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Frontline Leadership Programme

How the programme works

Millie Tanner | Temporary Inspector, Thames Valley Police

Take the lead

Your commitment to progress is what makes you leadership material

Alongside a network of driven individuals from forces across the country, you’ll be exposed to the innovative learning techniques that develop disruptive leaders, equipping you to tackle current and future policing challenges in a frontline leadership role.

The programme is challenging and the onus is on you to take individual responsibility to address these challenges. But, you’ll be supported through input from the peer group and your Progression and Development Officer, as well as online content focused on personal wellbeing and supporting the wellbeing of others.

Programme learning modules

The programme covers three core areas:

Upile Mtitimila | Detective Sergeant, Cheshire Constabulary

Navigating the promotion process

Improving operational competence

Preparing for leadership

We equip you with the essential knowledge and understanding of how to navigate the promotion process.

You’ll work to understand your force-specific promotion process with support from your Police Now Progression and Development Officer and your peer group. You’ll have opportunities to take part in skills practice sessions, coming away with the foundational knowledge you’ll need to be successful in the promotion process. This includes a solid understanding of the National Policing Promotion Framework and the Competency & Values Framework, and how to practically structure and apply this.

We build on your existing operational experience with the knowledge and tools you’ll need to demonstrate the competencies needed for promotion. You’ll be supported by your Progression and Development Officer to actively seek out opportunities to fill any operational gaps that you identify through your skills and knowledge gap analysis.

The programme will embed important skills such as:

- Building a growth mindset.
- Reflective practice.
- How to influence others.

You’ll have time to practise these skills and get targeted feedback to build your confidence and competence.

We focus on developing a culture of leadership and innovation to tackle long-standing policing challenges in communities challenged by crime.

You’ll develop your own authentic leadership style, with practical takeaways to help you implement your learning from day one on the job and beyond. You’ll develop skills that will support you in utilising your network and leading change within your force and community.

The programme is designed to create a sense of insurgency and urgency. We’ll help inspire and renew your drive to continue your own development and progress to lead change in policing.

Programme outline

The programme is a fully participative experience. Structured sessions are active and dynamic with a significant amount of practical scenarios woven throughout. You’ll often work in small peer groups to address the challenging and complex issues that you will face along the promotion journey and as a leader in the current and future policing climate.

The programme consists of five dynamic taught days, with independent and peer group learning between each taught day designed to consolidate and implement your learning, with support from your dedicated Progression and Development Officer throughout.

Everything you receive or encounter as part of the programme will have an explicit developmental purpose, allowing you to drive a consistent personal experience across each element of the programme.

Induction event

Dynamic and purposeful, the induction event will focus on creating a sense of meaningful activism, delivered through an immersive and high-energy learning experience. Emphasising and reflecting on previous activities during the application process, this event will help the promotion process come-to-life.

Pre-work

Eight-hours of pre-work consisting of four modules:

The Police Now mission and what being a force for change means to you.
The promotion process (NPPF explained).
Understanding the Competency Values Framework.
Your role as a leader.

Accompanying each pre-work module will be one hour of journal work. The College of Policing Competency Values Framework will be woven into all pre-work sessions.

Taught day one

Planning your own promotion timeline.
Growth mindset and how your own mindset will help or hinder you.
Introduction to gathering and structuring your evidence.
The interview process and how to use the CVF to meet the criteria.
Mock boards and feedback.
Facilitated networking/ best practice sharing session.
Leading change speaker.

Action learning set one

Consolidate your learning from the last event and plan for the next.
Deliberate practice on individual feedback from your mock boards.
Peer group practice, knowledge share and feedback.

Online learning module one

Online learning session released two weeks after the end of taught day one.

Giving Feedback

Taught day two

Small group facilitator led analysis and discussion of board interviews.
Facilitated networking/ best practice sharing session.
Mock board in triads and feedback.
Operational scenarios as police sergeant.
The promotion exam with tips for success and example exam paper.
Leading change speaker.

Action learning set two

Consolidate your learning from the last event and plan for the next.
Deliberate practice on individual feedback from your mock boards.
Peer group practice, knowledge share and feedback.

Online learning module two

Online learning session released two weeks after the end of taught day two.

The insurgent mindset

Taught day three

Current affairs, impact on policing and how this relates to your role as a sergeant.
Excellent operational competence at sergeant, linked to CVF and wider national scope and leadership.
Facilitated networking/ best practice sharing session.
Mock board in triads and feedback.
Support with operational portfolio – identification of gaps and how to close them.
Navigating police culture as a sergeant (how culture is created and how to influence).
Leading change speaker.

Action learning set three

Consolidate your learning from the last event and plan for the next.
Deliberate practice on individual feedback from your mock boards.
Peer group practice, knowledge share and feedback.

Online learning module three

Online learning session released two weeks after the end of taught day three.

Influencing for impact

Taught day four

Leading yourself and others as an operational sergeant – briefings, bringing people along, managing teams, managing your own wellbeing and others.  
Facilitated networking/ best practice sharing session.
Mock board in triads and feedback.
Effectively managing upwards to deliver change within policing. 
 Leading yourself, leading a team. 
Operational scenarios as police sergeant (with freeze frames and discussion) covering all learning inputs. 
Leading change speaker.

Action learning set four

Consolidate your learning from the last event and plan for the next.
Deliberate practice on individual feedback from your mock boards.
Peer group practice, knowledge share and feedback.

Online module four

Online learning session released two weeks after the end of taught day four.

Leading change

Taught day five

Modern management.
Cultural change within policing.
Mock board in triads and feedback.
Implementing learning on day one on the job and beyond. 
How to utilise your network and managing your development long-term. 
Facilitated networking/ best practice sharing session.
Leading change speaker.
Graduation – sharing your learning and celebrating your progress.

Reflective journal

Throughout the programme there are a series of reflective coaching questions allowing you to explore and document your understanding of the programme and your own development, supporting your preparation for promotion.

Exam support

Online and in-person support for the Sergeant’s Exam.
Online knowledge check tools.

Apply now

The first cohort for the programme will be inducted on 1st September 2021, so please apply as soon as you're ready as places are limited.

We're currently accepting applications from the following forces:

If your force is not participating this time round, please register your interest to stay updated with future cohorts.