Performance and Misconduct Procedures - Taylor Reforms
On 1st December 2008 new procedures to deal with police misconduct and unsatisfactory performance and attendance came into force. The new procedures also link with the police complaints system where appropriate.
The new procedures were developed by the Police Advisory Board for England and Wales (PABEW) and approved by the Minister of State for Policing. They put into place recommendations made by the Taylor Review - which reported and made recommendations on the effectiveness of existing disciplinary arrangements for police officers. The new procedures are underpinned by the Police (Conduct) Regulations 2008, Police (Performance) Regulations 2008 and the Police (Complaints and Misconduct) (Amendment) Regulations 2008. Read Home Office Circular 026/2008 for details.
These regulations revoke the Police (Conduct) Regulations 2004 and the Police (Efficiency) Regulations 1999 (as amended).
The new procedures for both performance and misconduct are based on ACAS principles. They aim to give managers the means to deal with unsatisfactory performance and misconduct in a way that is: The procedures will also mark a cultural change - with the emphasis being more on facilitating improvement and development as opposed to disciplinary or unsatisfactory performance outcomes, although the procedures allow for the latter where appropriate. The new conduct procedures are also supported by a new code of ethics - the Standards of Professional Behaviour - which provide the yard-stick by which the conduct of police officers is to be judged. These new standards reflect the Council of Europe Code on Police Ethics - enshrining the values of fairness and equality in policing - as well as being designed to be easier to understand. For further details of the new procedures, see the statutory guidance on the conduct and performance regulations. The following bodies have contributed to the development of the new regulations and statutory guidance and the changes enjoy the support of all: Additionally, the policy framework document, the regulations and guidance for both the misconduct and performance procedures benefited from force wide consultation in 2006 and 2007, respectively. In order to assist forces to brief and train staff, NPIA Learning Programmes have created a dedicated website on NCALT which holds all materials associated with the new regulations. All Staff and Chief Officers Briefings - The briefings outline the changes and when they are coming into force. They also include the materials for the implementation process. These documents have been sent to all Home Office forces and copies can be found on the NCALT website. Learning Descriptors - These documents contain the learning outcomes, suggested content and delivery methods for training in this area. They are split into three modules, each aimed at a slightly different target audience: Case Studies - The case studies are linked to the learning descriptors. The learning descriptors outline specific areas where case studies are required to meet the learning outcomes. By using the hyperlinks, or by viewing the case studies document in full, forces can access a bank of case studies which have been developed by the NPIA to cover all of the required areas. Promotional materials - Posters and wallet cards have been produced to help forces promote information related to the Standards of Professional Behaviour and the Regulations. Other NPIA Programmes - The website also contains information on how the key elements of the Performance, Conduct and Standards of Professional Behaviour (PCSPB) project have been embedded within current NPIA Programmes such as the Initial Police Learning and Development Programme (IPLDP) / PCSO, Core Leadership and Development Programme (CLDP), Senior Leadership and Development Programme (SLDP) and OSPRE©. Additional resources include: E-Learning - NCALT have produced an e-workbook in relations to the new regulations. The e-workbook is aimed at all staff with additional chapters for managers and supervisors. It can be accessed by logging on to www.ncalt.com, selecting 'PCSPB - Performance, Conduct and Standards of Professional Behaviour' under the 'National Learning Programmes' section and then selecting and launching 'PCSPB Students - E-learning' or 'PCSPB Managers - e-learning'. Forum - The online forum is available to approved providers* only. It has been created to provide an open forum for approved providers to communicate with each other on any issues related to the delivery of PCSPB training. *The NPIA have appointed a group of approved providers to deliver training in line with the NPIA learning descriptors. Forces may choose one of the approved providers or alternatively develop their own training in this area. For more information on the approved providers contact Trish Davies on 01423 876725 or email Trish. The New Procedures
The conduct procedures apply to police officers of all ranks. The performance procedures apply to police officers up to, and including, the rank of chief superintendent. Both procedures can be applied to special constables. Consultation
Training
What does the website include?
Online Reference Tool - We have created an index tool which allows users to access the regulations and guidance in a user friendly format. The idea behind this tool is that all users can access it whenever they need to and they can easily find out which sections of the regulations apply to specific areas of guidance. This tool will support any training courses on the subject can be found on the NCALT website.
