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‘Movember’ – Shining a light on Men’s Mental Health

Author claudiamccready | Posted on
Outline of a cartoon moustache

This week’s blog has been written by Senior Lecturer Carly Lawrence, who was inspired by the upcoming ‘Movember’ campaign. Carly hopes to shine a light on Men’s Mental Health, offering some signs to look for, linking some of the support open to those struggling or looking to help their loved ones. Carly also shares details on upcoming challenges aimed to get us all talking about the important subject of Men’s Mental Health.

‘Movember’ in November

As we welcome November, with the days seemingly getting shorter & the nights longer, sometimes it feels as though we are living in the dark. Those working shifts may feel this more and it is important that we take the opportunity to shine a little light where we can.

November importantly brings Bonfire Night, the beginning of the countdown to Christmas but, perhaps more poignantly, it also brings Men’s Mental Health Month.

Outline of a stickman

It’s a topic that should not be a taboo; 74% of suicides in England and Wales – that’s nearly 3 of 4 – happen to men (ONS, 2021). This makes suicide the largest killer of men under the age of 50 (Campaign Against Living Miserably, 2023). It is time that the stigma associated with talking about mental health in men to be removed. It is time to support each other.

There is no getting away from the sad fact that the above figures only involve cases that come to the fore. With so many incidents unreported, this may be linked to the stigma surrounding mental health in men.

With phrases like ‘men don’t cry’ still unfortunately prevalent today, and historic views about masculinity and the expectation of men to be strong and resilient equally as significant, does that suggest that mental health struggles make men weaker? Or would talking about the issues impacting men, helping those seek support – whether for depression, stress, anxiety – actually make them stronger?

Everyone has a role in making change, so let us seek to show those men in our lives that we support them and do not want them to suffer in silence as so many often do.

What to look for?

Image of rocks piled on top of each other

There are many factors that impact men’s mental health which we need to understand better. The factors of course will vary from man to man; from relationship break downs, workplace pressures, physical health problems, exposure to trauma, unemployment, and in today’s climate financial pressures. This list is of course not exhaustive but starts to paint a picture of how day-to-day life can have an impact. It’s important to remember that it’s not always those big moments that cause a decline in mental health but can be lots of smaller stressors that can build.

When we consider some of these factors, is it any surprise that police officers are and can be often significantly impacted by mental health problems? Collectively officers had 571,000 days off in 2022 due to their mental health, that’s the equivalent of having 1,600 less officers a year (Police Federation, 2023). Between 2011 – 2021 we lost 157 male officers from all ranks, and 20 female officers, to suicide (ONS, 2022). It is as important as it has ever been that we stand united and supportive of each other in these moments.

Each and every one of us plays a key role in supporting those men in our lives – whether that be friends, family, partners or colleagues  – but in order to provide that support we need to be able to recognise some signs.

The NHS state that those experiencing mental health problems may exhibit the following signs:

  • Increased irritability
  • Disturbed sleep or sleeping more than usual
  • Becoming anxious
  • Becoming forgetful
  • Avoiding situations
  • Change in eating habits (eating more or less)
  • Lack of concentration
  • Headaches and/or dizziness

So how can we help?

Picture of Senior Lecturer Matt Gaunt from 2022 with his attempt at 'Movember', raising money for Bowel Cancer.
Matt Gaunt’s 2022 ‘Movember’ in support of Bowel Cancer charities.

There are several support agencies who can help with understanding how best to support those struggling, we’ve listed some below.

That said, here are some suggested things that you can do to show support; Let them know you’re there to listen to them without judgement, remember someone who is experiencing mental health problems may find it hard to reach out, so try to keep in touch. A text message or a phone call could make a big difference. If it’s the right time, then help get them help.

The Police Federation England and Wales (PFEW) are showing their support by taking part in MOVEMBER.  You can show your support along with the PFEW for Movember in a number of different ways, whether that is by growing a showstopping moustache, arranging some fundraising events that encourage social and mental wellbeing, donating to a great cause (link below) or just talking openly about men’s mental health –  every little bit helps.

Outline of male walking

The campaign recognises that globally 60 men an hour take their own lives – that’s a man a minute. In recognition of this, members are being encouraged to walk the same number of kilometres (60km) over the course of November. This will not only show support but aide your own mental health with exercise shown to improve mental wellbeing.

