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Probationer training: remote control

What elements of training could now be completed remotely using technology? Nottinghamshire Police has embarked on an innovative approach which may shape how it will be delivered in the future
Published - 09/04/2020 By - Chloe Livadeas

Nottinghamshire has been in the middle of a record recruitment drive which will be given further impetus by its share of the 20,000 uplift. Some 72 new officers completed their training recently making the total for the year 107 recruits.

There are now plans to bring in an additional 150 officers by March 2021, starting this month despite the limitations of the lockdown.

This week Superintendent Sukesh Verma  took part in a Zoom Webinar hosted by Bluelight’s Brendan O’Brien to speak about the force’s recruitment and training, which is pushing ahead regardless of the restrictions caused by COVID-19. 

In fact, working within those limitations and adpating the training to suit the circumstances, has been part of the process of innovation. 

“I think it's changed the way that we do and can do business,” he said.

Supt Verma said the original objective was simply to keep probationer training going but it has led to inititiatives which could become a permanent way of doing things.

“We don't stop anything, but we’ve just got to think differently. We've got to innovate, and we've got the technology to do it. It's just about doing that and it's worked so far.”

All of training teams are now working with candidates remotely through webinars.

“We've got cohorts for 24/25 people in a classroom, we can't have them in there, there's too much of a risk,” Supt. Verma said.

He said he knew of some forces still doing recruitment in the classroom with masks on, which he said was “crackers”.

“Why are we going to put people in classrooms? So why are we not going to get them kitted out and sent home?”

He said the College of Policing guidance has been focused on officer and staff safety.

“How do we keep people safe? How do we follow the guidelines but still deliver and sometimes that will fall on its toes because each individual force is still responsible for delivering that probation or student training.”

“We need to do something now. We don't want to wait,” he said.

Supt Verma said the force’s big investment in technology was a crucial factor in its ability to keep recruitment and training moving forward.

“I genuinely think that a lot of those forces that are struggling, would struggle purely around finance and what they’ve invested in their IT.”

Every new recruit in Nottinghamshire will receive a new Lenovo touchscreen laptop worth about £1,000 and a smartphone on day one.

Supt Verma said some forces will wait until officers have passed the training and are out on the street before they get that kind of kit.

“We want them to have it from the beginning,” he said. “That has unlocked new potential for us.”

Supt Verma thinks lessons learnt from this period will be taken forward.

“All of a sudden, we've changed the way that we do business and why wouldn't we carry that on? Because if it unlocks new opportunities with new communities, and new groups and more diverse groups, it's going be a benefit to us,” he said.

One area where the new approach has brought unexpected benefits is the recruitment of minority officers, for example. He explained that recruitment of BAME candidates and other under-represented groups was easier through remote training and recruitment because if events are held locally and someone is seen attending they could be treated as an outcast by their community. Supt Verma highlighted as well how it could be easier for single parents with child care commitments to do the process remotely.

He acknowledges there are critical parts of training that can not be done remotely, such as Unarmed Defence Training (UDT). But the risk from holding this on site can be mitigated by limiting the size of the groups, holding it in an open space, instead of an indoor gym, minimising contact and ensuring everyone is continually washing their hands.

The force is also now allowing people to do the fitness test remotely by giving everyone clear guidelines and getting someone to film the candidate completing the bleep test and sending in the video, on the condition they need to repeat it when they start the job.

No more gym: bleep tests are now videoed and sent in by trainees 

As GP surgeries are currently so over-stretched, hopefuls have struggled to provide medicals. Self-declared medicals are therefore accepted, again with the caveat that recruits will have to undergo a full medical when they join.

All interviews during the recruitment process are now done via video.

“You can't guarantee a place is COVID free. You can't guarantee anything with this particular illness. So what we've got to do is take sensible action,” Supt Verma says. 

“An interview isn't actually a key workers role, it’s not something that we need to do in terms of law enforcement or serving, it's a part of a recruitment process. So why would we do that?

“We'll keep investing in our new recruits because if you don't invest in your new staff, they're not going to want to stay with you. They're going to leave. There's a reason why I've been so successful in getting people to come across to our force and the transferring levels as well.”

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