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Guidance

Guidance can be commissioned by ACPO or the Home Office and is developed through extensive consultation with stakeholders across policing and increasingly, with partner agencies. It typically contains key principles or decision-making frameworks.

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Guidance is usually approved by the relevant ACPO Business Area and ACPO Cabinet, although on occasion, a decision may be required by Chief's Council before the document can be approved for publication.

While guidance is not mandatory to follow, the principles within it may be used by HMIC to base their inspection criteria on. Where appropriate an NPIA Assisted Implementation plan will support the introduction of new guidance. A full list of PDFs, for the exclusive use of police forces, can be found on our Extranet site.

 

 Title  Summary Download Guidance
Guidance on Disaster Victim Identification 2011   
  • Reference to all agencies that have responsibility for dealing with the aftermath of any mass fatality incident
  • For police officers and staff involved in the response to an emergency, major incident or critical incident that has resulted in the loss of human life
  • Applies to incidents in the UK and the UK DVI response to mass fatality incidents abroad.
 PDF
Manual of Guidance on Keeping the Peace 2010 
  • Relates to the policing of large-scale national and regional events and the routine policing of local community events
  • This type of policing is centred on the management of crowds and includes the policing of planned and spontaneous public events, including protest, and the policing of any events which result in, or may result in, public disorder
  • It should be used as a reference for those involved in the command and planning of public order operations
  • Provides a framework for the management of operations and deployment of resources at a national, regional or local level
 PDF
Guidance on Investigating and Prosecuting Rape (Abridged Edition) 2010 
  • A public facing version of ACPO (2009) Guidance on Investigating and Prosecuting Rape
  • An additional resource to CPS (2008) Rape Manual
  • Provides the Police Service and the CPS with clear information about the investigation and prosecution of rape offences committed against adults
  • Structured to follow the pattern of reporting, responding to, investigating and prosecuting rape as well as measuring outcomes of cases and working together as a prosecution team
 PDF
Guidance on Protecting the Public: Managing Sexual and Violent Offenders, Second Edition 2010  
  • Defines the threshold standards for the police role in public protection which are to promote good practice and provide a framework for a consistent quality of service between police forces and across partner agencies
  • Provides the Police Service with clear information about their role in public protection and the management of their role
  • Includes information on related multi-agency structures including MAPPA and details of risk identification, risk assessment and risk anagement processes, the police role in offender management and public protection information management processes
  • Relevant to all operational officers, all police staff involved in direct service delivery and/or public protection-related work, specialist officers involved in the management of sexual offenders and violent offenders, managers, supervisors and chief officers
 PDF
Guidance on Protecting the Public: Managing Sexual and Violent Offenders 2007 
  • Defines the threshold standards for the police role in public protection which are to promote good practice and provide a framework for a consistent quality of service between police forces
  • Provides the Police Service with clear information about their role in public protection and the management of their role. Includes information on related multi-agency structures including MAPPA and details of risk identification, risk assessment and risk management processes, the police role in offender management and public protection information management processes
  • It is relevant to all operational officers, all police staff involved in direct service delivery and/or public protection-related work, specialist officers involved in the management of sexual offenders and violent offenders, managers, supervisors and chief officers
 PDF
Investigating Domestic Abuse 2008
  • Provides the Police Service with clear information about the policing of domestic abuse
  • Provides operational, tactical and strategic advice
  • Management issues are summarised at the end of each section
  • The NPIA (update forthcoming) Responses to Domestic Abuse Modular Training Programme is linked to the guidance
  • Provides the Police Service with detailed information relating to the investigation and policing of domestic abuse cases and replaces the ACPO (2004) Guidance on Investigating Domestic Violence 
  • Updated to reflect legal and policy changes since 2004
PDF
Family Liaison
Officer Guidance
2008
  • Revises the ACPO (2003) Family Liaison Strategy Manual
  • Intended to inform and advise on current working practices, including selection and training, as we strive to deliver a continually improving quality of service to families who find themselves in difficult circumstances
  • Provides family liaison guidance in respect of the investigation and management of critical incidents, and also details how family liaison can prevent incidents from becoming critical in the first place
  • Identifies four main roles for the effective development and implementation of a family liaison strategy and describes each of these roles in the investigative process
PDF
Emergency Procedures 2009
  • Provides police forces, in England, Wales and Northern Ireland with a framework for responding to an emergency or major incident
  • Assist police officers and police staff in the development of contingency plans and local emergency plans
  • Assist police officers and staff involved, in any capacity, in the response to an emergency or major incident
PDF
Multi-Agency Interoperability 2009
  • Provides the Ambulance, Fire and Rescue and Police Services (known as the 'blue light services') with a framework for working together that enhances communication and coordination across the command and control structures
  • It has been developed through partnership working across the blue light services around the UK
  • Sets out when and how the principles of interoperability should be employed and at what level they should be used in organisations
PDF
Guidance on Command and Control 2009 
  • Establishes the foundations of effective command and control for the Police Service
  • Helps partner agencies to better understand the principles of command and control
  • Aims to encourage the Police Service to use common language, systems and processes
  • Focuses on the essential areas , including the need for clarity of command and clear and auditable decision-making processes
PDF
Guidance on Investigating Child Abuse and Safeguarding Children, Second Edition 2009 
  • Replaces the first edition published in 2005 and incorporates additional information from ACPO (2005) Practice Advice on Investigation Indecent Images of Children on the Internet
  • Part one of the guidance relates to general issues on the investigation of child abuse
  • Part two relates to the investigation of complex abuse and is a revised version of ACPO (2002) The SIO Handbook - The Investigation of Historical Institutional Child Abuse
  • Provides the Police Service with clear information about investigating child abuse and neglect and safeguarding children
  • Structured to follow the pattern of reporting, responding to and investigating child abuse
  • It also contains specific advice about the role of the Child Abuse Investigation Unit (CAIU) officers and their supervisors
  • See Addendum December 2009 for updates to this publication

