Policing qualification experts SFJ Awards has launched a new Level 4 Diploma in Community Policing Practice.
About the qualification
The primary function of a Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) is to be the visible and uniformed presence of the service in the community, fostering and promoting relationships across communities. Their role is particularly key in respect of community cohesion, diversity and inclusivity. This new qualification is based on and mapped to the PCSO curriculum, and it aims to provide learners with the skills and knowledge required for the role of a PCSO.
Why was this qualification updated?
As part of our ongoing commitment to improving lives through better skills and better jobs to deliver better services, we regularly update and refresh the content of our qualifications. This new level 4 diploma replaces a qualification of the same name launched in January 2019. The qualification required reviewing and updating to maintain its relevance and ensure it remained fit for purpose, reflecting current industry standards and evolving role requirements.
This new qualification also helps support the government’s milestone of having 13,000 additional neighbourhood policing officers, PCSOs and special constables in dedicated neighbourhood policing roles by improving skills development and entry routes into community policing careers.
Feedback from the working group
Experts from across the policing sector were brought together in a working group to help review and update the qualification. The working group included Sarah Capel of Thames Valley Police and Paul McKenzie of Northumbria Police.
Commenting on the development of this diploma, Sarah said:
“Thames Valley Police’s delivery of the Level 4 Diploma in Community Policing Practice as part of the Police Constable Support Officer training is a strong initiative aimed at enhancing professional standards in community policing.
“By undertaking this qualification, officers gain a structured and comprehensive understanding of the various aspects of neighbourhood policing, beyond their personal interests or preferred areas.”
Sarah describes the benefits of the qualification as twofold:
“Professionalisation of policing: The diploma contributes to the ongoing national effort to professionalise policing by providing officers with formal, recognised qualifications. This helps improve the credibility and skill set of the workforce, aligning policing with modern professional standards.
“Holistic understanding of neighbourhood policing: By encouraging learners to engage with all facets of community policing, the diploma broadens their perspectives. Officers become more attuned to the diverse challenges and needs of the communities they serve, fostering stronger relationships and more effective problem-solving.
“This dual approach not only benefits individual officers but also enhances the overall effectiveness and public trust in neighbourhood policing.”
Paul also comments:
“Having been fortunate to be part of the national working group for the development of this qualification, it is my considered belief that the required standards will provide the relevant skills, knowledge and indeed understanding that will be needed by candidates to meet the overall requirements of the College of Policing competency values framework.
“Within this working group we have discussed the relevant variations of the daily duties of our Police Community Support Officers nationwide. As a result, there has been a general consensus between a number of regional force representatives and the awarding body to agree the qualification content.
“The content serves to reflect the role in sufficient detail, whilst recognising that difficulties can arise to provide opportunity to evidence certain competencies when serving our diverse communities.
“This revised qualification provides value in that it will better prepare those taking up the role of a Police Community Support Officer to support the communities they serve. It will enable the candidate to become a key part of our policing teams, working closely with the local community and helping to tackle the issues affecting them.
“Additionally, this qualification provides a solid foundation for those who aspire to become Police Officers in the future or explore other salient roles within community service.”
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