tutored. Student officers
undertake accompanied patrol in this tutorship and are assessed
against the Police Action Checklist (PACs). The PACs list a number of actions
in which an officer needs to show competence whilst they are on
accompanied patrol. They will be required to show evidence of
competency in 100% of the PACs before progressing to
independent patrol.
On progression from the PDU, the student officers
are then expected to demonstrate competence against the National
Occupational Standards (NOS) that are linked to the student officer
role profile. A student officer will be required to show evidence
of competency in 100% of the NOS during independent
patrol prior to their confirmation at the end of the 2 year
probation period.
During the remainder of their probationary
period the students receive further training in specialist subjects
such as the interviewing of vulnerable people and the investigation
of complex road policing incidents.
Throughout your career as a Police
Officer
After the initial comprehensive training,
police officers face one of the most challenging jobs anyone can
undertake. As a response officer, it’s almost impossible to
know what each working day will bring. Every officer must
have the basic legal knowledge to enable them to decide whether
someone has broken the law and what course of action should be
taken as a result. They must be able to deal with the most
violent people in our society as well as the most vulnerable.
Throughout their police service, officers receive training to
update and improve their knowledge to enable them to deal with the
many different demands that will be placed on them. The
expectations placed on response officers cannot be
underestimated.
After some time as a response officer, many
individuals might identify areas of police work that they are
particularly good at or that they enjoy more than others. It
is at this point that police officers have a choice where people in
other professions do not. Police officers have the
opportunity to specialise in many different aspects of police
work. For example, police officers may become dog handlers or
air support officers. They may decide to specialise in the
investigation of serious criminal investigations or roads
policing. They might decide to become surveillance officers
or join the Marine Section. Police officers have the
opportunity to undertake attachments and secondments to various
departments to see whether a specialist department would suit them
before actually applying for a change in their career path.
There are also coaches and mentors available to give advice about
future career choices.
There are many possible career paths and these
do not even include the possibility of seeking promotion. For
those officers who have the ambition to seek promotion to the
highest levels of the police service, there is the High Potential
Development Scheme (HPDS). A link to the National Policing
Improvement Agency is included below. This provides full
details of the HPDS.
Follow this link for
details of the Core Leadership Programme which is open to all
staff .
Initial Training as a Police
Staff
If you
join the force as a member of Police Staff then you will attend a 2
day induction course during your first six months of
employment.
Throughout your career as a Police
Staff or PCSO
Training for Police staff roles is generally
provided on-the-job as is relevant to the role. However
in specific roles you may be required to attend particular internal
or external courses to help you carry out your role and these will
be discussed with you once you start employment by your line
manger
Follow this link for
details of the Core Leadership Programme which is open to all
staff .
Core Leadership Development
Programme
As a member of staff, Dorset Police provide a
number of opportunities to develop during your career.
The Core Leadership Development Programme is open designed by The
National Police Improvement Agency (NPIA) to meet the practical and
professional needs of Police Officers and Police Staff leaders.
CLDP is available
for all staff within the organisation.
Additionally, upon promotion to Sergeant all Police Officers
will automatically commence the programme. Similarly, any Police
Staff member who becomes a supervisor/manager should enrol on the
programme as part of their professional development.
Other opportunities for training as a member
of Police staff are available through various schemes that provide
the opportunity for development through college and university
courses that are specific to the role or are requested for future
career aspirations.
Additionally, staff can apply for attachments
and secondments and promotion to other police staff roles
throughout their career with Dorset Police as such opportunities
are advertised regularly as and when vacancies arise.
Training and Development as a Special
Constable
Members of Dorset public from all walks of life volunteer
their time to become Special Constables to assist with the policing
of their county and local areas. They initially complete a
group induction course over 10 weekends mainly on Sundays at the
police HQ where they are
introduced to the police family, police powers and processes i.e.
arrest, stop and search, legislation, preserving and securing
evidence, personal safety, first aid etc. They are
sworn in as constables and then perform operational duties within
Safer Neighbourhood Teams and general patrol under the guidance of
an experienced special constable or regular officer. A twelve
month probationary period is required during which a portfolio is
built and can be used as evidence to support an application to join
the regular force.
In addition there is on going training and
patrol opportunities available as officers develop and become more
experienced i.e. traffic, marine section. Furthermore
training opportunities is offered with regular officers.
The Core Leadership Development Programme is
also open to Special Constables, follow this link for more
details about the Core Leadership Development Programme.
Within the Special Constabulary there is a
rank structure and opportunity is available for personnel to take
on a supervisory/management role obtaining promotion within the
organisation.
Training and Development as a
Volunteer
The role of a Volunteer is designed to enhance
the work of the police and provide additional support in the area
where the volunteer lives or works. All volunteers assist police
officers and police staff who are then able to concentrate on core
policing duties. As a result there are more officers on the streets
and improved community support.
Volunteer help with a range of activities,
from monitoring CCTV in town centres,
maintaining gym equipment, cleaning and checking police vehicles
through to a variety of administrative roles.
Volunteers are aged between 16 and 80 and
are asked to give a minimum of four hours per week. These hours are
arranged at a time to suit their own personal and work
commitments.
All Volunteers must attend a mandatory 2-day Induction course,
which includes 1 day of Diversity training. Other training
specific to their volunteer role is also provided