Training and Education for PC Recruits under PEQF OBC

By 2020 the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), in line with all UK police forces, needs to have changed the way it recruits and trains Police Constables (PCs). This change is mandated by the College of Policing via the Policing Education Qualifications Framework (PEQF), a standardised national framework designed by the College of Policing (CoP) that sets minimum education qualification levels by level of practice or rank.



PEQF requires that all PCs will either have on joining, or will work towards once joined, a degree qualification at Level 6. There will be three entry routes: Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship, Degree Holder Entry Programme, Pre-Join Degree in Professional Policing.

This Outline Business Case (OBC) evaluates the options available to the MPS for delivering the required standard of recruit education and development, recommends an option and requests initial investment into developing the Full Business Case.

The DMPC is asked to:

• Provide approval for this project to proceed to Gate 3 (Investment Decision) and for the development of a Full Business Case (FBC) on the basis of recommended option (Option 2);

• Provide approval to proceed with the activities outlined in the Management Case, including solution design, market testing and procurement

• Provide approval for revenue spend of £975k ex VAT for external resource to support activities up to FBC, noting that this will be funded from existing budgets or 2017/18 underspend; and

• Of the total revenue required up to FBC, approval to commit circa £900k via a competitive tender process to bring in resource which will provide specialist Learning & Development market knowledge to support the design, procurement specification, procurement process and full business case development. These skills are not currently available internally to MPS, but will be developed as part of the combined project team.

1. Introduction and background

1.1. By 2020 the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), in line with all UK police forces, needs to have changed the way it recruits and trains Police Constables (PCs). This change is mandated by the College of Policing via the Policing Education Qualifications Framework (PEQF), a standardised national framework designed by the College of Policing (CoP) that sets minimum education qualification levels by level of practice or rank.

2. Issues for consideration

2.1. Further factors driving change include;

• Policing is becoming more complex, calling for officers to have a broader set of capabilities. There is a need to enhance the quality of entry-level learning and development across the MPS to reflect this increasing complexity.

• In April 2017 the UK government launched the Apprenticeship Levy (the Levy) which requires employers to pay 0.5% of payroll into a centrally held online account which can be accessed to fund apprenticeship training. Organisations have 24 months to use their Levy funds before they “expire” and are used to support national apprenticeship programmes. The proposals support the usage of apprenticeship levy funds.

2.2. The MPS is working with MOPAC, who are currently leading a national Home Office funded project, working with all forces to support the implementation of the PEQF. This project will provide the MPS with learning from other Forces and professions to enable effective implementation.

3. Financial Comments

3.1. The proposal requests initial investment, to be funded from existing budgets.

3.2. The costs associated with providing additional learning and development via new entry routes are still being scoped and estimated. Funding via Apprenticeship levy will offset this cost to some extent.

4. Legal Comments

4.1. The Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) is a contracting authority as defined in the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (the Regulations). Public contracts for goods and services valued at £184,302 or above must be procured in accordance with MOPAC governance and the regulations. This report confirms the value of proposed contract exceeds this threshold and, accordingly, the regulations are engaged.

5. Equality Comments

5.1. Following consultation and advice from the Strategy, Diversity & Inclusion team, a number of possible impacts have been identified. This information is contained in the restricted section of the report.

6. Background/supporting papers

6.1. Report