Certificate in Knowledge on Policing (CKP) Funding

The Certificate of Knowledge (CKP) in Policing is a mandatory pre-join qualification for all new Police Constables. It is a level 3 qualification delivered by a College of Policing approved provider. Individuals are expected to self-fund the CKP which can cost on average £1000. It is known that the cost of CKP continues to concern candidates, which will be contributing to the high levels of attrition between expressing an interest in the role and submitting an application.

It is also known that the time taken to complete the certificate varies widely which makes it very challenging to accurately forecast and plan recruitment intakes. The MPS are therefore requesting DMPC approves new funding arrangements for CKP to increase the candidate pool and reduce time to hire. This will enable smoother recruitment and help to reduce barriers for BAME candidates.

The DMPC is asked to approve;

• - Approve part funding of the Certificate of Knowledge in Policing (CKP) for Police Constable Candidates joining before March 2019 who can complete the pre-join qualification within 10 weeks of final offer letter.

• - Approve full funding of the CKP for Female and BAME candidates joining before March 2019 who can complete the pre-join qualification within 10 weeks of final offer as a positive action initiative in support of the Police & Crime Plan ambition to recruit a workforce that looks and feels like London.

• - Approve full funding of the CKP for current police staff who wish to join as a Police Constable who can complete the pre-join qualification within 10 weeks of final offer letter.

• - Approve total funding required of £1.2m to be met from the £5m received from the GLA to support the police officer recruitment pipeline in 18/19.

• - Agree that means testing will not be applied to the funding.

• - Agree that current Police Staff who receive full funding for their CKP will complete the internal CKP course and remain as Police Staff on their existing pay whilst completing the course then join as a Police Constable. If for any reason they fail the CKP they will be allowed to return to their Police Staff role.

1. Introduction and background

1.1. The CKP is a mandatory pre-join qualification for all new Police Constables. It is a level 3 qualification delivered by a College of Policing approved provider. Candidates can select their own provider and method of learning (full time, part time, distance learning). This includes the option to complete what is known as the ‘Internal CKP course’. This is a full-time course over seven weeks with a MPS approved provider, the dates of which are fully aligned to recruitment intake dates. 63% of candidates take the internal route whilst the remainder (37%) select external providers.

1.2. Individuals are expected to self-fund the CKP which can cost on average £1000. It is known that some of our candidates are concerned about the cost of this training and that this can act as a barrier to recruitment. As a result, the MPS already offers two types of financial assistance; interest free loans for those who take the internal CKP course and a means tested interest free loan for those who undertake the CKP via an external route.

2. Issues for consideration

2.1. The police officer workforce plan requires the MPS to recruit on average 133 recruits a month to achieve a workforce of 30,000 officers. Following the recent Mayoral funding announcement, the MPS need to increase the recruitment pipeline to achieve average intakes of 224 per month to reach 30,750 officers. This presents a significant challenge both in terms of generating higher levels of applications, reducing attrition in the recruitment pipeline, and reducing the time to hire. As a result, the MPS are reviewing every stage of the recruitment pipeline to accelerate progression, remove barriers for candidates and achieve greater efficiency.

3. Financial Comments

3.1. The total funding (revenue) required is £1.2m to be met from the £5m as announced in the 18/19 budget to support the police officer recruitment pipeline in 18/19.

4. Legal Comments

4.1. This report is submitted to MOPAC for approval in accordance with paragraph 4.8 of the MOPAC Scheme of Delegation and Consent that provides the DMPC must approve business cases for revenue expenditure of £500,000 and above.

5. Equality Comments

5.1. Both the Mayor and Commissioner are committed to increasing the diversity of police officers and making the MPS a more inclusive organisation. BAME and female applicants have expressed concern about the cost of the CKP and that this may act as a barrier to attracting applicants. A higher percentage of BAME candidates drop out after expressing an interest in the role and before applying. One of the factors will be CKP. It is known that the time taken to complete the hiring process, including CKP is often longer for BAME candidates in particular. The proposal will help address this barrier and encourage wider participation of these target groups. The new policy will be subject to diversity monitoring to evidence the impact of the positive action. The MPS now have a new e-recruitment system in place which will provide a credible data set from which we can show impact.

6. Background/supporting papers

6.1. Report.