CertHE Community Policing Practice
01 Mar 2025 - 28 Feb 2031
| Course Leader | Rebecca Voice |
|---|---|
| Course Team | Andrew Hale, Rezbi Duffield, Gareth Evans, Louise Skilling, David Maundrell, Bethan Shellard-Dedman, Fiona Webb, Barry Murphy, Richard Law |
| Awarding Body | University of South Wales |
| Teaching Institutions | Wiltshire Police |
| Modes of Study | Full Time, Part Time |
Document Version
| Version | 3 |
|---|---|
| Valid From | 01 Mar 2025 |
| Valid To | 28 Feb 2031 |
QAA Benchmarks
Subject Benchmark Statement: Policing
There is no QAA benchmark for the PCSO qualification. However, there is a relating apprenticeship standard (ref ST0509) that can be found here:
Police community support officer / Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education
Educational Aim
As per the College of Policing’s National Programme Specification for the Certificate in Community Policing Practice, the course aims to enable students/apprentices to:
PCSO Role & Professional Standards Demonstrate understanding of professional standards, ethics, and transparency in policing, including the PCSO role, 'policing by consent,' and the responsibilities associated with it. Apply professional knowledge, analyse the role of independent bodies in accountability, and use PCSO powers effectively in varied situations.
Local Content Maximise communication with individuals and communities, understanding the influence of Police and Crime plans on local services and neighbourhoods, while using the Professional Development process to support personal and professional growth through self-evaluation, self-improvement, and reflective practice.
Leadership & Teamwork Demonstrate an understanding of professional policing and the key responsibilities of supervisors and managers in challenging inappropriate behaviour and fostering team collaboration.
Diversity & Inclusion Actively promote ethics, equality, diversity, and human rights in the PCSO role, while challenging bias and discrimination, and using internal processes to report unprofessional conduct, ensuring fairness and integrity in policing.
Wellbeing & Resilience Develop strategies for personal resilience and wellbeing, managing stress, trauma, and personal/organisational risks, including those related to using personal devices while working as a PCSO.
Communication Skills Demonstrate enhanced communication skills for effective interaction with victims, witnesses, and suspects, applying conflict resolution, de-escalation techniques, and the fundamentals of communication in both every day and challenging situations.
Prevention & Problem-Solving Foster an enhanced connection between professional learning and workplace application by applying practical problem-solving through an evidence-based policing approach, utilising problem-solving strategies and relevant applications to reduce community tension and promote community cohesion.
Protecting the Public Demonstrate a clear understanding of vulnerability and protect vulnerable individuals through informed decision-making and the implementation of public protection protocols.
Victims & Witnesses Provide appropriate support to victims and witnesses, understanding their needs, the psychological impacts of trauma, and the connections between perpetration and victimisation, while applying best practices.
Suspect/Offender Management Understand the stages of offending, the use of community intelligence, exploring alternative arrest options, and apply procedures for managing suspects and offenders, including recording significant information.
Criminal Justice System Demonstrate an understanding of the criminal justice system, including the police community support officer role with case file management and relevant court and exhibit processes.
Community Policing & Partnership Working Emphasise the importance of community/neighbourhood policing, partnership working and community engagement to build trust and confidence within communities. Foster effective partnerships, reviewing the inter-relationship between the community, prevention strategies to tackle organised crime anti-social Behaviour , and other neighbourhood policing approaches.
Response Policing Apply response skills to incidents, manage minor crimes and vulnerability, and effectively collaborate with emergency services during major or critical incidents, including public order situations.
Information, Intelligence & Evidence Understand the importance of information and intelligence in neighbourhood policing, analyse the role of the National Intelligence Model (NIM), and ensure effective gathering, evaluation, and handling of intelligence to shape force objectives.
Conducting Investigations Apply the National Decision Model (NDM) in decision-making and investigative actions, evaluating outcomes in complex situations and responding appropriately to neighbourhood policing incidents. Apply the relevant procedures to manage and disperse individuals or groups and explore the options available to tackle anti-social behaviour.
These aims collectively ensure that PCSOs are well-prepared to support front-line policing and meet the professional requirements of effective community-based policing.
