Police Uplift Programme Graduate Entry – Successes And Failures

Last updated on October 15th, 2023 at 07:27 pm

Last updated on October 15th, 2023 at 07:27 pm

Yet again I find myself having to start a post with an admission that I expected to be writing something slightly different.

The first set of data that I got from NPCC was accompanied by this graphic.

Fig 1 represents the TOTAL number of joiners to date during the lifetime of the programme. My request had specific dates 2020/21 and 2021/22. 31st March being the cutoff date in both instances, and ONLY refers to Recruits coming into Policing via the Police Uplift Prugramme. Those recruited under the Policing Precept form a very low number and have been discounted from this excercise.

I expected the detailed figures that NPCC supplied me with would more or less be the same shape as Fig 1, but with different numbers. If only life was that simple.

Before we go any further, the Jargon Buster

• PCDA – Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship
• DHEP – Degree Holder Entry Programme
• DC DHEP – Degree Holder Entry Programme for DE Detectives
• IPLDP – Initial Police Learning and Development Programme (the traditionaal route)
• Pre-Join – For Applicants who already possess a Degree in Professional Policing.
• Police Now – Facilitated by the Police Now Registered Charity

And now what the figures I have now been sent for 2020/21 and 2021/22 look like.

The main, and probably only, difference is that in these figures IPLDP is not the most popular Entry Route, in Fig 2 PCDA is.

As I said previously the difference may be due to the different date range for the two sets of data, or it may be any other, unknown, factor.

The bit that has surprised me is that IPLDP has the highest Wastage Rate of all the routes, and I expected it to be amongst the lowest. but certain people will not thank me for pointing out that Police Now has the second highest Wastage Rate percentage-wise. If one disregards the contibution of the Met to the overall table (due to its vastly superior numbers) IPLDP still comes second to Apprenticeship Entry.

Fig 3 shows how each of the Forces has adopted the various routes of entry available.

Interestingly, in my view, some of the Forces have gone predominantly down the IPLDP route, some the Apprenticeship, and others the Graduate Entry route. A relatively small number have Mixed and Matched across the spectrum. How successful have they been?

Figs 4 and 5 show the Joiners, Leavers and Wastage Rates for each Force. For the sake of simpliciFy I have seperated the two years to make it less cluttered, I have also combined the data for the Entry Routes for the same reason. If you want more detailed information for a particular Force please drop me a line and I will try to accommodate you.

You don’t need me to tell you that the red spikes represent Forces who haven’t done quite so well in retaining their recruits, for whatever reason. Sometimes the red spikes are in the same place for both years, it is possible that those Forces have some kind of problem, or maybe other factors are at play. It’s only bare, naked data.

What have I learned from this? That it’s unwise to make predictions, or make bold statements, based on what you think the situatiuon is. I thought that IPLDP would be the most common entry route. Based on the information I have been provided with, it isn’t.

I thought that Police Now would not be second worst at holding on to their recruits, but they are, according to the informatiom I have been provided with.

I’m still of the opinion that the Police Uplift Programme will not be allowed to fail. I’m still of the opinion that 20,000 New/Extra officers is nowhere near enough. Additionally it’s success seems to vary quite drastically in different parts of the country with Wastage Rates varying from 1% to 46%. For some reason that I’m not aware of Wastage Rates were also worse in 2021/22 compared to the previous year. I accept that 43 different Forces all vary in size, and recruit different numbers across the year, but by using percentages it levels the playing field and enables a fairer comparison.

The Jury is still out until next Spring, but I still remain to be convinced that this project is on track to succeed, whoever is in power, or is Home Secretary.