The current process for promotion and progression for Sergeants and Inspectors is too complex, South Yorkshire Police Federation has said, and it has welcomed the proposed introduction of a new process.<\/p>\n
The College of Policing reviewed its current process and heard from officers that it is overly complex, there is not enough focus on leadership skills, and that good potential candidates are put off by the time and resources needed to prepare for the exam.<\/p>\n
It is working with several forces to test the new Sergeant and Inspector Promotion and Progression (SIPP) process, where candidates will demonstrate their readiness for leadership in various ways, including leadership training and practice-based evidence.<\/p>\n
South Yorkshire Police Federation Chair Steve Kent said: \u201cI agree that the current process is overly complex. To be fair, our force is putting better things in place in terms of leadership programmes, so I have to give them credit for that.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe issue for me is that the right people are either being put off or they are not getting through the process, because the process itself isn\u2019t fit for purpose. We see all too often in policing that people who are good at a process get promoted and get on, rather than the people who are actually good at the job.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve made it clear to the force that this has to be work-based and experience-based. There also needs to be peer scrutiny and supervisor scrutiny, and people who go for promotion have to answer difficult questions about how they perform.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt needs to be a much more holistic process to identify those leaders who are really good but might not be confident going through this complex process.\u201d<\/p>\n
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