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Police uplift programme

Status: Closed Opened: 15 Mar 2022 Closed: 14 Oct 2022 20 recommendations 13 conclusions 1 report

The Government has identified improving public safety and security as a key priority, and in September 2019 the Home Office announced plans to support this aim by recruiting an additional 20,000 police officers in England and Wales by the end of March 2023. The Home Office has committed £1.2 billion of additional funding to support …

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Fifteenth Report - The Police Uplift Programme HC 261 22 Jul 2022 33 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

4 items
13 Conclusion Fifteenth Report - The Police Uplift Pr… Acknowledged

The government’s decision to recruit an unprecedented number of new police officers over a relatively...

The government’s decision to recruit an unprecedented number of new police officers over a relatively short period of time impacted on the implementation of a fundamental reform of how police officers are trained and developed. From 2016 onwards, police forces began to adopt the new Police Education and Qualifications Framework …

Government response. The government agreed to the recommendation that the College of Policing should review the impact of the Police Education and Qualifications Framework and publish the results by Spring 2024.
HM Treasury
16 Conclusion Fifteenth Report - The Police Uplift Pr… Acknowledged

The NAO reported that experienced police tutor constables (who supervise new officers for periods of...

The NAO reported that experienced police tutor constables (who supervise new officers for periods of their training) had shared concerns about the extra effort this role required in addition to their normal duties, and this was echoed by staff from police training teams. The National Audit Office’s survey of chief …

Government response. The government acknowledges concerns about supporting experienced police tutor constables and is working with the NPCC and College of Policing to improve support, including developing materials and guidance, ensuring recognition and reward, reviewing training, and monitoring wellbeing.
HM Treasury
21 Conclusion Fifteenth Report - The Police Uplift Pr… Acknowledged

We asked the Department how it was confident that these changes in approach, particularly the...

We asked the Department how it was confident that these changes in approach, particularly the online assessment process, were ensuring police forces were recruiting the right people and avoiding the recurrence of historic issues. The Department told us that the majority of forces hold virtual interviews as part of the …

Government response. The government states forces are responsible for ensuring new recruits meet required standards, and the College of Policing continually monitors and evaluates the online assessment process. They continue to work with forces to improve the process and have commissioned research …
HM Treasury
27 Conclusion Fifteenth Report - The Police Uplift Pr… Acknowledged

We asked the Department whether it was concerned about retaining new officers.

We asked the Department whether it was concerned about retaining new officers. The Department acknowledged that if increasing numbers of officers left the service, this would in turn increase the number of new officers the Programme would need to recruit. The Department told us that it was losing around 9% …

Government response. The government recognizes retaining new officers is essential and is working with forces to understand reasons for leaving and develop strategies to improve retention rates, including improving support, reviewing training, and ensuring challenging and rewarding roles.
HM Treasury

Oral evidence sessions

1 session
Date Witnesses
25 Apr 2022 Deputy Chief Constable Janette McCormick · National Police Chiefs' Council, Matthew Rycroft CBE · Home Office, Rachel Watson · Home Office View ↗

Correspondence

1 letter
DateDirectionTitle
16 May 2022 — Correspondence from Matthew Rycroft, Permanent Secretary, Home Office, re Natio…