CENTREX

Ospre Part I Sergeants’ Exam syllabus update

Centrex has sent a letter to all force examinations officers regarding changes to the March 2006 Ospre Part I Sergeants’ exam syllabus. These changes have arisen due to amendments to sections of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, as a result of the implementation of provisions in the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 on January 1, 2006. The letter reads:

As you will be aware, the Ospre rules and syllabus document is released on an annual basis in September of each year. Usually, no further updates to the Part I syllabus will be issued during its year-long lifespan. However, in exceptional circumstances, Centrex (on behalf of the Police Promotion Examinations Board) reserves the right to issue an amended syllabus in advance of the next scheduled annual publication date.

The introduction of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (SOCAP) and the resultant amendments to the Codes of Practice to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) represent a significant change to policing powers and procedures. As a consequence, Centrex, in conjunction with Oxford University Press, will shortly be issuing an update to the September 2005 rules and syllabus alongside an update to content of the Blackstone’s Police Manuals 2006.

Once the update has been distributed, its content will be examinable within the March 2006 Sergeants’ Part I examination.

Centrex will ensure that the update is distributed well in advance of the examination date, to ensure that candidates have sufficient preparation time to familiarise themselves with any additional examinable material. The update will only focus on a few, key areas of legislation that have changed as a result of SOCAP and will not add significant additional material to the syllabus. The update will provide brief explanations of the key areas of legislation that have changed and the implications of the changes. It is not expected that the update will be very lengthy and its aim is to provide a concise summary of the legislation changes that will be critical to policing.

The update to the rules and syllabus (including the associated preparation materials) will be made available free of charge through the Centrex website (www.centrex.police.uk/exams) and will be distributed electronically to all force examinations officers. It is expected that the update will be available to candidates to coincide with the introduction of the new legislation in the New Year. Candidates are encouraged to consult their force examinations officer and the Centrex website during their preparation period to ensure that they receive this update. The update will be applicable to both Sergeants’ and Inspectors’ Ospre Part I examinations held throughout 2006.

HOC 52/2005 Police Pension Scheme – Civil Partnership

This Circular covers the effects that the Civil Partnership Act 2004 has on human resources issues for the Police Service, in particular its effect on the Police Pension Scheme.

As from December 5, 2005, Police Pension Schemes should include provision for civil partners; and pensions administrators must apply the provisions in this HOC with effect from this date. Some of the significant implications in respect of the Police Pensions

Regulations are:

• As of December 5, 2005, all provisions available to married persons in the Police Pensions Regulations will also apply to those who formally register their civil partnership (or have already formed a recognised overseas relationship) on or after December 5, 2005, with entitlement to a pension being backdated to April 6, 1988. This is a requirement of law.

• The effect of back-dating the regulations to April 6, 1988 which has been agreed upon to avoid periods of historic gender discrimination, means that a surviving civil partner’s pension will be based on the pensionable service of the officer from April 6, 1988, or later if the officer’s pensionable service does not go back that far.

• For the purposes of the Police Pension Scheme (PPS), this means ex