Port of Tilbury-Police Constable

[Fedster + 1,307]

Chief also says he will write to officers who have recently left his force asking them if 'the grass is as green as you thought'.

CC Giles York, right, said he has told CC Mike Cunningham, left, to work on updating the regulations. The Sussex chief has been looking at the issue for longer than his counterpart

Date - 10th August 2018
By - Ian Weinfass - Police Oracle

12 Comments

 

An idea championed by Theresa May four years ago to "challenge old ways of thinking" in the police service, could be introduced next year.

The notion that officers could take career breaks, work elsewhere and return to service at higher ranks was outlined by the then Home Secretary at the College of Policing Annual Conference in 2014.

The concept was included in the College of Policing’s leadership review in 2015 but is still subject to an ongoing internal consultation.

Chief Constable Giles York, NPCC workforce lead, referred to the idea during a College of Policing webchat this week, revealing that the work to amend regulations is due to be complete later this year.

The Sussex chief made no reference to the previous work done on the concept.

He said: “I’m beginning to see [...] people coming back. And I’ve been pushing you Mike [Cunningham, College CEO], because I think the current regulations are that you can only come back in the rank you’ve left.

“I had an officer who left a couple of years ago who went to work for another organisation who’s been promoted a couple of times since. [She’s] still in touch, [and is] really positive about policing.

“I’d love to bring her back in, probably at a higher rank, but at the moment I can only bring her back at the rank she left, so that’s one of the changes I’d like to see in place by the autumn – to start saying, how do we start bringing this change and churn and difference through the organisation.”

A spokesman for the College clarified to Police Oracle that it aims to finish its consultation on the issue in the coming months.

It will then need to be sent to the Home Office and parliament would be required to change police regulations, so is not likely to happen until next year at the earliest.

The issue came up during a discussion on the number of officers leaving policing.

CC York, who worked on the 2015 leadership review, said that while people are leaving, he sees “many more staying” and "some" coming back.

And he added: “We’re going to start sending them postcards six weeks after they leave, saying is the grass as green as you thought? You can come back tomorrow, we’ll start you back on Monday if you like.”

A pilot project to set up a major re-entry programme for ex-detectives is awaiting a Home Office funding decision, according to a College of Policing spokesman.

Some other aspects of the leadership review yet to be implemented, include allowing specials to be promoted to the equivalent of regular ranks.

The review was trailed as a plan to tackle major issues facing policing for the future, such as a dearth of candidates for chief officer jobs.

Its recommendation that there be fewer ranks in the service appears to have been shelved after the Met abandoned a pilot.

Recommendations which have been adopted include direct entry at inspector level and the ability for chiefs to designate police powers to staff members.

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[SimonT + 1,185]

Ah that's what I have been missing while trying to get promoted. I should resign, do something else that the police need as a skill and then come back. 

[Mac7 808]

I quite like the idea of this concept. Could it be extended to allowing certain officers a period out on loan in private industry ( a kin to footballers) without leaving the organisation to get a variety of experience?

 

Having said that many officers at PC level enter policing with a lot of private sector experience that could help change/enhance policing. The organisation needs to start looking inwards as well as outside of policing to tap potential talent.

 

[Reasonable Man + 1,231]

I quite like the idea of this concept. Could it be extended to allowing certain officers a period out on loan in private industry ( a kin to footballers) without leaving the organisation to get a variety of experience?
 
Having said that many officers at PC level enter policing with a lot of private sector experience that could help change/enhance policing. The organisation needs to start looking inwards as well as outside of policing to tap potential talent.
 

I agree. Not dissimilar to those with the right skills and experience joining at higher ranks.
The problem will be the failure of the police service to quickly recognise opportunities and try new ways of doing things. I am sure some posters will be along condemning this idea as being a kick in the teeth for those officers who have stuck with the the job for years; and the 'no substitute for experience' comments.

[BlueBob + 692]

4 hours ago, Mac7 said:

I quite like the idea of this concept. Could it be extended to allowing certain officers a period out on loan in private industry ( a kin to footballers) without leaving the organisation to get a variety of experience?

 

Having said that many officers at PC level enter policing with a lot of private sector experience that could help change/enhance policing. The organisation needs to start looking inwards as well as outside of policing to tap potential talent.

 

Not sure footballers is a good example!!!!!  In some ways it has been happening for years with officers moving around forces to gain experience / promotion.  There are challenges but not insurmountable of moving into the private sector.  What would be a challenge is the roles and aims of those moves.  Would policing be equally happy to have an intake from 'industry / business' sector? I'd say it isn't an exclusively one way street.

[Beaker 817]

I am sure some posters will be along condemning this idea as being a kick in the teeth for those officers who have stuck with the the job for years; and the 'no substitute for experience' comments.

I always think that works both ways. Likely that someone who has spent 20 years in a specialist job would bring skills you just don't get in the police. When it comes to some skill areas you just don't get the opportunity to upskill to an expert level in the police. That isn't in any way meant to trivialise what officers do, just that their skills might not cover particular skill sets.

[Mac7 808]

Not sure footballers is a good example!!!!!  In some ways it has been happening for years with officers moving around forces to gain experience / promotion.  There are challenges but not insurmountable of moving into the private sector.  What would be a challenge is the roles and aims of those moves.  Would policing be equally happy to have an intake from 'industry / business' sector? I'd say it isn't an exclusively one way street.

I say footballers because people like Harry Kane spent many periods on loan at lower league clubs. Some didn’t rate him. Look at him now!

Officers do move around seeking promotion opportunities but there is no formal programme in place and where ever they move to, they are still within policing. I believe that spending time within the private sector could have huge advantages, especially for officers seeking promotion to Chief Supt and NPCC ranks.

[BlueBob + 692]

Of course, the option has always been there -ra5her than join at a rank and be stuck there or promoted out of their skills, there is 5he option for a long term contract.  Alas many external contractors make it financially 7nattractive to the p9lice budget

 

[Zulu 22 + 4,575]

College of Policing, enough said. People are leaving the job because they are disillusioned, with pay, conditions, pensions, management and they have had enough.  Those you are retiring after 30 years have made that decision to retire over many years. It would seem attractive to retire after 30 as an Inspector, say, on a pension and come back after 6 months as a Chief Inspector on full Chief Inspector pay. I cannot see how that would make any sense.

[Reasonable Man + 1,231]

College of Policing, enough said. People are leaving the job because they are disillusioned, with pay, conditions, pensions, management and they have had enough.  Those you are retiring after 30 years have made that decision to retire over many years. It would seem attractive to retire after 30 as an Inspector, say, on a pension and come back after 6 months as a Chief Inspector on full Chief Inspector pay. I cannot see how that would make any sense.

It’s not about retiring and going back. It’s about career breaks to gain other skills then returning at a higher rank.
Such as a sergeant with 10 years service going to work elsewhere for 5 or 6 years then rejoining as an inspector or superintendent.

[Zulu 22 + 4,575]

As I said College of Policing, enough said.

[Growley + 2,436]

Personally, I could see some merit in the idea, provided they're still held to the same promotion standards as those who've remained in the job, and aren't allowed to let their policing knowledge drop off.

That being said, as much as I see merit in the idea, there would have to be some robust measures in place to prevent nepotism. 

[Reasonable Man + 1,231]

As I said College of Policing, enough said.

Why would you post this? What was your experience of the College of Policing as a serving officer?

[Reasonable Man + 1,231]

Nul

[Posh 291]

On 12/08/2018 at 11:14, Zulu 22 said:

As I said College of Policing, enough said.

You'll end up wearing that cauldron out with all the doom and gloom you're stirring.