Competency Values Framework

Courage

This means making, communicating and being accountable for decisions, and standing against anything that could bring our profession into disrepute.

When we are motivated by courage, we actively uphold the ethical standards of the police service so that we do the right thing even when the circumstances are difficult. We set good examples, challenge unprofessional behaviour and all forms of prejudice and discriminatory behaviour, and any activity which undermines the impartiality of policing.

We build and maintain the confidence of the public, our colleagues and partners through the way we conduct ourselves. We maintain professional boundaries with those we serve and work with to help protect ourselves and those around us.

We are open about what we have done and why and keep our promises so we can be relied on when needed. We support an environment where ethical issues or unprofessional actions can be raised, questioned, challenged, reported and addressed.

We are honest and open in our interactions and decision making. We have the courage to respond to criticism with professionalism.

Respect and empathy

This means encouraging, listening to and understanding the views of others, and seeking to recognise and respond to the physical, mental and emotional challenges that we and other people may face.

When we are motivated by respect and empathy, we ensure people feel valued and listened to. We treat them with patience and courtesy where possible, recognising that sometimes we may need to prioritise safety and security. We give them opportunities to share their views and take these views into account. We seek to understand other people’s perspectives and recognise they can differ from our own.

We engage with people who have a wide range of experiences and needs and provide a service that takes into account each individual’s unique circumstances. We ensure everyone, regardless of background or circumstance, is treated equally and fairly, recognising the need to tailor our responses to individual needs to ensure we are being fair and respectful.

We understand and recognise that people may respond differently to the same situation.

We are careful to recognise and manage our biases, so they do not stop us from engaging with people with different needs and experiences equally and fairly.

Public service

When we are motivated by public service, we respect the authority and influence afforded to us by our role in society and the responsibility we have in using our policing powers. We apply those powers lawfully, proportionately and when necessary.

As we strive to help deliver good outcomes for the public we serve, we seek to find opportunities to learn and improve ourselves as professionals. We reflect on our actions and decisions to see what could be changed to improve the service we offer the public.

We have a responsibility to ensure that we act in the best interest of society as a whole. Improving the safety and wellbeing of the public underpins all that we do. We respond to different communities, taking into account their history and experiences including trauma and adversity.

What being emotionally aware means

We make the effort to understand ourselves, our colleagues, and all those we serve so that we can manage our own emotions and understand the emotions of those around us.

We can manage our emotions in stressful situations, understanding the underlying reasons for our behaviour as well as understanding how other people may feel in a given situation.

Working in policing can be tough, so we seek out the appropriate support and care we need for ourselves and others so that we do not just cope but thrive at work. Being emotionally aware also means being sensitive to the cultural and individual differences between people.

We seek to understand the thoughts, feelings and concerns of those we meet and ensure that this is considered in the response we provide.

Why being emotionally aware is important

Being emotionally aware makes us all more effective at understanding others and addressing their needs as well as our own. The way in which we conduct ourselves is just as important as what we do.

Communicating and acting politely and with compassion helps to maintain public trust and promotes better policing outcomes. We all experience the world differently and can be individually affected by it, so it is important that we consider how and why those around us may feel the way they do.

Understanding this helps us to appreciate when others may not be able to fully express or articulate their own thoughts and feelings.

Understanding ourselves means that we can improve our own resilience and therefore cope more effectively during challenging and emotionally charged situations. It also allows us to recognise others who may be struggling and support them wherever we can.

What taking ownership means

We take personal responsibility for what we do ourselves, and for making policing better and our force more effective.

Through our actions, we deliver tasks in a way that is timely and effective, and help others do the same. We make decisions that are appropriate to our level and area of work, being clear why we do so (for example, by using decision-making models) and accepting responsibility for our judgements.

We seek feedback without being defensive so that we can learn from our mistakes and reflect on opportunities to build on our strengths. Demonstrating pride in our work is important to us. Our selflessness means that we also seek to help solve issues or problems, which may be internal or external to our own teams. We recognise where limitations in our own knowledge and experience may have an impact on our decision-making and try to address this.

We take responsibility for ensuring that support or development is sought to minimise any risks.

Why taking ownership is important

Our work is safety-critical and of huge public interest - so delivering it effectively and efficiently is of the highest priority to ourselves and to the public.

