Initial Police Learning Development Programme (IPLDP) in the MPS

Report: 8
Date: 7 June 2007
By: Director of Human Resources on behalf of the Commissioner

Summary

An update into the progress of the implementation of the Initial Police Learning and Development Programme (IPLDP) in the MPS, to be achieved by the target date of September 2007.

A. Recommendations

That members note the development of the IPLDP to agreed timelines.

B. Supporting information

Overview

1. The evolution in learning and development for probationer constables finds its roots in a report, ‘Training Matters’. Published in January 2002, following a national thematic inspection of probationer training by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC Personnel and Training) and the Adult Learning Inspectorate (ALI). The inspection covered 14 forces (including the MPS) and covered residential training establishments.

2. One of the recommendations made in Training Matters, was that the police service designs a new training programme (IPLDP) in line with National Occupational Standards (NOS) - catering for individual learning styles, abilities and taking into account previous experience, attitudes and behaviour. A national learning and development team was set up to develop the IPLDP, which is still evolving today.

3. IPLDP supports the strategic priorities and MPS values which are critical to making a safer London, specifically Safer Neighbourhoods and Citizen Focus. At the heart of this training and development programme is community engagement, reflected in the work on pilot sites with safer neighbourhood teams, role-play in the community and workplace assessment - on the actual borough the officer is to be posted to.

MPS programme delivery

4. IPLDP is the national approach to the training and development of student police officers – which the MPS must fully adopt by September 2007. The overall aim of IPLDP is that student training should consist of work-based learning within the community, producing a police officer who:

• Understands the community they serve.
• Has effective communication skills.
• Is confident.
• Is competent and has the necessary skills to perform the role of a police constable (as measured against National Occupational Standards).
• Has been trained on the borough on which they will serve, hence equipping them with a greater understanding of specific borough policies and procedures.
• Becomes an effective Borough resource at an earlier stage in their "probationary period"

There are three key principles to IPLDP to support this student centred training:

• Local delivery.
• Community engagement.
• Workplace assessment.

5. The MPS piloted its first course of students on this new programme at Camden in 2004, and has since developed bespoke training sites in addition to Hendon. These sites allow students to undertake the majority of their initial training on, or near to their future boroughs. Since the pilot, the MPS has developed partnerships with eight BOCUs – delivering students on IPLDP from five sites of Havering College, Sunbury, Westminster, Orpington and Barnet (Hendon).

The initial programme

6. IPLDP is a phased programme of development for student officers, throughout the two years of their probationary period. Phases 1, 2 and 3 (weeks 1 – 31) are spent at the training base (cluster site) and on the students’ borough, in protected learning time. The initial 5 weeks are spent at Hendon undertaking the MPS ‘safety first’ module, where students are equipped with learning, skills and knowledge in areas such as Officer Safety, Emergency Life Support and Diversity.

7. The mainstream IPLDP curriculum is then delivered through a combination of classroom work, role-play and knowledge checks - which are complimented by workplace assessment and live patrol time. Role-plays are often conducted in the community where the officer is going to serve, promoting an understanding of key community issues, demographics and geography. The pilots suggested that these have provided significant extra opportunities for enhancing training through local engagement and greater uniformed visibility, as an example dealing with a shop theft can be practised in a shop (e.g. Sainsbury’s, M+S etc).

8. At the conclusion of 31 weeks, when the student has achieved the required competency – they are formally posted to their BOCU to continue their development in phase 4.

9. Phase 4 (weeks 32-104) continues with learning in the workplace, with student development being measured against the 22 National Occupational Standards. At all stages, the student officer works to achieve the required competencies, which are to be reviewed and verified by internal assessors. This ensures the programme works to comply with the requirement to achieve NVQ status. As a result of competency being assessed in this way, successful officers can in some circumstances achieve substantive constable rank before the conclusion of the norm of 2 years.

Future MPS delivery of programme

10. Following the successful piloting phase, a business case was submitted to Investment Board to consider a full proposal to support programme delivery. The principle for delivery of IPLDP through eight training sites was agreed in September 2006 (Appendix 1).

Timetable for rollout

11. The transition plan from the current Hendon course to full IPLDP presented a significant challenge. However, with effective planning and the drive of a fully committed Programme Board, disruption to current and future training has been minimised during this period.

12. The outcome is that all new student intakes from April 2007 will have commenced training on IPLDP, in advance of the MPS commitment to work towards full implementation by September 2007.

13. To mark the conclusion of the initial 31-week course, the MPS is currently considering alternative options to the traditional pass out parades. These include graduation ceremonies, which are being trialed at current IPLDP BOCUs and a single large public parade.

14. The transition plan for post foundation training (phase 4) is currently being piloted, with a full plan anticipated for implementation by December 2007. This is in preparation for early 2008 where the first full IPLDP intakes (which started in April 2007) will require formal assessment against National Occupational Standards.

Staff

15. Extensive redirection and merging of roles within HR have taken place to provide the necessary trainers to support the programme. In addition, the nature of training places a greater emphasis on workplace assessment compared to previous methods. By working in the community, staff will be conducting risk assessed role-plays – and with patrol opportunities enhanced, the trainer role is no longer exclusively classroom based.

Accommodation issues

16. The revised eight-site plan effectively uses current MPS assets - while fostering new joint working and enhancing existing partnerships. Examples are new partnership initiatives with Sainsbury’s at Barkingside and Tesco at Roneo Corner, Romford. These arrangements have been achieved at no or low cost to the MPS, driving down previous forecasts in the programmes accommodation strand (Table 1 refers). Havering College is a fine example of an existing partnership, where students for two BOCUs have trained through the IPLDP since early 2005.

Table 1

Abbreviations

IPLDP

Police Learning and Development Programme

HMIC Personnel & Training

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary

NOS

National Occupational Standards

C. Legal implications

1. Six of the eight training bases utilise existing MPS assets. Other sites that are coming on line this year, such as Tesco Roneo Corner and Sainsbury’s Barkingside are being developed through normal legal processes, overseen by Property Services Department.

2. A monthly review of progress and any legal issues are discussed at IPLDP Programme Board, chaired by DAC Steve Roberts. There are no known current legal issues that prevent the accommodation strand being realised.

D. Race and equality impact

Communities within the MPS are hugely diverse, and effective local policing must reflect supporting and working with these differences. The IPLDP helps to provide a more local, accessible and visible aspect to the Service by actively making training transparent and open whilst encouraging members of the community to take part in the training of their officers. This is vital for increasing trust and confidence in policing.

E. Financial implications

1. The original forecasted revenue costs for full rollout were presented at a scrutiny panel, which resulted in a robust cost-cutting exercise being undertaken. This reduced revenue costs to £1.75 million (Table 2 refers) and £1.81 million each year thereafter (Table 3 refers). This sum includes staff costs of £976K, and takes into account full year employment costs. The additional staff costs are not a new cost to the MPS if met from redirection into HR. There has been substantial internal redirection undertaken within the HR Directorate to reduce the impact to other business groups.

2. A national requirement to ensure students are awarded an NVQ in policing at the conclusion of probation is part of the Home Office priority for professionalising the police service. Registration costs are anticipated at up to £325 thousand ponds per annum (based on recruitment of 1300 students) and will be in addition to those staff costs above.

3. Accommodation costs reflect rental for the Havering College training site, and any uplift in anticipated costs in the move from Ambassador House to Centre Tower, Croydon. Other anticipated costs are future occupational costs for Penryhn Road – which is the identified replacement for the current Sunbury site.

Table 2

Table 3

F. Background papers

None

G. Contact details

Report author: T/Superintendent James Bennett, MPS.

For more information contact:

MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18

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