Assistant commissioner

Information about the role of an assistant commissioner, including the role purpose, key responsibilities and the skills required.

About the role

An assistant commissioner is a Metropolitan Police Service core position within policing. It's a force leader role in the policing professional profiles.

Role purpose

As a member of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) management board, the assistant commissioner has responsibility for leading the service. They also have responsibility for creating a vision and setting a direction and culture that builds public and organisational confidence and trust. This enables the delivery of a professional, effective and efficient policing service.

They are accountable for policing within their area of responsibility. They work collaboratively with other assistant commissioners, ensuring the operational delivery of policing services. This includes the effective command and leadership of the policing response to:

crime
major and critical incidents

The assistant commissioner is responsible for influencing the development of regional and national policing. They may be accountable for national operations or standard setting. They are responsible for providing a professional, effective, and efficient policing service.

Key responsibilities

Key responsibility statements show the accountabilities for someone in this role. They focus on what is done, not how it is done.

As part of management board, setting and ensuring the implementation of organisational and operational strategy for the MPS. Having due regard to the Police and Crime Plan for London 2022 to 2025, Strategic Policing Requirement 2023 and any wider plans and objectives to provide an effective and efficient policing service that meets current and future policing demands.
As part of management board, developing and maintaining governance arrangements and processes within the MPS to ensure effective decision making and appropriate action at all levels of the organisation.
Within their area of responsibility and as part of management board, leading the MPS by communicating a clear direction, setting organisational culture and promoting values, ethics and high standards of professional conduct and improving employee engagement to enable a fair, effective and professional service.
Leading, inspiring and engaging the chief officer team and senior policing professionals. Setting and role modelling approaches to a workforce culture that improves inclusivity and wellbeing. Facilitating impactful professional development and performance management to create empowered teams that are representative of the public they serve and can effectively enable the achievement of the MPS vision and goals.
Fulfilling the authorising responsibilities of a chief constable for example, authorisation of intrusive surveillance and maintaining operational oversight. Holding accountability for effective and compliant policing responses to protect the public and further develop the service’s operational strategies.
Leading and overseeing the operational policing responses on occasion, in the most high-risk and high-profile instances, to protect the public and ensuring an appropriate and effective response.
Advising national bodies such as the Civil Contingencies Committee (COBR) on matters of public safety and national security to contribute to effective decision making that protects the public from serious threat and upholds the law.
Developing and maintaining strategic relationships with local, regional and national partners. Effectively influencing and collaborating to contribute to improvements and change in the broader operating context enabling the achievement of service objectives.
Representing the MPS at a local, regional and national level to the public, media and other external stakeholders to promote visibility, connecting with the public and building confidence in policing.
Leading national thinking, policy and guidance within an area of specialism to enable the continuous improvement of effective policing practice.
Creating and driving a culture of development, change and innovation to ensure enhanced productivity, value for money and continuous improvement in evidence-based policing.
Playing an active role in national decision making on the development of the police service to enable the effective co-ordination of operations, reform and improvements in policing and the provision of value for money.

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 3: senior manager or executive
We take ownership – Level 3: senior manager or executive
We collaborate – Level 3: senior manager or executive
We support and inspire – Level 3: senior manager or executive
We analyse critically – Level 3: senior manager or executive
We are innovative and open-minded – Level 3: senior manager or executive

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

Has held rank of assistant chief constable, commander or a more senior rank in a UK police force (or have held one of the designated roles if appointed from overseas).
Successful completion of the executive leadership programme (ELP) or successfully completed the senior police national assessment centre (senior PNAC) and the strategic command course prior to 2023.
Successful completion of the A7 authorising officer’s course.
Wide ranging operational law enforcement experience.
A demonstrable track record of successful experience of working at a strategic level, including the leadership of law enforcement officers and staff at senior leadership level.
Experience of successfully engaging with and influencing multi-agency partnerships.
Experience of implementing an effective performance management framework.
Experience of implementing successful organisational development, change and innovation.
Experience of accountability for management of significant budgets.
Up to date operational and technical policing knowledge.
Knowledge of developing legal, political, economic, social, technological, and environmental factors and an understanding of the implications for strategic planning.
Knowledge of relevant local, regional and national policies, strategies and initiatives and an understanding of the implications within the policing context.

Skills

This role requires the following skills:

developing ambitious vision, strategy and policy, aligned to operational realities and wider plans and goals
operating with high levels of commercial acumen, skilled in effective organisational financial management which balances conflicting resource demands and drives value for money
creating strategic organisational change to deliver appropriate responses to emerging trends and issues
scanning the internal and external horizon, identifying emerging trends and issues and using these to inform strategic planning

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 to retain occupational and operational accreditation.

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:

role modelling continuing professional development and leading by example by sharing learning and reflections to support the professionalisation of the police service

maintaining knowledge of strategic leadership and management theory and continually reflect on practical application in the operational policing context
attending bi-annual national chief constable CPD events
participating in coaching and/or mentoring opportunities for self and others to use and share the learning to inform own and others’ approach to leadership, management and policing
maintaining commercial awareness and building financial acumen by working closely with partners and multi-agencies at a local and national level
maintaining knowledge and understanding of performance management processes, including data analysis methodologies and how performance can be benchmarked locally, regionally and nationally
contributing to evidence-based research by conducting research and analysis of operational policing issues to solve problems and support the professionalisation and transformation of policing
building and participating in peer networks and action learning sets to enable approaches to joint problem solving, share learning locally, regionally and nationally to support business process modernisation, efficiency and continuity
maintaining knowledge of College of Policing guidance, best practice and national and local initiatives and policies applicable to the strategic policing context
maintaining and updating key knowledge and understanding to effectively apply legislation, policy and practice across all functional policing areas of operational responsibility
maintaining knowledge and understanding of political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental factors and developments to inform strategic policing plans and enable an efficient and effective approach to policing
working with national policing agencies and bodies, such as His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS), National Crime Agency (NCA) and the College of Policing
participating in and contributing to serious case reviews and Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigations to ensure the force meets and maintains professional standards
completing all annual and mandatory professional development

Related roles

There are no related roles for this profile.