The Movember site gives some ideas and challenges, along with the opportunity to compete head-to-head with fellow colleagues in the Emergency Services, friends, family or strangers & it’s all in the name of charity.

A reminder from 28 times Olympic Medal winner:

‘We’re supposed to be this big, macho, physically strong human beings [but] this is not a weakness, we are seeking and reaching for help.’

Michael Phelps, 2018.

Links to support

Oscar Kilo are running a Wellbeing of investigators week of action between 13th – 17th November. Find out about their sessions here.

Link to the Police Federation of England and Wales’ Movember fundraising page: Movember – Team.

Editorial Team

Paul Williamson (Joint Programme Leader & Senior Lecturer); Claudia McCready (Lecturer); Eve Middleton (Tripartite Assessor – Policing); Eve Smietanko (Joint Programme Leader & Senior Lecturer); Ian Lowe (Senior Lecturer) & Micah Hassell (Senior Lecturer).

If you would like to contribute as a guest blogger, please contact paul.williamson@uwe.ac.uk

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Applied Criminal Justice – Top Up Degree

Author claudiamccready | Posted on
UWE Bristol Logo

This week we explore the Applied Criminal Justice – Top Up Degree at UWE. This will enable professionals to use previous experience or qualifications, along with some study, to achieve an undergraduate degree within 1 – 2 years.

An introduction into programme lead – Dominic McVeigh.

Programme Lead and Senior Lecturer, Dominic McVeigh

I joined the police in 2004, working for both Gloucestershire Constabulary, and then Avon and Somerset. During my time in both organisations, I had plenty of training opportunities, qualifying as a Tutor Constable, a role which explores coaching, mentoring and teaching. I was a qualified taser carrier and an experienced interviewer. Whilst working within the professional development unit, I was lucky enough to be in post when the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA) and Degree Holder Entry Programme (DHEP) commenced, allowing me to see the qualifications that new officers attain. I looked at the criteria set by the Police Education Quality Framework (PEQF) and College of Policing (CoP) and realised very quickly that I had a lot of knowledge and just as important, experience ‘in the job’. Unfortunately, I was not able to re-enrol and obtain the qualification, a BSc (Hons) in Professional Policing Practice, which was hugely disappointing for someone who has a thirst for development. It suddenly became apparent that the knowledge and experience I had gained over the past 12 years was not recognised by anyone other than the police.

Fast forward to 2023, I find myself in the fortunate position of being the Top-Up Programme Leader. I have achieved a post-graduate qualification in higher education teaching and can provide an opportunity for those in the police and wider criminal justice sector to have their occupational experience and expertise recognised towards a recognised undergraduate degree.

What is the Applied Criminal Justice Degree – Top Up?

The Applied Criminal Justice Top-Up is an undergraduate degree programme that recognises the expertise of those within the criminal justice sector as an entry pathway. Using an evidence-based approach it exposes practitioners to the underpinning theoretical concepts of criminal justice, encouraging a deeper and more informed approach to problem solving and critical thinking; an opportunity to engage in research to further theoretical understanding and the development of a more critical workforce.

When I speak to ex-colleagues and friends who have retired and who have chosen to leave policing, the same theme becomes apparent when in conversation, which is “What can I offer to other employers?” “What skills have I got?”. Those within policing, who joined prior to the commencement of the PCDA can ‘top-up’ their skills and be recognised for their expertise.

The niche that is policing, is that the skillsets are very bespoke. Trying to explain to a prospective employer that you have a taser qualification, which means that you make quick time decisions, following legislation, national policy, whilst assessing the wider impact of that decision on the reputation of the police and the media perception that will likely follow is quite hard. Those within policing will acknowledge those skills. To communicate positively with someone holding a knife, to ensure a safe resolution, can be hard to quantify in an interview/CV setting.

This is also true of other criminal justice professions where work in crime prevention, reduction, desistance, and victim protection entails a particular set of skills and knowledge in many key areas, yet no formal certification is achieved.

Powerpoint title slide discussing ‘Ethical approaches to policing diverse communities’
Image of F Block on Frenchay Campus.

Who can apply?

