The intense development programme for police constables The Fast Track Police Constable to Inspector programme was commissioned in September 2013 by the Home Secretary, the Rt. Hon Theresa May MP. It is a development programme and promotion mechanism to enable the most talented to advance to the rank of inspector within two years. The programme will develop cadres of officers with the skills, experience and capacity to reach the senior ranks of the service, and impact and influence the management and culture of policing.

The programme focuses on leadership, management and operational knowledge and skills and the participants undergo regular and robust assessments. Those not meeting the standards set by the College of Policing will exit the programme and return to general policing at the rank achieved. In its infancy, the programme was open to both officers and graduates, however, Fast Track is now only offered to internal officers. The new Direct Entry Inspector programme, the first cohort of which start their training in November this year, has been designed for external candidates to enter the service with no previous policing experience.

The Fast Track scheme trains constables up to the rank of inspector within two years, a process which is ordinarily achieved over seven years. The College of Policing has set the bar high for Fast Track. The programme isn’t for everyone, the College is seeking future leaders of policing and those who sign up for the programme will have their potential for the rank of superintendent assessed. The training programme has been designed to attract talented and dedicated serving constables from within the service and equip them with the leadership qualities, operational skills and strategic understanding they will need to be promoted to the rank of inspector within two years. Fast Track recruits go through all the standard practical training, but at an accelerated pace. The programme also offers the benefits of fixed promotion points to sergeant and inspector. After leaving the programme, officers are expected to progress further, reaching seniors ranks in their careers.

Luke Dillon, 27, is a temporary police sergeant serving with the Metropolitan Police Service. He has been an officer since September 2014 and also served as a special constable. A competitive rower and keen fundraiser for the RNLI, Luke joined the Fast Track programme as a PC and was successful in securing a place and passing the National Assessment Centre criteria. He began his training in 2014;

”Fast Track seemed a fantastic opportunity I couldn’t pass up. Not many get the opportunity to start be pushed up an organisation so fast. There are so many different opportunities.”

Luke reflects on the inspectors he has worked for, emulating their sense of calm and collection; “Inspectors display high levels of emotional intelligence and are able to quickly and concisely identify risk and the best tactics for managing it.”

These colleagues inspired him to join the programme and he knew it was a way to develop his skillset and progress his career; “I’m always impressed at inspectors’ ability to make very large and complex problems simple and manageable. They lead by example and make their teams want to work for them.”

In order to join the Fast Track programme, police constables need to meet the high standards of the robust and challenging selection process. Officers are assessed against the Policing Professional Framework at the rank of superintendent, with competencies that include decision making, leading change, leading people, managing performance, professionalism, public service and working with others. Candidates’ eligibility and suitability is assessed via the competency-based application form and also at the National Assessment Centre. Successful officers leave the programme at the end of the second year on promotion to the temporary rank of inspector.

The National Assessment Centre is demanding, pushing candidates to demonstrate their potential across a range of test scenarios. It evaluates officer’s ability to reach, and perform competently in, the rank of inspector within the two year programme timeframe. It also tests potential and motivation to reach the rank of superintendent as a minimum and candidates’ ability to demonstrate and promote new ways of thinking and different perspectives that can effectively influence the way that policing operates. Recruits are assessed through job simulation exercises, an interview, a presentation and tests of cognitive ability. Fast Track officers are then subjected to points of assessment in line with the NPPF Step 2 and Work Based Assessments.

Luke admits the first year of training was hard, requiring determination and dedication, ‘getting to grips with basic training, rotations through neighborhoods, response and investigative roles as well as studying for the inspector’s exam was mentally and physically tough.’ He found working on a response team challenging, having to manage shift work, administration, attending calls and constantly managing the wellbeing of staff.

”Being positive and energetic is essential as it has a massive effect on the rest of the team…obviously like any police role you have to contend with some extremely difficult situations, emotionally and also in terms of the confrontation.”

Luke describes his experience on the programme so far as a steep learning curve and is honest when he says he would not recommend it to everyone. “You have to be prepared but it’s extremely rewarding. I absolutely love my job and I genuinely enjoy every single day. I have a great team above and below me and that makes a huge difference. You can’t compare anything to working in the police, it’s utterly unique, made so by the people you work with.”

The programme’s training modules ensure the completion of Core Leadership programme and achievement of the NPPF Step 2 legal examination. It is also interspersed with College of Policing inputs providing the candidates with higher level leadership training and self-awareness coaching which enhances leadership training above and beyond that they receive in force. Opportunities are also made available for officers to undertake external leadership experience in partnership with the Prince’s Trust, working alongside young people who are not in education, employment or training. This allows the development of key transferable skills such as leadership, communication and problem-solving by engaging in a variety of practical team building activities which also benefit the local community. An optional 12 week ‘Management or Investigation’ module is also available in year 2.

Luke has found some of the main benefits of the programme to be learning how to manage situations and how to support others. He has learnt about leadership, law and people management, all great skills he can use in future roles, both in and out of the police service. The training is intense and demanding but it gives insight into the thinking and practice required at the top level of policing. Luke says; ‘It’s a privilege to hear subject experts speaking passionately about what they enjoy doing. There is a great emphasis on developing yourself.’

Luke’s previous jobs have given him an analytical approach to problems; ‘The experience of working in the private sector has allowed me to pull in ideas and ways of working from different industries and implement them quickly. My work for the RNLI has given me a good foundation in inter-agency working practice and a good understanding of marine incidents, very helpful for the borough I am in.’ Now as a temporary sergeant in a response team in a Met borough, one of Luke’s duties is to monitor the calls to service and prioritising those with the most risk, ensuring he has units able to attend the most serious or priority incidents. ‘A sergeant must always attend certain types of calls; sudden deaths, critical incidents, GBH’s. One day you could go to ten different incidents, the next something major like a kidnap or a shooting and that will be all you deal with. Depending on what has happened this can be quick or a very protracted process. It helps having hugely experienced PC’s and as a new supervisor I’m often reliant on their knowledge and experience.’

There is a stigma around accelerated promotion in the service and, admittedly, Luke had reservations about shift working, the types of situations he would find himself in and how his colleagues would view him entering the programme, but has found support in both his force and the College of Policing; ‘Every day police officers make decisions and accumulate risk and responsibility for what they do, that stays with them moving forward. There is a constant concern about the effect that my decisions can have on people. I tell my staff that if they do things for the right reasons and act with integrity I will always support them.’ The College provides a lot of support to Fast Track officers, offering mentors to all candidates whilst they are in the programme and beyond completion.

Luke has advice for any officers wanting to embark on the Fast Track programme: ‘The assessments are tough. The programme is harder. You can prepare for the assessments by looking though the material provided and doing the practice assessments. Once you are on the programme you have to work as hard as you can.’ He has not regretted his decision to join Fast Track and is enthusiastic about his development; ‘Days fly past and there are lots of competing demands, but you have to manage your own time and others time as well. It’s completely impossible without the support of the officers on the ground. They do excellent work.’