Learning Outcomes
| A1 | Understand the duty of care, service delivery, employment practices, efficiency, effectiveness, value for money, the Code of Ethics, professional standards, and equality, diversity, and human rights, while maintaining professional integrity by upholding these standards and challenging others when necessary. |
| A2 | Examine the composition and diversity of individuals, groups, and neighbourhoods in the community, exploring ways to develop partnerships to address local issues, while being emotionally astute by valuing diversity and treating people with sensitivity and compassion. |
| A3 | Identify and use appropriate communication methods and media, such as social media, face-to-face interactions, neighbourhood meetings, and email, while taking accountability for ensuring effective and inclusive communication. |
| A4 | Apply a preventative, evidence-based community policing approach to mitigate and solve issues, while being curious and innovative by seeking new information and best practices. |
| B1 | Analyse and evaluate information from various sources to support law enforcement and enhance policing effectiveness, taking accountability for the accuracy and reliability of the information handled. |
| B2 | Develop, plan, and implement preventative and problem-solving policing approaches to address local concerns, collaborating effectively with colleagues and external partners to achieve the best possible results. |
| B3 | Apply legal and organisational requirements to manage and defuse conflicts using tactical (non-physical) options, maintaining professional integrity by handling conflicts ethically and justifiably. |
| B4 | Gather, handle, and submit information and intelligence from various sources according to legal and organizational requirements to support law enforcement activities, while being emotionally astute by understanding the impact of information on individuals and communities. |
| C1 | Communicate effectively with individuals, groups, and communities, including victims, witnesses, and vulnerable people, ensuring diversity and inclusivity, while upholding the police service’s values in day-to-day activities. |
| C2 | Provide initial support to vulnerable people, assess their needs for further support, and offer advice on accessing that support, being supportive and inspirational by providing clarity and assistance. |
| C3 | Work alongside partner organisations or as part of a multi-disciplinary team to improve, mitigate, and solve community problems, issues, or concerns, collaborating effectively by sharing skills, knowledge, and insights. |
| C4 | Provide an initial response to incidents in line with legal and organizational requirements, including planning responses based on analysis of all relevant information, taking accountability for the effectiveness and appropriateness of the response. |
Course Structure
Level 4 Modules
| Module Code | Module Id | Module Title | Module Status | Credit Value | Module Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PC1H001 | MOD012467 | Principles and Standards in Policing | Running | 10 | core |
| PC1H002 | MOD012468 | Personal Skills and Practices | Running | 10 | core |
| PC1H003 | MOD012469 | Engaging with the Community | Running | 10 | core |
| PC1H004 | MOD012470 | Modern Day Policing | Running | 10 | core |
| PC1S039 | MOD012471 | Safe and Lawful Patrol | Running | 20 | core |
| PC1U005 | MOD012472 | Community Based Problem Solving | Running | 30 | core |
| PC1U006 | MOD012473 | Full Operational Competence | Running | 30 | core |
| PC1U011 | MOD013796 | Policing Behaviours (PCSO) | Running | 30 | core |
| PC1U012 | MOD013797 | Policing Knowledge (PCSO) | Running | 30 | core |
| PC1U013 | MOD013798 | Policing Operational (PCS0) | Running | 30 | core |
| PC1U014 | MOD013799 | Policing Skills (PCSO) | Running | 30 | core |
Teaching and Assessment
Learning and Teaching Methods
Employer Engagement
Visiting Speakers Partner forces provide ‘associate lecturers’ from within the Policing sector. Specialist subjects including partnership working, First aid, personal safety, roads policing and Intelligence
Industry Projects Students complete an evidence-based community issues project relevant to their respective police forces. The focus of these projects is to address a real-world challenge and contribute to the advancement of policing practices. Upon completion, these projects can be presented to senior officers within the partnering police force, providing students with an opportunity to influence Policing practice
Industry Visits Most of the course is vocational ‘on the job’ learning, students are police community support officers and once out of initial training are practising within the industry.
Work placements or Internships Most of the course is vocational ‘on the job’ learning, students are police community support officers and once out of initial training are practising within the industry.
Work-based Learning The Higher Education Certificate in Community Policing Practice is a work-based learning program that integrates academic study with practical, on-the-job training. Students gather real-world experience while learning, ensuring they apply and develop the essential skills, knowledge, and behaviours needed for effective policing.
Means of Assessment
Learning Support
Induction will take place in accordance with University and Faculty expectations. Student enrolment will be coordinated centrally by USW and induction will include introduction to all USW student services, the delivery team, ASOs and force staff.
Students are also ‘onboarded’ by the partner forces, this typically involves 5-10 hours of induction/teambuilding, each partner force having their own sessions.
No sessions/modules are delivered on campus
As this programme will be delivered off campus, this induction will also include videos and as often as possible a synchronous online meet with various departments (such as Library Services) as well as a virtual tour of relevant campuses. Students have access to the same services as the on-campus students giving them similar support and an equitable learning experience. Students will have full access to physical library services through the SCONUL scheme and courses during their study, being ‘off campus’ students some courses have been provided online. We are proud to have worked with USW English as an additional language Team, Library Services and USW Study skills to ensure an equitable provision for Students. Additional and bespoke online services are built into our programmes and attendance for nuanced support (EAL for example) has been further supported with time and travel from some forces.
Prior to enrolment students complete an initial competency-based skills scan, which is then throughout their studies used to inform student development.
The first two weeks of the programme involves several induction inputs that include familiarisation sessions of physical and on-line resources, programme requirements, rules and regulations and an outline of the support services available to them. These are delivered by staff from both partners, sometimes jointly and where appropriate subject matter experts.
Personal Academic coaches are not used within the course however, students benefit from regular tripartite reviews with their support officer employer and themselves. Here their progress is tracked, and any barriers or challenges addressed. This review offers both academic and holistic support or signposting.
To compliment this academic will offer students one to ones via teams should a particular academic challenge become apparent. This is facilitated by their support officer and robustly logged in their Student Logs.
It must be noted that these reviews are a requirement and must happen every 12 weeks however, it has been noted within Operational Policing Team the impact this has on overall success and the model has been mimicked on campus with SSOs.
Learner Analytics Suitable data sources are rigours scrutinised to ensure responsive and dynamic adjustments throughout personal and course journeys.
Using collated data approach helps Lecturers understand how students engage with course materials, identify at-risk students, and tailor instructional strategies to improve learning outcomes.
Office Hours USW lecturers will provide regular times when they are available for contact (office hours) via USW email, as well as working closely with the cohort during any classroom and protected learning time, during asynchronous study apprentices are invited to reach out to USW staff via teams.
Working days will be clearly articulated to the students in the Course Handbook, Blackboard and email signatures.
Support officers are available for contact for holistic support during regular office hours via email and employer supervisors and welfare services are available 24/7.
Each module on Blackboard has clear individualised links to all force aligned USW staff.
Tutorials Academic and pastoral tutorials are available upon request and by arrangement.
Seminars Smaller groups of seminar size are used for case studies and immersive simulation exercises allowing for more in depth group discussion and reflection during these more immersive sessions.
Formative Assessment Formative assessment is built into each module covering both academic and operational elements of development. For example, within the behaviours module of the course a formative ‘Essay’ in the form of a police report is included within sessions, feedback from this feeds forward into the summative assignment. Formative assessments will take many forms including scenarios (whether this be verbal, written or practical), role play exercises, quizzes and group tasks.
Progress Meetings Progress meetings (Reviews) are mandatory. Tripartite (USW, Student, Employer) meetings are structured into the curriculum with apprentices given protected time to attend. They are approx. every 12 weeks.
Meetings are timetabled quarterly, attending apprentices are expected to reflect and discuss their progress on the course, meetings are also designed to highlight any issues and causes for concern. If Cause for Concern is identified by the course team or an operational mentor, further progress meetings will be arranged in liaison with the employing force. These are recorded locally and support is sought centrally where necessary.
Online Resources All learning materials will be available via the Blackboard well as information and announcements. Students will also have access to USW online library resources, access to which will be explained and demonstrated during induction and monitored throughout for engagement.
Advice zone As the programme will be delivered off campus, students will be made aware of the physical services available on campus as well as provided with details of how to contact Advice Services electronically. This will be detailed in induction and via information provided in the Course Handbook and VLE.
Disability As the programme will be delivered off campus, students will be made aware of the physical services available on campus as well as provided with details of how to contact disability services electronically. This will be detailed in induction and via information provided in the Course Handbook and VLE.
IT/Library As the programme will be delivered off campus, students will be made aware of the physical services available on campus as well as provided with details of how to contact IT/ Library services electronically, a service which is available 24/7 and helpful to apprentice officers who will be working shifts. This will be detailed in induction and via information provided in the Course Handbook and VLE.
Course Exit Points
| Award | Criteria | Final |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Higher Education | 120 credits of which at least 100 must be at Level 4 or above and no more than 20 at Level 3 | Final |
Progression Route
This course may lead to the BSc (Hons) Professional Policing Practice or the Graduate Diploma Professional Policing Practice if the student goes on to apply for the role of Police Constable (this is a natural career progression route for a PCSO within the police service). There is not, however, a specifically relating course onto which students of this course would naturally progress, such as a masters.
Graduates would be eligible to apply for advanced entry onto undergraduate courses at any HEI and request to transfer their credit, subject to the HEI’s RPL regulations.
Entry Requirements
Admission to the course is typically through the following qualifications:
For entry onto this programme a student must also be a serving police community support officer.
Each partner Police force has their own eligibility requirement for joining as a police community support officer these requirements are clearly stated on the Force recruitment pages.
USW has reviewed the recruitment process in its entirety and having considered the requirements to successfully achieve the standard required, have concluded the applicant will have evidenced sufficient ability to enrol onto this programme.
The collaboration has been working closely to scrutinise and agree online information regarding recruitment. Force contains information regarding eligibility criteria to become a police community support officer.
USW will be involved at each stage of recruitment to ensure that and required qualifications are scrutinised by USW and agreed before candidates are deemed suitable to progress to the next stage of the recruitment and assessment process.
Once names and numbers of successful candidates are known, USW and the employing force will work together to coordinate who will be invited to the next intake. This will be the point at which USW will enroll the students onto the course.
Finally, by accepting a post with the employing force and enrolling as a USW student they must agree to the terms and conditions of both organisations.
The University has a recognition of prior learning (RPL) procedure in place http://celt.southwales.ac.uk/rpl
Inclusive Curriculum Statement
The University of South Wales operates a policy of inclusive learning, teaching and assessment to ensure that all students have an equal opportunity to fulfil their educational potential. Course teams will have considered ways of designing out any potentially disadvantageous element of courses during the course design process. However some specific needs may remain, details about how to apply to have your needs assessed can be found at: http://unilife.southwales.ac.uk/pages/3040-disability-and-dyslexia-service/
Addendum for Delivery at a Partner Institution
N/A
Methods Of Quality Standards
N/A
Quality Of Standards Indicators
N/A