The BSc (Hons) in Applied Criminal Justice Top-Up acknowledges the work of criminal justice practitioners and utilises them as proven criteria for entry onto the programme. At UWE we are introducing the BSc (Hons) in Applied Criminal Justice Top-Up, as an option for those who are already working in the sector. The recognition of prior learning and experience will be based operational knowledge and expertise. For those police officers wishing to undertake the programme, the Initial Police Learning Development Programme (IPLDP) and other police training will provide you with a springboard to top up the knowledge that you already have.

The course itself is flexible, designed to meet the needs of the applicant. There are full (one year) or part time (two years) options available, with modules that have a blended approach, with online and on campus teaching. On completion of the degree, students will have the necessary skills and knowledge to apply in their current occupation.

The programme will be launched in September 2024, so these are exciting times ahead. Policing is evolving and this will be something to provide further development for those who want to improve their knowledge, not just of police practice but widening understanding of the multi-agency environment. For those in the wider criminal justice sector who do not have an undergraduate degree, the programme will demonstrate their knowledge and understanding at a recognised level. Continuing Professional Development for those who are competent within their roles is a fundamental principle in most employer’s arsenal to ensure that staff are provided opportunities.

Is it just for Police Officers?

No, it’s not just for police officers. It’s for anyone who doesn’t have a recognised qualification who works in the criminal justice sector. The programme is about levelling-up the professional practice arena.

What is Accredited Prior Learning?

The skillset and occupational experience that applicants already have will contribute towards Accredited Experiential Learning (AEL) and other Accredited Learning (AL). What is this?  Being experienced and skilled in investigations, understanding emotional intelligence, communication skills or development planning. Being solution focussed and managing problem solving plans, undertaking internal training and development, such as sergeants’ exams and tutor qualifications. For those from prison, probation or private sector criminal justice backgrounds, this might be training in risk assessment, or coaching and mentoring or skills gained from initial training courses. These will help demonstrate the necessary prior experiential learning that is needed to undertake this course.  

Watch this space for further updates or for posters that will be sent out to your organisation.  For any enquiries or questions in relation to the programme, please contact Dom McVeigh at Dominic2.McVeigh@uwe.ac.uk or via my LinkedIn.

Watch this space blue wave graphic

Editorial Team

Paul Williamson (Joint Programme Leader & Senior Lecturer); Claudia McCready (Lecturer); Eve Middleton (Tripartite Assessor – Policing); Eve Smietanko (Senior Lecturer); Ian Lowe (Senior Lecturer) & Micah Hassell (Senior Lecturer).

If you would like to contribute as a guest blogger, please contact paul.williamson@uwe.ac.uk

Guest blog: Reflections on a 30 year career of problem-solving

Author Paul Williamson | Posted on

Introduction

For decades Policing was founded upon local connections and awareness of problems by the local ‘beat bobby’. The evolution of Computer Aided Dispatch resulted in an era of policing that became reactionary and demand driven. As the old saying goes, ‘you can only expect what you inspect’ and policing became driven by response times and how quickly officers could move on to the next job to ‘clear the screen’.

Recognising this problem there was a drive to adopt problem-solving policing in the 1980’s which has been a feature of British policing ever since. It is a proactive approach that involves identifying problems before they result in criminal activity, rather than reacting after the event.

This month, the College of Policing published new guidelines that aim to further encourage a consistent problem-solving culture across policing. We are fortunate in this guest blog to hear from Superintendent Dickon Turner who is Chair of the Avon & Somerset Police ‘Problem Solving Workshop’ which drives the forces problem-solving philosophy, response and evaluation. Notably, it has also collaborated with the UWE Bristol Policing Programme, resulting in enhancements to the training received by Police Constable Degree Apprentices in their ‘Becoming an Evidence-Based Police Practitioner’ Module.

Image of Superintendent Dickon Turner

As Dickon prepares to retire from policing later this month, we extend our gratitude for his 30 years of public service and wish him well in his future endeavours. Here are his reflections on solving problems during a varied and rewarding 30-year police career. Over to Dickon…

Initial impressions

Image of a traditional Police helmet

In 1993 I joined Thames Valley Police looking like a 12-year-old. I struggled to find my place in a competitive macho culture where winding-up drunk people in order to arrest them was the norm and stopping 3 cars (hoping for an arrest) on the way to a burglary victim you had been deployed to was common. Luckily, I was selected to be a tutor constable then a beat manager in West Reading. Both these roles taught me the importance of investing energy into longer term work which I have found so rewarding through my career.

