Recommendation - Essex Police, March 2021

The IOPC recommends that Essex Police take steps to ensure that supervising officers and staff in community policing departments are made aware of policies around the use of police cadets in community policing, including considerations around safeguarding, and are updated on any changes.

Do you accept the recommendation?

Yes

Accepted action:

​This recommendation is accepted in full. Essex Police will begin a programme of awareness to ensure that the policies in place are fully understood by those staff and officers who may have contact with Cadets. It is our intention to further respond in 3 mths time to update you on how this has taken place.

Voluntary Police Cadet Review

Introduction
The National Voluntary Police Cadets (NVPC) is the National Police Chiefs Council’s (NPCC) framework for police forces to support the delivery a cost effective and rewarding Volunteer Police Cadet programme.

The Voluntary Police Cadets (VPC) is a progressive programme, providing many opportunities to listen to the voices of and given meaningful engagement with local young people, which will deliver improved confidence in policing. 

The Local Policing Support Unit (LPSU) oversees the management of the VPC within Essex Police. The VPC Coordinator is the dedicated resource to provide strategic oversight, safeguarding compliance, administration, and co-ordination to support the delivery of the Essex VPC programme across the county. 

An Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigation (concluded 2021) of an Essex VPC Leader concluded that the individual had committed Gross Misconduct by breaching Professional Standards in relation to inappropriate contact with a female VPC.

The IOPC made the following Recommendation:

1. The IOPC recommends that Essex Police take steps to ensure that supervising officers and staff in community policing departments are made aware of policies around the use of police cadets in community policing, including considerations around safeguarding, and are updated on any changes.


As a result of this investigation Essex Police’s VPC Oversight Board, Chaired by Assistant Chief Constable Rachel Nolan has commissioned a review of the current Safeguarding arrangements around the VPC.

Areas for consideration:
 

1. A review of the National and Local Safeguarding Training available to VPC leaders. 
2. A review of Policies and Procedures in relation to the VPC and Safeguarding. 
3. Consider if there is potential learning for the VPC Command to be identified around the following areas:
   - Formal Training provided to leaders
   - Formal review and assessment of leaders
   - Assess the suitability and performance of a leader
   - Governance and Oversight of the VPC
   - Policies and procedures around VPC

Background

The Voluntary Police Cadets were introduced to Essex Police in June 2015. There are now 13 units across Southend, Essex and Thurrock. There are 180 cadets and 67 leaders. The age range for the cadets is 13-18 years of age. 

Essex Police have introduced a new Marshall Portal which allows the VPC Management Team to maintain accurate records of all cadets. I am still awaiting Selection Process.

The current selection process for leaders is as follows:

• Applications for new leaders are received by the VPC Coordinator.
• VPC Coordinator has an initial conversation with the applicant detailing the role.
• The applicant will attend the local VPC unit and meet with the Unit leader.
• The Unit leader will conduct a suitability assessment.
• Applicants completes vetting and Data Barring System (DBS) form. 
• Once vetting is cleared, they are issued with Cadet Leader Uniform and allocated a Unit.
• All new leaders are supported and mentored by an experienced Leader.

DBS checks have only recently been made compulsory countrywide, whereas Essex VPC have carried out these checks from its inception.

Potential VPC Leaders complete an application form which is submitted to the VPC Coordinator. The selection process is informal. There isn’t any guidance from NVPC around leader selection and therefore Essex has designed the above process. Unit leaders are not trained to perform the selection process but rely on their experience as leaders and police personnel to ensure the selection process is fair and transparent. [3]

There is not a set probation period for newly appointed VPC leaders. As stated, they are mentored and supported until they feel confident to perform the role independently.

Training

There is no formal national leader training for the VPC, with the exception of Safeguarding training, therefore Forces such as Essex Police have relied on more experienced leaders to mentor and support new leaders.

The NVPC will be introducing ‘train the trainer’ inputs in the Autumn 2021. This will allow the VPC Coordinator to train all leaders in the following areas:

• Safeguarding
• Coaching

Mentoring

This will enable the Coordinator to provide ‘in house’ training going forward to support all new leaders as well as continued professional development for existing leaders.

