Information about the role of a mounted constable, including the role purpose, key responsibilities and the skills required.
About the role
A mounted constable is a specialist operations position within the operational support sector of policing. It's a service deliverer role in the policing professional profiles.
Role purpose
Mounted constables are responsible for providing a unique policing resource with a heightened response and public engagement value, building public trust and confidence by supporting policing activities such as response to incidents, public order public safety (POPS) and preventing and detecting crime.
Key responsibilities
Key responsibility statements show the accountabilities for someone in this role. They focus on what is done, not how it is done.
- Patrolling communities as directed in response to high profile incidents or ongoing high volumes of criminal activity, to support community engagement activities, provide public reassurance and support the prevention and detection of crime.
- Evaluating threat and risk at public safety events. Responding to risks, threats and incidents in line with operational tasking, ensuring public order to safeguard the public and colleagues and to prevent criminal activity.
- Gathering and handling information, intelligence, and evidence from a variety of sources, in line with legislation policies and guidance. Taking the appropriate action to support investigations, law enforcement and criminal justice proceedings.
- Managing conflict by taking charge where appropriate, taking appropriate consideration of personal and public safety and the welfare of the horse to ensure that conflict situations are handled in a safe and proportionate manner.
- Interacting with members of the public, local businesses and partners to support the delivery of a visible and interactive police service.
- Developing and maintaining equitation and public order knowledge and skills to retain national competency and to enhance personal performance.
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
- Operationally competent police officer.
- Mounted Standard Equitation Certificate (SEC).
- Experience of using Mounted tactics at public order public safety events.
In-role education, qualifications and experience
- Refer to requirements in G1 annex E2 in POPS Standards, Training, Equipment and Resources (you will need to log in to College Learn).
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.
- Maintain accreditation as per G1 annex E2 in POPS Standards, Training, Equipment and Resources (you will need to log in to College Learn) as required by role.
- 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:
- maintaining an up to date understanding of College of Policing guidance, best practice and any local policy applicable to the operational police context
- maintaining and updating key knowledge, understanding and skills relating to criminology, legislation, policy and practice across all functional policing areas of operational policing
- maintaining knowledge and understanding of new approaches identified by evidence based policing research and problem solving, testing and synthesising these into working practice, championing innovation and changes to 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
- Public and Personal Safety Training (PPST) and Emergency Life Support (ELS) compliant
- maintaining a working knowledge and understanding of Public Order Public Safety command
Related roles
You can find other service deliverer roles in the: