New scholarship programme to support diversity in police recruitment

Successful applicants will receive specialised individual support to give them “the best chance of success” in the recruitment process.

The programme has been launched by Practice to Progress (P2P) in partnership with Motorola Solutions UK.

P2P, an organisation focused on preparing candidates for the police recruitment process, says the scholarship programme supports UK policing efforts to recruit diverse candidates who demonstrate “a clear commitment to inclusivity and social justice”.

Ten successful applicants will gain individual support from the P2P team of former senior police officers and staff to prepare for the three exercises they need to pass at the College of Policing’s online assessment centre. The closing date for applications is Friday, July 30, 2021.

Chief executive officer Alan Baldwin, the former deputy chief constable who founded P2P in 2019, said: “The UK police force has launched a huge recruitment initiative to meet the Government’s uplift target of hiring 20,000 new officers by 2023. For many applicants with no previous experience of policing or job based assessments, this recruitment process can be overwhelming and challenging to prepare for.

“Our goal is to support talented individuals from different backgrounds to enter the police profession and further promote equity and inclusion. Our team of experienced former police officers and highly-skilled non-service assessors help applicants to prepare for the demanding application process. In addition, we also work with police forces to support their recruitment efforts. The new scholarship programme with Motorola Solutions allows us to extend our services to more aspiring police officers and give them the best chance of success.”

Fergus Mayne, country manager and head of UK sales at Motorola Solutions, added: “Diversity, equity and inclusion are at the core of our business, and this is reflected in how we support our customers and also the wider community. As police forces across the UK actively seek to recruit new officers, we look forward to supporting P2P to deliver a scholarship programme which helps more candidates from a diverse range of backgrounds to apply.”

The scholarship programme is open to any individual preparing to join the police service. Applicants need to visit the P2P website and provide a written or video submission explaining why they aspire to enter the police service and what skills, knowledge or real-life experience they can bring that will ensure it is a diverse and inclusive place to work.

A panel of representatives from P2P, Motorola Solutions and an independent assessor will review applicants’ submissions against the values set out in the College of Policing in the Competency and Values Framework and award the scholarships.

P2P services are delivered via an online platform and have been developed in line with the national exercises and local promotion processes candidates will face as part of recruitment, promotion, and progression within the police service. Individuals are put through their paces with practical interviews, presentations and other exercises, then provided with detailed feedback.