Complaints against officers

[hiramabif 284]

Without blowing my own trumpet I am well versed and trained in this issue,for students,tutors and sergeants and should be able to answer any questions on the subject or at least find the answers.

For those that don't know the SOLAP has now fully replaced the PDP.The training is now in 4 phases with community placements at week 7 and 83.

During the tutor period which doesn't now have to be a full 10 weeks the student officers have to complete the PACs to gain independence.They then go on to NOS and have to claim 42 of these.

There are reviews at week 30 45 60 and 75 where the student must evidence progress with the NOS (national occupational standards) and document the same.

The student is to have assessed incidents.

The list would appear endless but in reality it is a very good system and should weed out the dross.

Students would also be in receipt of a foundation degree at the end of it.

In theory a non police officer could sign up at the relevant university and do the foundation course obviously they would not do any practical policing.

Its a big subject which is really starting to kick in our 4th SOLAP course started recently.

 

[Stan Still 1]

Go on then

SOLAP, PAC and NOS - more abbreviations to remember. You've told us

what NOS is (but not what the standards are) - what are the other two?

WMP have made a policy decision that if an officer can demonstrate

competence before they reach the end of two years, they can be

confirmed as a Constable early and receive the appropriate pay rise.

Seems to make sense on the face of it.

[hiramabif 284]

SOLAP means Student officer Learning Assessment Portfolio.

The PACS are police action checklists which are completed when in company with a tutor.

These are very basic and easily claimed.

In my opinion the course for students is juxtaposed between a quite hard and intensive university package for the foundation degree with police skills dumbed down and on the back burner................. my personal opinion which is probably wrong.

[steve821 0]

What if your force is not going down the Degree route?

Has the Home Office SOLAP been released by Centrex yet?

Steve821

[Brain dead 0]

If your force is not going down the Foundation degree route then there is the option of a NVQ. The forces that are going down this route are tending to award a level 3 at the end of year 1 and a level 4 at the end of year 2.

Foundation degrees should have been written with the force's involvement and so shouldn't have polcing skills dumbed down. But then again the whole IPLDP system is geared towards reasonable knowledge but good attitude and behaviours.

The Centrex SOLAP (version 3) is due out in June, so that should be really useful as all forces adopted IPLDP as of 1st April

Also worthy of note is that Hiram states review dates etc, but these are all down to indivdual forces to decide on. Some are having reviews at weeks 40 and 90 others at weeks 52 and 104. So there is now 43 training schemes based on a national framework. (Until we all merge and then forces will have to re do all the project work to sort out another new training scheme)

 

[Extremophile 0]

Greetings

My first input into this forum......

I start my training the week after next with the BTP.

I'm informed that centrex have nothing more to do with the training and will remain with the recruitment process only.

With the BTP, both the foundation degree and NVQ are awarded at the end of 2 successful years.

[outrageous 0]

I'm and EO, why we have to do portfolios I do not know.  Half the requirements are not relevant.  We do not arrest anyone and if you want promotion your Inspector can do a hell of a lot more for your prospects.

Plus, you can lie through your teeth.  I pulled up an Officer when I found out he had included an incident I had been involved in and he made himself sound like the Chief Con's golden boy and made me look like a quivering little girl .  The truth was very different.  So I thought, sod this, if you can make it up why not and I did.  No one ever questioned me over what I was claiming.

Get back to the good old days when you wait until a promotion slot comes along and you have a good old question and answer and interview.

[Kopite 0]

I dont know if the NOS section of the SOLAP will eventually become as

easy as the PAC's did - but at the moment, Im just a bit overwhelmed

with it all - and what I need to do.

Im keen to get stuck into it, so im not left rushing round come week 50 & 75 etc....but im at a loss how to attack it.

Ive

got loads of envelopes from jobs ive done that contain evidence. Mainly

from jobs where Ive eventually locked up, as there is more content to

these I find. So for example, in one envelope I have. .....

1 - Altaris log

2 - Niche record

3 - Copy of PNB

4 - Corvus print [as was wanted]

5 - AP3 from a colleague

6 - MG11 from myself [arrest]

7 - Feedback from custody sgt re booking in

8 - Feedback from member of PST re how I conducted the interview.

But ive no idea where to start, or how to find what units/elements and ranges these cover.

Lets say I am going to cover Unit 1A1 [use police actions in a fair and justified way] How do I cover all the points I need to?

And

I really dont understand the range part of it - again for example in

1A1, do i have to show all the all the units in 1A1.1 [6 in total] then

all 6 again to show the 3 ranges of history, events and descriptions?

Im just totally confiused with it all......

Plus, what does history, events or descriptions mean in relation to that anyway?

God....its doing my head in.

[benton 0]

Can you fail the SOLAP, and if so are out of a job or do they keep helping you achieve the SOLAP after 2 years training

[OldTimer 0]

The SOLAP is an NVQ type assessment of your role, dependant on what force you are in you can achieve either a University qualification or an NVQ, or no qualification at all. Standards differ between forces and it is very paperwork intenisve. It requires activities be observed and assessed which is fine for the tutor period but beyond that is impracticable unless you are accompanied by a sergeant. Would be fine for Marks and Spencers employees.

[SeanusMaximus 0]

But if you're single crewed or doubled with another probationer then anything you do can't be assessed!

Any other profession and you would go to college on day release rather than have to fit it in with patrol duties.

 

Seanus

[SOLAPstar 0]

Hi,

 

I am a bit confused- you say that there are 42 national occupational standards to achieve? (NOS) although these are known as units if your force or univercity is an approved centre for delivering NVQs.

 

I am only aware of 22. These being 11 from the NVQ in policing level 3 and 11 from the NVQ in policing level 4.

 

What am i missing?

[SOLAPstar 0]

Hope this helps!

 

There are other ways of being assessed other than someone observing you. The standards require varied methods of assessment. Within your role you will be producing evidence naturally such as work related documents you have to fill out anyway.

 

Someone should be guiding you through this process and on a regular basis discussing what evidence and types of evidence you could collect that will hit the standards.