Information about the role of a neighbourhood police sergeant, including the role purpose, key responsibilities and the skills required.
About the role
A neighbourhood police sergeant is a local policing position within the community policing sector. It's a team leader role in the policing professional profiles.
Role purpose
The neighbourhood police sergeant provides frontline management to support and co-ordinate the actions of the neighbourhood policing team.
Working with key partners and stakeholders, employing problem solving techniques and evidence-based approaches, to develop innovative ways to identify and safeguard vulnerable people within the community and to ensure that the neighbourhood policing strategic objectives are achieved.
Key responsibilities
Key responsibility statements show the accountabilities for someone in this role. They focus on what is done, not how it is done.
- Supervising a neighbourhood policing team, managing their wellbeing and development and ensuring high levels of motivation to enable an effective neighbourhood policing service.
- Providing specialist neighbourhood policing advice and guidance to ensure that neighbourhood policing interventions and initiatives are proportionate and appropriate and adhere to all applicable policies and legislation.
- Coordinating and overseeing neighbourhood policing responses and activities, allocating resources, directing activities, managing risks and reviewing progress to deliver an effective response supporting neighbourhood policing objectives and to build public confidence in policing.
- Collaborating with partners and other key stakeholders to develop innovative approaches to partnership working and to meet neighbourhood policing objectives.
- Supporting the implementation of evidence-based neighbourhood policing initiatives by championing and applying relevant approaches to own, team and/or stakeholder practice.
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.
Education, qualifications and experience
Previous education, qualifications and experience
- Substantive sergeant or have met the force requirements for temporary or acting promotion.
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 which can be achieved by completing NPP1 and NPP2, particularly for sergeants 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 operational police 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 of operational responsibility
- 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
- maintaining knowledge and understanding of performance management process and ensure they are implemented effectively when managing teams
Related roles
You can find other team leader roles in the: