ST Officer Programme launched

The role of Specially Trained Officers (STOs) will be enhanced by a new programme that received its official launch at the National Investigation Training Conference at Wyboston last week.

The conference heard from Assistant Commissioner John Yates, the ACPO lead on rape that the service is preparing for some criticism in the wake of official inspections into sexual assault investigation.

The STO programme is designed to assist forces deploy officers trained to a higher level to cases of sexual assault. Commonly known by different forces as chaperones, SOITs or RVLOs, the STO is used in a variety of ways and the programme reflects the diversity of requirements in forces.

The programme consists of distance-learning modules, a two week course that may be extended to three weeks following the current trial and continuous assessment to ensure the maintenance of competence and continuous professional development.

The programme is currently being piloted in Lincolnshire with delegates from the Thames Valley, South Wales and Lincolnshire attending.

By the end of February or beginning of March, early adopter forces including Cheshire, Cleveland, Gloucestershire, Devon and Cornwall and Lancashire will provide greater validation. A metropolitan force is being sought to provide a thorough examination of the programme.

The programme has been developed and modelled under the Professionalising Investigations Programme (PIP) criteria and sets entry level at level 1 of PIP. Students must have completed and be assessed at competent level 1 investigators, having completed diversity training, and be selected as suitable for the role.

Although a role profile was created this year for specially trained officers, there are no specific national occupational standards that relate to the function.

The programme uses standards that are based on general investigation and includes training to Tier 2 interviewing. Due to sensitivities relating to rape victim interviews, assessment of newly-qualified officers will be done against non-rape interviews, allowing them to gain experience at Tier 2 before deployment in a sexual assault case.

Tier 2 interview learning is contextualised for sexual offence victims, requiring assessment by a occupationally competent investigative interviewer. During the course the STO will produce a portfolio that will be a basis for ongoing assessment through the PDR process.

Based on modules to allow for part-time delivery if required, the programme consists of distance learning based on achieving best evidence, doctrine and academic reports. These include Practice Advice on Core Investigations and Guidance on Investigating Sexual Offences.

A knowledge check at the beginning of the course will benchmark students’ pre-course learning. This will provide an action plan for students to work to during the course.

The two week course, possibly being extended as trials suggest this may be necessary, is based on scenarios; the course uses simulated material for a stranger sexual attack on a Muslim woman and a domestic rape.

Reflective logs are completed at the end of each day and discussed the following day, a development found to be very successful when used in the child abuse investigators programme.

Once signed off as competent at Tier 2, students are placed on ‘mentored deployment’, under the tutorage of an experienced STO where they will produce additional assessment products towards sign off as competent STOs. They will continue to maintain competence through their force PDR process and continuing registration as a Specially Trained Officer.

The programme has been a national learning requirement for some time and emanates from a requirement for such a course as identified by the HMIC in 2002.

The development was taken up by the NCPE last year and follows extensive consultation with forces and external stakeholders, including victims’ representatives.

When forces were aske