Page 21 - West Midlands Police Federation: Here for you 2015

Professional Development Over the coming years many changes are likely to be made in the way that officers are developed throughout their career as the College of Policing establishes itself as the professional body for policing. This will affect all officers in terms of how officers join, how they are assessed, what defines them as competent in a role, how they are trained, and developed, for particular roles and how promotion processes will work in the future. Some of these changes are to be welcomed but the benefits of other proposals are not so certain. Generally surveys show that officers are in favour of proportionate fitness testing, rewarding particular specialist skills and changes to the promotion system but they are more cautious about direct and degree level entry schemes. I meet regularly with the national Federation leads in professional development and other forces’ representatives so I can raise the views and concerns of members with the College of Policing. The college regularly publishes consultation papers and seeks feedback on its proposals. I would suggest that officers interested in the future of policing and their future in policing take a look at these and take part in the discussions. Giles Dean Federation Lead in Professional Development 21