The early years on the job

In the 90s crimes were mostly pretty simple – virtually no-one had a mobile phone, loads of cars were stolen and fraud was mostly cheque-kiting. I found my niche though, after a 2-week attachment to the Child Protection Team in Bristol. This turned into a year, then a detective qualification, acting Detective Sergeant and some very difficult but gratifying investigations. Like the couple who tortured their toddler (30+ injuries including cigarette lighter burns) and were sent to prison, or the grandfather sentenced to 8 years for raping his 8-year-old grandson. Though the story was hard to hear, the hardest was dealing with the boy’s mother (and offender’s daughter) who asked me so many questions through her tears – like “what do I say to him when he is older? How do I deal with my mum (who was standing by the offender)?”

After a short spell as uniform sergeant at I went back to Child Abuse Investigation. This was my favourite role. I had a great team, fantastic relationships with partner agencies and dealt with a lot of harrowing cases. I investigated 13 child deaths in that time – mostly natural causes, a few suicides, but a couple of manslaughters too. It is such a privilege to be finding answers for a family at the very worst point in their whole life. Many of these will stick with me for ever.

Evidence-based Policing in practice

Dial with neddle pointng to the highest level. Evidence based practice concept

As Detective Inspector ‘Prevent’ in Counter Terrorism I learned a lot about intelligence and covert policing which I had no exposure to before, then promoted to Detective Chief Inspector in charge of Offender Management. Another busy job – 105 staff managing about 3000 offenders across Avon & Somerset. Taking a leading role with prisons, Probation and other agencies allowed me to successfully advocate for more resources to manage the riskiest people in our communities – sexual, repeat, juvenile and domestic offenders. I also developed the first domestic abuse perpetrator programme (called Drive) in Force using money from the Home Office, PCC and National Lottery. For the first time I was using an evidence base, research and good practice from elsewhere in the country to reduce risk, prevent offending and make best use of limited resources.

The importance of Neighbourhood policing, SARA and problem-solving

Image of a puzzle

I end my career in charge of Neighbourhood Policing for Somerset and Force Problem Solving lead. Neighbourhood policing is the foundation of everything in UK policing. This is where we gain, maintain or rebuild trust in policing by engaging with individuals, groups, schools and other organisations to understand crime patterns, anti-social behaviour and solve problems. We use the SARA model (Scanning, Analysis, Response and Evaluation) to understand causes before responding in order to tackle underlying issues and prevent escalation or repeat issues. Using the best data, intelligence, information from partners and analysis, this can reduce crime and long-term demand. For example, in Cheddar Gorge, a hotspot for repeated car cruises, working with land owners and the local council the installation of gabions made the area less attractive and has significantly reduced the problem for local residents Problem solving is particularly important now, because over the last 30 years crime has become more complex. Far fewer vehicle crimes and burglaries but far greater risk and vulnerability – for example, a 14-year-old child from Liverpool may be exploited to sell drugs on the streets of Weston Super Mare who may in turn threaten local kids to deal drugs or carry weapons. Anti-social behaviour, petty theft, assaults, and/or murder can all result. We need all our intelligence, analysis, flexibility and partnership working to sort all that out!

Positive impact of the PCDA

Image of the PCDA learning space at UWE Bristol

In 2022 and 23 I have been lucky enough to receive a number of Police Constable Degree Apprentices into my neighbourhood teams. Invariably these apprentices bring energy and fresh ideas. Some are reluctant to come to an area of policing perceived to be less exciting than Response Policing but quickly learn about the benefit of long-term relationships and apply problem solving approaches. They tend to consider serving our communities instead servicing of a list of calls from the public.

Concluding thoughts

Image of countdown clock from work to retirement

How many other jobs have everything above plus appearing on TV and radio, giving evidence in Crown Court, attending post-mortems, being threatened by Bob Marley’s drummer, or being urinated on by a drunk woman (a career low point), pursuing stolen cars, interviewing paedophiles……? Anyone in policing now has my utmost respect and best wishes – stay safe out there.

Further resources

Readers interested in finding out more can refer to these helpful resources:

Evidence-based guidelines to support the effective implementation of problem-oriented policing. 

