Questions Flashcards
Give an example of when you have considered the perspectives of people from a wide range of backgrounds before making a decision?
Give an example of when you have adapted your style and approach according to the needs of the people you are working with and used your own behaviour to achieve the best outcome?
Opening
As a chief Inspector it is important to consider other perspectives
There is no one size fits all approach
I don’t have the right answer every time
And a good chief inspector will surround themselves with a create a structure involving people with the required skills to achieve the desired outcome
Action
Staff officer to Gold
Significant amounts of information coming through nationally
Through a prioritisation process that I developed I came across something around Ramadan
I put myself in the Muslim communities shoes and recognised that Ramadan and Eid is a celebration that normally revolves around large gatherings with family and friends
And during COVID - they wouldn’t be able to celebrate in the normal way
In addition, not all of the Muslim community can read or speak English so whilst all of the videos are good - the Muslim community may not understand the policing style
Lastly - risk that we could be over zealous with our enforcement and seriously damage relations with the Muslim community
I became Silver
Created a team around me
Media bronze
Community bronzes in each of the LPAs - normally CADOs
Welfare and wellbeing bronze - Muslim Police association
I also identified it as a recruitment tool to increase our BAME officers and so ensured the PAET were on the team as well
We began planning - encouraged suggestions - quite open and honest with them in that whilst I feel that I have the necessary skills to deliver an operational response - I lacked the knowledge required to effectively support our community and our staff
Through some open and honest discussions I was able to hear first hand the struggles the Muslim community had
Through this we were able to develop a plan - allocated areas of responsibility
Tasked media with coming up with a proactive strategy - multiple languages video and multiple languages literature
MPA - wellbeing - comms - option to reserve
CADO on call function - Ramadan - gatherings overnight
When the plan was being developed someone made the comment about Easter
The way that they did it was quite derogatory
Challenged this - highlighted the particular complexities and hard to reach
Presented the plan to Gold and later at CCMT before briefing the LPA commanders
During Eid - the on call CADO was used frequently
I held weekly meetings to hold everyone to account whilst identifying blockers
Closing
As a result minimal issues
Had a debrief - everyone including me had to say what went well and what could be improved
General theme was that the force response was excellent
Community felt supported and we received messages of thanks
We also received comms from our staff from a wellbeing perspective
Main feedback was that we probably could have had more CADOs on duty for Eid itself
Highlighted nationally as good practice by the CoP
I also reflected - I would have sent out an all user - benefit of a group
Consider that whilst I’m doing the right thing - it’s the way we do it and the perception
Give an example of when you have challenged inappropriate behaviour?
It is important for a Chief Inspector to challenge inappropriate behaviour. Some people may not feel able to challenge but i need to have the necessary skills to challenge and I have learnt from my own experiences that challenging behaviour can have a significant impact on a team.
- FCID
- took over a poor performing team - rape and sexual offence outcomes - toxic environment
- i took responsibility for it - it reflected badly on me
- it cannot be a one size fits all approach - i have to adapt depending on the people
- sought feedback - what are we doing well and what can we improve on?
- less vocal people so did an anon survey
- i wanted to get views of everyone and it also made everyone think, reflect and consider what could be improved
- Identified and allocated a wellbeing SPOC to help drive it and devise the questions with me
- all my 25 staff completed it - unheard of for a survey
- this identified issues around workload, technology and supervision
- workload - too much rubbish
- technology - they wanted two screens
- supervision - not challenging inappropriate behaviour - negativity
- got the results back
- in two minds about how I deliver this to my supervisors - tough read
- decided to have a supervisors meeting
- they reflected - they all thought certain comments were about them
- i challenged one DS - rape victim
- I’m not ashamed to say it was actually quite difficult - 28 years in the job - really experienced - fully expecting a confrontation
- found that doing it publicly and then following it up privately was the best approach
- asked the DS to reflect on how that comment could be perceived with the team
- reminded him of the COE - respect
- how it could breed negativity
- held a de-brief as a team - provided honest feedback
- action plan - included RASSO training - COE
- Joe Kidman came and thanked me
- unintended consequences of that was less negativity, people felt able to challenge others
- our performance started to improve
As a Chief inspector i would look to repeat that on a larger scale
Use my DI’s and Inspectors to work with their teams
Monitor
But if there was any offensive comments or behaviour - i wouldn’t hesitate in challenging it again and I see it as my duty
Give an example of forcewide change?
Shoplifting or Vigilant
GOLD
Important to save money and be efficient.
We have to save 13m by 2024.
The public need to have a police service that isn’t being efficient with public money.
My role as a chief inspector is to provide leadership during what will be worrying times for my staff, particularly police staff who feel vulnerable.
SILVER
- Passionate about removing unnecessary bureaucracy, reducing demand and cost, I volunteered to lead a shoplifting project as part of TMS
- In addition to my core role and largely in my own time,
- I led a team with clear objectives to reduce the time we spend on shoplifting
- low risk - high demand
- save money - allocating each an area of responsibility.
