Information about the role of a neighbourhood police inspector, including the role purpose, key responsibilities and the skills required.
About the role
A neighbourhood police inspector is a local policing position within the community policing sector. It's a manager role in the policing professional profiles.
Role purpose
A neighbourhood police inspector manages a neighbourhood policing team of sergeants, constables and police community support officers (PCSO). They plan and manage neighbourhood policing strategies, directing the deployment of resources and developing strategic working relationships with partners and key stakeholders to facilitate the neighbourhood policing team to work effectively.
Key responsibilities
Key responsibility statements show the accountabilities for someone in this role. They focus on what is done, not how it is done.
- Planning, managing and monitoring neighbourhood policing operations and activities to ensure the effective management of competing demands and priorities to make informed deployment decisions and ensure best use of available resources.
- Managing a neighbourhood policing team, providing clear tasking to ensure effective neighbourhood policing activities, meet neighbourhood policing strategies, force priorities and develop social cohesion to build community confidence in policing.
- Developing and maintaining relationships with colleagues, communities and partners, driving collaboration across policing and wider public services to assist in meeting the neighbourhood policing strategy, wider force priorities and building community confidence in policing.
- Applying evidence based policing and recognised approaches to problem solving to inform the development of neighbourhood policing strategies and develop public confidence in policing.
- Managing ongoing risks to vulnerable groups and individuals within the community to mitigate the impact of criminality and disorder.
- Reviewing and reporting on team expenditure to ensure the efficient use of available budgets and maximise value for money.
- Analysing performance data and information against team objectives in order to effectively inform workforce planning, budgets and the measurement of department and force goals.
Competencies, values and core skills
The competency and values framework (CVF) provides clear expectations for everyone working in policing. It describes the behaviours required by police officers and staff to be effective in their roles and uphold the Code of Ethics for policing.
Competencies
The CVF has six competencies, which are split into levels. These levels can be used flexibly to allow for a better fit with frontline and non-frontline policing roles, and at different levels of seniority. This ensures that there is consistency throughout all the policing professional profiles. Some roles may contain different CVF levels due to the specialist nature of the role. Those working at higher levels should also fulfil the requirements of the lower levels.
This role should be operating at or working towards the following competencies.
- We are emotionally aware – Level 2: supervisor or middle manager
- We take ownership – Level 2: supervisor or middle manager
- We collaborate – Level 2: supervisor or middle manager
- We support and inspire – Level 2: supervisor or middle manager
- We analyse critically – Level 2: supervisor or middle manager
- We are innovative and open-minded – Level 2: supervisor or middle manager
Values
The CVF has three values that apply to everyone in policing, regardless of their role or seniority.
Core skills
All roles in policing have nine core skills in common. These are split into levels that represent the different levels of policing. This role should be operating at or working towards the following core skills.
- Communicating and influencing – Level 3
- Problem solving – Level 3
- Performance management – Level 3
- Relationship management – Level 3
- Change management – Level 3
- Managing people – Level 3
- Managing resources – Level 3
- Planning – Level 3
- Use of IT – Level 3
Education, qualifications and experience
Prior education, qualifications and experience
Typically, an inspector will have:
- operational experience at sergeant level
- met all necessary local and national promotion requirements (or direct entry selection criteria where applicable).
In-role education, qualifications and experience
- Recommended to complete the neighbourhood policing programme (NPP) 3.
Continuing professional development
Continuing professional development (CPD) enables everyone in policing to develop and gain recognition for their professional skills, knowledge and competence. CPD ensures that we continue to provide high-quality policing to keep the public safe and help to drive career aspirations. Discussion of CPD is usually included as part of professional development review (PDR) conversations.
Learning and accreditation
- Complete all annual and mandatory training.
- Any exemptions to learning and accreditation requirements are at chief constable discretion, in line with the local force policy.
Professional development
This role should consider the following CPD:
- working knowledge and understanding of neighbourhood policing can be achieved by completing NPP1 and NPP2 particularly for inspectors new to neighbourhood policing
- maintaining knowledge and understanding of police regulations and College of Policing guidance, best practice and any local policy applicable to the neighbourhood policing context and leading and managing teams
- maintaining and updating key knowledge, understanding and skills relating to legislation policy and practice across all functional policing areas and in relation to neighbourhood policing
- maintaining knowledge and understanding of new approaches identified by evidence based policing research, problem solving and team working and synthesise these into working practice
- maintaining a working knowledge and understanding of new and evolving crime threats and priorities; and current best practice to tackle these in order to enable a pro-active and preventative approach
- maintaining knowledge and understanding of performance management and assessment process and ensure they are implemented effectively when leading and managing teams
- keeping up to date with guidance and best practice on health, safety and wellbeing
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