Police community support officer

Reference Number: ST0509

Details of standard

Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) Apprenticeship - Standard Occupational profile:

The police staff role (as opposed to holding any official office e.g. Police Constable) of Police Community Support Officer constitutes a fundamental component of the national strategy for community policing across UK, and PCSOs are highly-valued public-facing members of the service. Wearing a distinct uniform from that of their regular PC colleagues, PCSOs are typically issued with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), including a stab vest, high visibility jacket and police radio.

PCSOs are community-based. Their primary function is to be the visible and uniformed presence of the service in the community, fostering and promoting relationships (especially community cohesion and the principles underpinning diversity and inclusivity) across communities. They will be expected to support communities to address issues, problems and concerns which may or may not necessarily be crime- or incident-related (e.g. a badly lit pathway in a housing estate making elderly residents feel vulnerable, or youths gathering in residential areas at night etc.).

Whilst working under the overall direction of their line managers and PC colleagues, PCSOs are expected to act independently and autonomously when in the community; they are bestowed with PCSO-specific powers to enable them to perform their duties. Chief Officers can designate other additional powers according to individual force needs. (These additional powers do not form part of this apprenticeship, but are likely to represent an option for Continuous Professional Development (CPD) after the apprentice has been confirmed in post.)

There to support and communicate with individuals, groups and organisations across the community, a PCSO will typically operate alone in distinct physical community areas, regularly attend community and neighbourhood meetings, undertake liaison with schools and general intra-community partnership working.

PCSOs will be expected to gather information and intelligence from the community, the relevance of which to ongoing and future policing investigations and/or priorities will be determined by their policing colleagues. They will also be expected to provide a means of two-way communication between the community and the service.

As a member of the service actively engaged in the community, PCSOs may on occasions find themselves first at the scene of policing incidents (either by chance, or called upon). They would be expected to (within the range of their powers) take control of these incidents and contain them until relieved by a PC colleague. They may, on occasion, need to utilise conflict management techniques (not ‘hands on’ physical tactics) e.g. appropriate communication (to try and de-escalate a situation), providing any necessary first aid, keeping the public at a safe distance from an ongoing incident, or observing and reporting from a safe distance (dependent on dynamic risk assessment).

Although their role is very distinct from that of their PC colleagues, a PCSO may also occasionally be called upon to assist in relation to policing incidents, but this will always be relative to the powers with which they are designated, and align to the underpinning training they have received e.g. house-to-house enquiries, community reassurance patrols (following incidents) and scene management (cordons).

PCSOs duties typically include: 

• Developing personal, detailed, comprehensive, professional knowledge and understanding of the local communityin which they operate, in order to identify and support those in their community affected by offending (victims and witnesses) and those who may be particularly vulnerable or at risk (including those at risk from radicalisation as outlined in the Prevent Strategy). This support may be practical (e.g. linking with Prevent Engagement Officers where there is potential risk of radicalisation or relating to safety and security and compensation claims) or emotional (e.g. listening, reassurance). PCSOs must be able to assess individuals’ needs for further support, and identify and discuss possible sources of such support
• Proactively engaging with, and developing close working ties with the community, using appropriatecommunication methodologies and IT systems for fostering, promoting and maintaining channels of communication e.g. social media (Facebook, Twitter etc.); discussion forums; force websites; face-to-face whilst operating in the community; attending community/neighbourhood meetings; providing support to locally-inspired initiatives etc.
• Developing close working relationships with key groups, agencies (e.g. local authority, housing associations,schools, neighbourhood watch etc.) and individuals to identify and tackle issues such as anti-social behaviour and low-level youth offending
• Providing a consistent channel for multi-agency partners, other key community groups and individuals tocommunicate effectively with the police and thereby maximize the effectiveness of the service provided to the public
• Fostering, promoting and building rapport, trust and confidence with individuals across the community, providingadvice and guidance in support of their needs e.g. crime prevention advice, mediation between members of the community
• Working under the general direction of their supervisors and PC colleagues, and alongside multi-agency and localpartners, contribute to the planning, implementation, analysis and review of evidence-based policing initiatives which address community problems, issues or concerns. Sharing the outcomes of those initiatives with all key stakeholders, both inside and outside the service
• Gathering information and intelligence to assist and support law enforcement and community objectives
• Responding to incidents which require police action. Providing resolution to incidents within their authority e.g.low level offending and anti-social behavior, issuing fixed penalty notices. Where incidents are outside their authority they will seek to contain (prevent escalation) of those incidents until relieved by a qualified Police Constable
• Defusing situations where conflict exists or threats of conflict are present, using personal safety techniques andequipment e.g. calming communication/mediation with those at the scene, keeping a safe distance and using their police radio, until relieved by a suitably qualified colleague
• Attending court and giving witness testimony in relation to any incidents where they have personal knowledge or involvement

Entry requirements: These vary from force to force. Typically a PCSO will be 18 or older, and is highly likely to have achieved a Level 3 qualification (or equivalent) and Level 2 in English and Mathematics (or equivalents) prior to entry. 

Level: This apprenticeship standard is at Level 4.

Duration: No less than 1 year.

Review date: This standard will be reviewed after 3 years.

Qualifications: Level 4 PCSO qualification offered by QAA and/or Ofqual regulated Awarding Organisations (AOs). Functional Skills: Apprentices without Level 2 English and Mathematics will need to achieve this level prior to undertaking the end-point assessment.

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