Bespoke training for police professional standards department

Client had been engaged in association with Just Whistle (part of Safe and Sound Enterprises Derby) by a Professional Standards Department in a police force who wanted to run a series of training events focussing on the ICPC report into abuse of police powers to sexually abuse.

There was a meeting with PSD which explored learning aims and objectives, considered which officers should be approached to attend the training, and looked at local case examples to incorporate into the training.

The agreed aims were that the course would:

• Give an overview of the IPCC report, the reasons why it was commissioned, its findings and conclusions
• Assist those attending in agreeing what the abuse of police powers is and its relationship to national standards
• Provide an opportunity to consider who the victims might be, and why they are targeted
• Consider how this abuse is commissioned and how it can be detected
• Understand the impact and consequences of this offence for victims, and the police force
• Provide an opportunity to consider professional boundaries and the kind of behaviour that might lead to concerns being raised
• Deliver knowledge of best practice in responding to this issue and the recommendations in the IPCC report
• Give an update on local initiatives and developments

The course was delivered to a range of police officers with supervisory and mentoring roles. Although about a sensitive subject, the events were well received and resulted in the course being adopted and rolled out by the police force’s own learning and development team.