PDF

ADDENDUM

Facial Identification Guidance 2009 
  • Published on behalf of the ACPO Working Group for Facial Identification
  • The Working Group is a technical group which manages the Police Service response for facial identification, and similar processes, as an aid to criminal investigations
  • The Working Group identifies and disseminates good practice, relevant case law and new technological advances
  • Contains recommendations and guidance on using facial imaging techniques
PDF
The Management of Police Information, Second Edition, 2010 
  • This second edition of the MoPI guidance was produced as a result of force experience and reflects nationwide learning and experience
  • Emphasises the need for common standards while taking into account differing local priorities
  • Ensures forces are ready to maximise the public protection, investigation and prosecution opportunities that the PND will bring and so ensure we provide all of our communities with the best possible Police Service
  • Describes the processes that support the principles set out in the MoPI Code of Practice
  • Provides a common national framework for the management of police information, highlighting the importance of common standards in high-risk areas of activity
  • Contributes to enhanced public safety by improving the ability of the Police Service to properly manage and share operational information within a nationally consistent framework
PDF
Guidance on Responding to People with Mental Ill Health or Learning  Disabilities 2010 
  • Provided an opportunity for the police to engage in a meaningful dialogue with other agencies operating in the field of mental health and criminal justice, including the Department of Health (particularly Offender Health) and the Welsh Assembly Government
  • When used in conjunction with generic and specialist training and the process of assisted
    implementation for police forces, the guidance should provide a robust mechanism for the development and improvement of police responses in the field of mental health, and the continuation of discussion and decision making in this area
  • Provides an overview of the subject, including some of the myths and challenges surrounding this area of police business
  • Pease see the four briefing notes that have been produced to support this guidance

PDF

BRIEFING NOTES

Manual of Guidance on the Management, Command and Deployment of Armed Officers, Second Edition 2010 
  • Sets out the guidance issued by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) of England, Wales and Northern Ireland on the management, command and deployment of armed officers
  • Replaces ACPO (2006) Manual of Guidance on the Police Use of Firearms and ACPO (2009) Manual of Guidance on the Management, Command and Deployment of Armed Officers, First Edition
  • Provisions in this manual have also been endorsed by the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS)
  • All references in this manual to ACPO officers include representatives of ACPOS
 PDF