National VPC also provide mandatory Online Safeguarding training for all VPC leaders. The learning outcomes for the introduction to safeguarding are:

• Explore your role and responsibility as a Leader within VPC
• Discuss what is a safe place, now what to do if it becomes unsafe
• Policy, process, and code of conduct
• State the types of abuse and harm and their key indicators
• Describe VPC principles when responding to disclosures, allegations, and concerns
• Explain the VPC child protection process when responding to allegations, disclosures, or safeguarding concerns.

To date 50 leaders out of 67, 74% have completed the training offered by National VPC. There are courses commencing in May and all outstanding leaders will attend this training. The VPC coordinator maintains a record of completion and actively directs leaders to complete the training. New courses have been released by the NVPC and all remaining leaders have been put forward for this training.
Furthermore, there is also a pocket guide to safeguarding[5] and all leaders are required to sign a code of conduct. 

NVPC is in the process of producing:

• Leader training will be rolled out in Autumn 2021 
• Safer Recruitment Policy for Leaders
• Valuing Volunteers Framework 
• Continuous Improvement Framework 

Policies/Procedures

All VPC Policies and procedures were updated in December 2020 and are National VPC Compliant. All Leaders have access to all the following VPC Policies and Procedures: 

• C2100 Policy Volunteer Police Cadets
• C2101 Procedure VPC Recruitment
• C2102 Procedure VPC Units
• C2103 Procedure VPC Administration and Communication
• C2104 Procedure VPC Operations, Events and Court Attendance
• C2105 Procedure VPC Duke of Edinburgh

Governance/Oversight

The VPC Co-ordinator has day to day responsibility of the Cadet Leaders and reports directly to the Citizens in Policing Manager. The CiP Commander reports to the HoD LPSU, CiP and Specials. ACC Nolan is the Designated Officer for the VPC and chairs the VPC Oversight Board quarterly meetings.

Conclusion

In 2015 there was very limited guidance or support from National VPC. Forces were left to create the VPC’s on their own. It has only been within the last year that NVPC have provided national guidance in an attempt to streamline all forces by providing policy and procedure around safeguarding. Forces are now starting to experience this support in terms of training and guidance. Having reviewed the Essex VPC based on the terms of reference it is clear there are some gaps in the area of safeguarding and training for VPC leaders. 

The following areas have been highlighted:

• National Safeguarding training for leaders is online and 26% remain untrained.
• No local CPD or training has been identified.
• The Selection and interview process for leaders is informal and there does not appear to be any assessment around the suitability and/or performance of a leader before they join the unit.
• No formal review and assessment of a leader’s performance.
• Safeguarding Policy - There is no evidence leaders are routinely checked around their understanding.
• VPC Leader Meetings - Meetings are held quarterly but are not widely attended due to the number of leaders and their availability.
   

VPC has expanded greatly over the last couple of years with 180 cadets and 67 leaders in all Districts. This is a vast team of people for one Coordinator to manage. The VPC Coordinator is the dedicated resource to provide strategic oversight, safeguarding compliance, administration, and co-ordination to support the delivery of the Essex VPC programme across the county. In reality, the current post holder has been required to prioritise his time around expanding the units across the force, introducing the Duke of Edinburgh Award, organising the VPC Summer Camp and annual parades due to lack of capacity.

Over the last 12 months the Coordinator has carried out a review of all the leaders and cadet’s paperwork, ensuring it is up to date and accurate. This has included ensuring all leaders vetting and DBS is up to date.

Interesting to note that our Kent counterparts have five team members dedicated to VPC: 3 Co-ordinators, one per LPA and then two administrative support assistants. They have similar number of units, cadets, and leaders to Essex.
The Essex VPC Coordinator would benefit from administrative support to afford him the opportunity to concentrate on the important issues raised within this report around safeguarding and training.

In response to the IOPC recommendations following their gross misconduct investigation Essex Police are able to provide the following update:

1. Essex Police take steps to ensure that supervising officers and staff in community policing departments are made aware of policies around the use of police cadets in community policing, including considerations around safeguarding, and are updated on any changes.
This follows an IOPC investigation during which it became apparent that police cadets were going on general patrol in vehicles and on foot one-to-one with PCSOs from the community policing department in Southend. 

The VPC Coordinator will:

• Provide guidance to CPT Supervisors and Staff around the deployment of the VPC
• VPC Leaders will be reminded of the policy and procedure
• VPC will be informed of the policy and procedure