- I developed a new controversial streamlined process in custody where I proposed to no longer interview shoplifting suspects where the full code test was met.
- I consulted with Criminal Justice and CPS, selling change as a positive and overcame both legal and process concerns.
- I presented our ideas to CCMT and all recommendations were agreed.
- I opted to trial the new process using identified SPOCs and
- developed a phased force wide implementation that could be closely monitored.
- As a result, there are annual savings of over 3000 officer hours and £75,000 with over 500 cases a year dealt with more efficiently, all with early guilty pleas.
- I learnt a great deal as a result of this project, in particular how to involve practitioners and communicate change.
- I shared this learning both internally and externally through the TVP Journal and I delivered a presentation titled ‘Implementing What Works: 10 Learning Points’ to the force, including the Chief Constable and PCC at the TVP Research Day.
- I was awarded a Chief Constable’s Commendation for leading this project.
- I continue to receive enquiries from other forces
- still in use today after a couple of years
- loads of feedback
BRONZE
- as a chief inspector - understand how e and e we are now
- sell the benefits of different approaches
- create an E&E board - bright sparks
- I was a sergeant - 25 years old
- grants
- peer review
- AMT
- Monitor
How will you deal with under performance in your teams?
GOLD
As a chief inspector it is important to drive performance and make the force delivery plan a reality on behalf of CCMT and the LPA commander. Performance should be seen as protecting the public.
SILVER
GET UNDERSTANDING
What are the figures? Good analogy in a book – you don’t go to war without a map.
Understand causes first don’t just dive in
Speak to team and supervisors
Dashboard
WELFARE
Morale
BEST PRAC Talk to peers and other departments Anon survey Ideas board Set clear expectations Posters PDRs Link to it repeatedly Make best use of resources Reduce beuaraccy Morale – look after your team and they will look after you Are there training issues? Are there welfare issues? Are there discipline issues? What are other areas doing? What are other forces doing? Dip sampling Compare with other LPAs Hold supervisors to account – DMMs Oxford – performance meetings Briefings – reinforce De-briefings to learn Proactive and intrusive supervision Patrol and get an idea of what is actually happening Set a plan with achievable bitesize outcomes And an overall outcome
BRONZE
- Oxford CID
- WM
In these times of reduced budgets and resources, how will you ensure that other agencies play their full part in delivering community safety?
GOLD
It is now more important than ever that partners play their part in reducing crime and bringing offenders to justice. We can’t do this alone and need their help.
As a chief inspector it is my role to work effectively with partners and get the most out of them.
SILVER
- Recognising and appreciating their own budget constraints - it isn’t just us
BENEFITS
- Recognising their strengths and the additional views they can bring
- Additional resources
- Additional funding
OBLIGATIONS
- Legal - MAPPA - MARAC - they have to
- CSP - tasking coordination group
VALUE THEM
- give Feedback and also seek feedback (NHPT)
- Social media
- Good work - commendations
CHALLENGE THEM
- Go in at Executive level - escalate
MONITOR/ACCOUNTABILITY
- NHPT performance
- DMM’s - making sure we set actions to liaise
BRONZE
- Vigilant - sexual violence panel
What challenges do you foresee as a Chief Inspector and what will you do about them?
There are some key challenges at the moment:
- Our people - inexperience, wellbeing, morale
- Our communities - BLM - BAME representation -
- Money - 13m - 4 years
- Crime - 28% increase - requires improvement
As a chief Inspector:
- Our people - wellbeing strategy, wellbeing board, Oscar kilo - supporting supervisors
- Our communities - PAET - positive community engagement - victim satisfaction - IAGs
- Money - E&E - bright sparks - innovation -
- Crime - experience of PVP/county lines - endeavour - proactive - intrusive supportive
Give an example of a challenging decision you have had to make?
X
How will you drive the E&E programme and save the force money?
GOLD
As a force we need to save 13m in the next four years and it is my job as a Chief Inspector to drive innovation and motivate my teams to think innovatively and differently.
There are some challenges - staff - but there are some opportunities in that we have some bright sparks.
SILVER
Scoping
- what is working well?
- what can we do better?
- How do we compare to other LPAs?
- Understand who the bright sparks are and the blockers
Plan
- firm believer of if you have time - we should come up with a plan
- Look at all areas of our business - rather than wait for E&E
- Discuss cars, estate, uniform but also local practices like overtime, expenses, fuel
- that plan should be a joint plan with the LPA of all ranks and roles
- Allocate ownership and get buy in
Leadership
- Leading by example - making it BAU
- giving people freedom to think outside the box
Areas to consider:
- Overtime scrutiny
- Funding from external
- Virtual
Monitor
Accountability
Recognition
BRONZE
Shoplifting
Give an example of when you have promoted a culture that values diversity and encourages challenge?
GOLD
Up to me as a chief inspector to create a culture on behalf of chief.
Particularly when we are looking to increase BAME and other unrepresented groups.
SILVER
Neighbourhood performance plan.