We all face different kinds of challenges that are not always in our comfort zone, so every one of us needs to feel confident and able to take appropriate responsibility. Not all decisions need senior leader approval: where necessary, we can respond more swiftly to challenges using our professional judgement, always ensuring we have a clear rationale for our decision making.

These behaviours mean that we are empowered, effective and able to learn from our experiences and mistakes. Doing so allows us to own and see successes through our delivery of results, and not just by whether a particular process has been followed.

What collaboration means

We can only deliver effective policing by working with others - not just with the colleagues we see daily, but across our whole force, with other organisations and with the public.

We take time to know our stakeholders and build sustainable and strong partnerships with them so we can make the most appropriate contribution to shared objectives.

Often, our job means we need to establish effective ways of working with new people beyond our usual teams, including sometimes at great speed and under pressure. We aim to work effectively with colleagues, communities and external partners by sharing our skills, knowledge and insights to achieve the best results and reduce 'silo working'.

Our engagement seeks to not only deliver joint solutions but to also share appropriate information and develop new ways of providing services together.

In all our dealings with our partners, we make sure that they feel valued.

Why collaboration is important

Demands on the police come from diverse sources and are not defined by organisational and geographical boundaries. We work together regardless of differing cultures, backgrounds, priorities and needs.

We do this proactively to establish the networks needed to tackle the complex demands and operational needs we face, and to make us more effective in urgent situations.

This means that we need to influence and negotiate to achieve positive outcomes for everyone.

Working collaboratively allows us to harness strengths and resources for the good of all - but this requires us to build relationships and break down barriers.

It is critical for us to build and retain trust and confidence with communities and partners.

A key part of achieving this is through the way in which we work with others.

What supporting and inspiring means

We understand the vision for the organisation. We apply our organisation's values in our day-to-day activities to provide inspiration and clarity to others.

We work to create the right climate for people to get the job done to the best of their abilities, ensuring a culture of mutual respect and support. We understand how we have an impact on the success of our organisation and we help others to deliver their objectives effectively. This behaviour is not restricted to those who are in formal or senior management positions.

We all have a positive contribution to make by operating at our best, adapting how we work to take account of pressures and demands, and to help others. We are focused on helping our colleagues to improve and learn and are active in supporting them through activities such as coaching and mentoring.

Why supporting and inspiring is important

To deliver the most effective service, we need to be clear on our goals and priorities, both for the police service as a whole and individually. We can all help to support and motivate each other to ensure that we are working as effectively as possible, enabling us and those around us to perform at our best.

We should all act as organisational role models.

What it means to analyse critically

We analyse diverse information and the best available evidence to make decisions and understand the root causes of issues that arise in complex situations.

We draw on our experience, knowledge and wide-ranging sources of other evidence to give ourselves a greater view of what is happening underneath the surface.

We combine insight and evidence-based approaches to help make decisions, accepting that we will not have all the answers.

But we will always try to gather facts and robust information to be able to think tactically and strategically.

Why analysing critically is important

Critical thinking drives effective policing as we are faced with a wide variety of complex issues on a day-to-day basis.

This means that we all need to make sense of a complex environment, accept that ambiguity is part of contemporary working life and, therefore, be able to identify interrelationships between different factors.

If we can analyse the best available evidence and see what is happening underneath the surface, we will be better able to make confident and effective decisions and implement preventative solutions that deal with root causes. 

We are innovative and open-minded 

What being innovative and open-minded means We have an inquisitive and outward-looking nature, searching for new information to understand alternative sources of good practice and implement creative working methods.

We are committed to reflecting on how we go about our roles, being as flexible in our approach as required to ensure the best outcomes.

We seek to ensure we are open to new and different ways of working. To do this we look at relevant standards outside policing in other organisations and sectors. Constantly changing and adapting is part of our role.

We maintain an open mind to allow us to identify opportunities and to create innovative solutions.

As leaders we create environments where innovation can thrive and support people in finding new ways of tackling the issues policing faces.

Why being innovative and open-minded is important

New and emerging threats mean that our required response will not always be obvious. We will need to adopt new thinking and assumptions and be continually inquisitive and committed to continual improvement.

The perpetual need to adapt, innovate and question our assumptions is at the heart of being able to serve and protect the public. It includes taking innovative, preventative action to reduce pressure later.

Being open-minded and reflective also allows us to tailor our approach to specific contexts and the public we serve.