Information about the role of a police community support officer (PSCO), including the role purpose, key responsibilities and the skills required.
About the role
A police community support officer (PSCO) is a local policing position within the community policing sector of policing. It's a service deliverer role in the policing professional profiles.
Role purpose
PCSOs are a key liaison point between local communities and policing. Publicly facing, they provide a visible, accessible, and approachable uniformed presence in the community. They offer reassurance, problem solve and defuse situations that threaten conflict, improve public confidence and trust, gather information, and foster good community relations.
This role holds designated PCSO legal powers of enforcement in line with local force requirements to support the resolution, prevention, and deterrent of local crime.
PCSOs also respond to a wider range of non-criminal issues that contribute to vulnerability and safety within the community. They are expected to act with professional discretion, making appropriate use of their designated powers and acting within force guidelines.
Key responsibilities
- Maintaining a highly visible community presence in accordance with local area needs to address issues of public concern, act as a deterrent to local crime, and improve community confidence.
- Supporting ongoing police operations by undertaking community-based activities as directed and by gathering and managing information and intelligence in line with legislation, policies and guidance.
- Supporting police officers in the initial response to incidents to assist in the resolution of low impact offending, in line with designated powers and remit.
- Developing close working relationships with key community bodies/individuals as directed to gather and provide information. Supporting the vulnerable, promoting community cohesion and identifying and tackling issues such as anti-social behaviour.
- Developing effective relationships with individuals across the community, including the vulnerable and at risk to prevent crime and build trust in policing by assessing needs, providing support, and responding to concerns.
- Whilst PCSOs should not normally be a first at scene responder to complex incidents, on occasions where this does occur, they should act to contain, assess needs and or provide support to ensure immediate public safety.
- Staying aware of risks to individuals, escalating potential threats to public safety in line with force guidance to support the identification and resolution of issues.
- Helping to improve neighbourhood policing by applying critical thinking and problem-solving methodologies to identify solutions to problems and applying evidence of what works.
- Working effectively with partners beyond policing to help reduce crime and protect the vulnerable. Understand the different remits, perspectives and approaches of partners, and how to best work with them.
- Contributing to an inclusive team culture and work environment by valuing different contributions, treating everyone with respect and promoting ethical behaviours, and being open to feedback to enable successful policing in line with the force’s values and ethics.
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 1: practitioner
- We take ownership – Level 1: practitioner
- We collaborate – Level 1: practitioner
- We support and inspire – Level 1: practitioner
- We analyse critically – Level 1: practitioner
- We are innovative and open-minded – Level 1: practitioner
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 1
- Problem solving – Level 1
- Performance management – Level 1
- Relationship management – Level 1
- Change management – Level 1
- Managing people – Level 1
- Managing resources – Level 1
- Planning – Level 1
- Use of IT – Level 1
Education, qualifications and experience
Previous education, qualifications and experience
- Prior to entry, a PCSO will have typically achieved a level 3 qualification (or equivalent). They will have a level 2 in english and maths (or equivalent) although this may be achieved as part of a funded apprenticeship. Some forces may have slightly different entry requirements – these can be checked with the specific force.
In-role education, qualifications and experience
- Where it has been adopted by the force, the PCSO level 4 qualification. This can be delivered as an apprenticeship or non-apprenticeship programme. A new apprenticeship standard is in development and this profile will be subject to change once this has been published.
- Recommended to complete neighbourhood policing programme (NPP) 1 and 2.
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.
- Undertake learning and assessment related to additional policing powers designated to them by their chief constable according to force needs.
- 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:
- engaging in regular reflection on personal performance and associated impact with particular reference to the competency and values framework
- maintaining a working knowledge of College of Policing guidance, best practice, and local policy applicable to the operational police context
- maintaining knowledge of legislation, policy, and practice across all functional policing areas of operational policing
- maintaining a working knowledge and understanding of new approaches identified by evidence-based policing research and problem solving 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 to enable a proactive and preventative approach
- maintaining a working knowledge and understanding of community engagement methods and opportunities and synthesise these into working practice
Related roles
You can find other service deliverer roles in the: