New strategy for developing leadership talent launched
The College of Policing has launched a new strategy to help develop leadership talent across police forces as part of a wider drive to build leadership, standards and performance throughout policing.
The National Talent Development Strategy (NTDS), unveiled on Tuesday (January 28), will help forces to grow their leadership capacity, plan for the future, and invest in talent at every level.
Developed with partners from across policing, the strategy aims to provide a more consistent national approach to identifying top policing talent at all levels and provides support for force senior leadership teams.
The college says the NTDS will assist officers who want to move to different areas within policing, and allow senior officers to spot future leaders so they can be developed early in their careers.
When launching the strategy, Chief Constable Sir Andy Marsh, chief executive officer of the College of Policing, explained it was time for recognition that “a leader isn’t only the most senior officer in the room” and talented leaders exist at all levels in policing.
He said: “Good policing needs good leaders. In an increasingly challenging and ever-changing landscape, brave, ambitious and forward-thinking leaders are more important than ever.
“Leaders come in many forms – from the more traditional senior leaders to leaders among peers – and that’s what this new strategy makes clear.
“At its heart, this strategy recognises that a leader isn’t only the most senior officer in the room. Talented leaders exist at all levels throughout policing, delivering first-class public service every day. The new NTDS will support leadership development and progression at all levels of the policing landscape.”
A significant proportion of officers in the police now have less than five years’ experience, in part due to recent increases in officer numbers. Sir Andy says the NTDS will help address this inexperience by ensuring everyone who shows leadership ability is able to progress, and is equipped with the skills they need to be successful.
The strategy also recognises individuals may prefer to develop within their current roles, or to move to a different area of policing, as well as through the traditional promotion pathway. It also aims to help remove barriers to development and progression for people in under-represented groups.
The NTDS, together with the five-stage Police Leadership Programme, form part of the College of Policing’s National Centre for Police Leadership (NCPL), which aims to transform leadership in policing.
The NTDS will support forces to:
- Develop and inspire workforces to maximise the talent and potential of all officers, staff, and volunteers;
- Improve leadership capability and capacity with a focus on diversity, equality and inclusion, transparency and fairness;
- Identify and develop individuals with senior leadership potential, including those from minority and under-represented groups, starting early in their careers and progressing through the grades and ranks; and
- Improve succession planning for critical roles in leadership and specialist capability to meet current and future workforce needs aligned to force strategy.