Home Secretary to explore new non-degree pathways into policing

Suella Braverman told Wednesday’s annual Partnership Summit of the National Police Chiefs’ Council and the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners that the Policing Education Qualifications Framework (PEQF) is to remain but other entry routes to be opened.

She said the police service must be open to those who do not have a degree or want one.

“The College of Policing has been working hard to raise the standards of initial entry and ensure officers are equipped to meet the challenges of policing today,” Ms Braverman told delegates.

“We know that to build public confidence, we must draw from the widest possible pool of talent across all sections of society.”

She added: “I have also heard from many of you that there is a need for more flexibility to ensure broad access to a policing career.

“So, I have asked the college to build on their work by considering options for a new non-degree entry route, to deliver officers of the highest calibre, which will complement the existing framework.

“In the meantime, the current transitional non-degree entry route will be kept open.”

The College of Policing says the IPLDP (Initial Police Learning and Development Programme) route for new police officers, which enables people to join the service without a prior degree education, has not kept pace with the demands of frontline policing and was being phased out completely in favour of the degree-level entry route. In place since 2006, the final deadline for ending the IPLDP is expected to be in March next year.

Police and crime commissioners (PCCs) had sent a joint letter to the previous Home Secretary calling for a more flexible approach to recruitment, allowing police forces the choice of having IPLDP and the new PEQF courses available to new entrants.

This, they argued, would provide forces with a better opportunity to recruit a wider range of people, including those with military backgrounds or serving Specials and police community support officers (PCSOs). It would also speed up recruitment, they say.

Derbyshire’s PCC Angelique Foster said earlier this week that the non-degree entry route into policing ensures new recruits better reflect the communities they serve (see https://www.policeprofessional.com/news/pcc-adds-pressure-to-calls-to-keep-non-degree-entry-route-for-new-officers/).

Wiltshire’s PCC was another calling for the Home Secretary to lift the “blanket requirement” for all new police officers to commit to studying for a degree.

Philip Wilkinson said removing the measure for officers, unless they wanted to study for a degree, would mean recruitment could be sped up and open to a wider range of people –such as serving Specials or PCSOs.

“A more flexible approach to recruitment – allowing police forces to recruit new officers without them having a degree prior or committing to studying towards a degree while training – is needed, he said.

Otherwise, it could mean missing out on recruiting older, more experienced, staff from the military or other organisations as a result.

“Policing already has one of the youngest, most inexperienced, workforces it has ever had,” Mr Wilkinson said. “Why are we making it more difficult for ourselves by having such a draconian approach to policing recruitment?

“There are plenty of excellent police officers – and many, many, successful chief constables – over the years who haven’t a degree but have received training, leadership skills and have earned their policing insight and experience on the job.

“With the blanket requirement of a studying for a degree or converting your existing one, we are missing out on that experience and expertise earned in other areas which could really have a positive impact on what we are trying to achieve in Wiltshire.”

He added: “If we are truly behind getting back to basics, then why can’t we use the more traditional training route we used to: 20 weeks training, out on the streets and learning on the job?

“We can always have police apprenticeships and policing degrees open to those who want it but it shouldn’t be at the detriment of our communities who want simply want more police, greater visibility and to feel safe when they walk down the street.”