Police forces do not always identify the best candidates for
senior leadership positions because of questionable selection
procedures, according to a new report.
In addition, current training does not equip chief officers with
the knowledge and skills they need to perform at their best.
HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services
(HMICFRS) and HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland (HMICS)
carried out a joint inspection to determine how effectively
police forces select and train candidates for chief officer
roles.
The report, Leading Lights. An inspection of the
police service’s arrangements for the selection and development
of chief officers, found that a lack of consistency,
fairness and transparency is having a detrimental effect on
police forces’ ability to identify and support those with the
most potential to become chief officers.
The report highlighted three major areas of concern:
-
Police forces are not able to identify potential chief officers
as quickly and effectively as they should be.
-
Training and development opportunities for chief officers are not
sufficiently comprehensive or coherent.
- The
appointment of chief officers is managed in an often-haphazard
manner.
The Inspectorates identified a variety of factors contributing to
these problems, including the following:
-
Different forces apply selection and assessment guidelines in
different ways, leading to large-scale regional variations and
inconsistencies.
- The
Strategic Command Course (SCC) contains modules which may not be
relevant to all forces
- Too
often there is a shortage of applicants for chief officer roles,
and officers do not move between forces readily enough.
HM Inspector of Constabulary Matt Parr said:
“Chief officers are responsible for setting the overall strategy
of a force, as well as directing its day to day operations and
organisation. It is crucial that we have the very best
people on those roles.
“Unfortunately, we found that the current processes used to
select and develop senior police leaders are sometimes
inadequate. Additionally, they are generally applied in a
very inconsistent manner, leading to variations in ability and
experience between different forces.
“The weaknesses in the system mean the playing field is unlevel
and unfair, which means it is impossible to be sure we always
have the right people leading police forces. Ultimately, it
potentially means less capable applicants being selected over
better ones and those applicants then receiving sub-standard
training.
“We also identified a lack of diversity amongst chief
officers. We know that women and BAME individuals are
underrepresented at chief officer level, but we also determined
that there is a lack of diversity of experience.
“For example, many chief officers have only ever served with one
force. This means that they may not be equipped to deal
with challenges not traditionally seen in the regions (for
example, dealing with rural crimes in an urban locale).
“It is clear that the selection and training of chief officers
needs to be examined in further detail. Our report
concludes with a list of recommendations designed to strengthen
and standardise the approach to selecting and training chief
officers.”
The Inspectorates issued several recommendations to help improve
the selection and development of chief officers, including the
following:
- The
College of Policing (CoP) should commission independent reviews
of the SPNAC and SCC.
- The
professional reference group, which advises the CoP on the SPNAC
and SCC, should be expanded to include figures outside policing.
- The
CoP should draft new regulations, and provide comprehensive
information, on the conduct and procedure for selecting which
candidates will attend the SPNAC.
- The
CoP should, with the support of other relevant organisations,
devise a new framework for continuous professional development
(supported by a new national workforce planning function).
