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Direct entry superintendents scheme ?paused? for 2020 by CoP

College of Policing says five-year progress review of direct entry programme to be published next month amid limited uptake
Published - 17/12/2019 By - Gary Mason

There will be no forces participating in the College of Policing-backed direct entry scheme for superintendents next year due to low levels of interest.

The CoP confirmed that the scheme, which offers direct management entry to candidates with no previous policing experience, had been ‘paused’ while forces concentrate on the 20,000 new recruit uplift.

Last year only two forces participated in the direct entry superintendents scheme  - Avon and Somerset and Dyfed Powys. The single direct entry post at Avon and Somerset was fulfilled via a deferral.

In 2020 a total of 11 forces are going ahead with direct entry recruiting programmes for inspectors which is nine fewer than last year for the inspectors and superintendent programmes. The College says next month it plans to publish a five-year progress report on its direct entry programme which has suffered from a limited uptake by cash strapped forces.

Superintendent Paula Light said: “The College of Policing is supporting the increased recruitment into policing as part of the uplift announced earlier this year. This recruitment is rightly the priority for the service and, with limited levels of interest from forces, the decision has been taken to pause recruiting for the Superintendent programme for next year.

“Many police forces across England and Wales continue to support the Direct Entry programme, with recruitment for the Inspectors and Fast Track programmes continuing in 2020.

“Next month we will publish the planned five-year report on the progress of Direct Entry. This will also allow us to consult with forces and others on how it may be delivered in the future.”

Forces taking part in next year’s direct entry inspectors programme are: Cumbria, Dyfed-Powys, Gloucestershire, Greater Manchester, Hampshire, Northumbria, South Yorkshire, Warwickshire, West Mercia, West Midlands and West Yorkshire.

West Mercia and Warwickshire, who are still locked in a temporary collaborative partnership, will be recruiting three direct entry inspectors in 2020 – two in West Mercia and one in Warwickshire.

Applications for direct entry posts opened at West Mercia on December 13 and will close on 3 March.

The force says it is looking for applicants with management skills in areas such as budgets, teams, resources, systems and cultural change, while also “demonstrating diversity of thought, life perspective and experience.”

The Inspector programme combines classroom-based and on-the-job training to equip recruits with policing skills to complement their personal management experience and attributes. Rotational periods are spent in the roles of PC, Sergeant and Inspector during the training.

In return, Inspectors receive a starting salary of £51,414, paid from day one of the training course.

Assistant Chief Constable Martin Evans said: “The complex, ever-changing nature of modern day policing means that now, more than ever, we need talented individuals to lead from the front - people who have experience in making difficult decisions and managing competing demands.

“The Direct Entry programme works alongside our police leadership development programmes to deliver the future cadre of senior police officers we need to deliver against the many challenges our policing area presents.”

Inspector Lewis Lincoln-Gordon joined West Mercia Police through the Direct Entry programme. He said: “I was previously a senior social worker in child protection, leading on complex investigations, practice development and organised criminality. I was impressed with West Mercia's focus on vulnerability and this fits with both my experience and passion.

“I view a career in policing as an opportunity to impact positively on people's lives. The programme is intense, challenging and rewarding in equal measure. It provides an opportunity to engage with people who have experienced a traumatic event or a series of traumatic events and reduce the likelihood of further occurrences of that trauma. I feel very privileged to be an Inspector, a direct entrant and above all, a police officer.”

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