SARA Model

College of Policing Crime Reduction Toolkit Problem Oriented Policing

Editorial Team

Paul Williamson (Joint Programme Leader & Senior Lecturer); Claudia McCready (Lecturer); Eve Middleton (Tripartite Assessor – Policing); Eve Smietanko (Senior Lecturer); Ian Lowe (Senior Lecturer) & Micah Hassell (Senior Lecturer).

If you would like to contribute as a guest blogger, please contact paul.williamson@uwe.ac.uk

Reflecting on World Mental Health Day

Author Paul Williamson | Posted on

As we come to the end of World Mental Health Day we would like to take the opportunity to reflect on this important issue with our Senior Lecturer Ian Lowe. Ian served in the Royal Air Force Police, then worked as a Highways Agency Traffic Officer.  For the last 15 years he has worked in further education, as well as a trainer in Officer Safety, Fitness, First Aid and Leadership Development at West Mercia Police. On the UWE Policing team Ian’s main specialisms include leadership; teamwork; communication; decision making; organisation and management and use of force.  He is also interested in high performance and mental health and has been working on trauma informed policing projects.

Over to Ian…

No longer a taboo subject?

Mental health has thankfully become much more of a topic for discussion in recent years. In part, due to TV shows like Ted Lasso and celebrities like Tom Holland (Spiderman) and Selina Gomez (Only murders in the building) talking about mental health in the media, a more open discussion is starting to happen.

But does the same hold true in Policing? Is there still a stigma attached to mental health in the police? To go old school a ‘stiff upper lip mentality.’ That didn’t affect me so you must be all right!

Causes of poor mental health

We know mental health or at least poor mental health is unique to the individual, and so are the causes. We all, whether officers or not, spin many plates; work; family life; social life; university; clubs (sport or such like); caring commitments. The list goes on. All these can add pressure and fill up our natural resilience to stressors that can have a negative impact on our mental health.

We all carry these around but let’s look at a few.

Family life: By this I mean anything happening at home or with your relatives. Living with people can be hard. I have always loved the door mat, ‘Friends always welcome, family by appointment only.’ Kids are the most amazing things in the world, and yet they can also be the most demanding. Anyone who has dealt with the sleepless nights of a new-born understands. Again, insert your own experience, coming home from work having had a difficult day… It is worth mentioning at this point that living alone has its own challenges and loneliness is cited as an ever-increasing problem in modern society, especially after the pandemic.

Friends: Has this changed since you joined ‘the job’. Your old friends don’t understand or your new police friends are the only ones who do understand. I personally believe it is important to remain grounded. By this, I mean connection to people who have known you for a long time, and who understand you on a deeper level, and have seen you though various stages of your life.

Caring commitments: Kids, partners, parents, grandparents, your partners parents/grandparents, even pets or animals. I have some idea how much time horses and dogs take up. Our commitment to help people is very real, either through want or obligation. But this can take a toll on you over time. I speak from experience.

Finally, the JOB! Policing or any of the frontline support services (ambulance, fire, probation, social work, NHS) provide, for simplicity, stress. In policing the thought of stress always seems to focus on the big events like murder, death, destruction. But evidence suggests that although these are certainly contributors, the biggest cause is the drip – drip – drip effect of these stressors. Bosses, colleagues, the job itself.

You’re on duty, just getting your kit together, your radio shouts into life for the first time that shift. Your first job is a mental health call. You do your best to support the individual, but you leave a bit despondent that there is not more you can do. Radio goes again, a domestic violence job, with a regular caller. You arrive and they have visible bruising, but again are unwilling to press charges. You are angry, frustrated. Still collecting your thoughts, the radio goes again… Does this sound familiar?

Your stress buckets

All these things continually fill up your reserves or to use a popular analogy your stress bucket.

Your resilience can only last so long, or as Dan John (an American strength and conditioning coach) calls it, ‘bounce-back-ability’. Your ability to recover from all these stressors, to literally bounce back to normal (whatever that looks like for you). To find your non-negotiables. Things, activities, hobbies, past-times in your life that allow you to keep releasing the stress, releasing the tap. I have not been specific on these, they are for you to find yourself, and I think it is healthy to find out what works for you. From CrossFit to croquet, reading to rafting, dungeons and dragons to dodgeball.

What can help your mental wellbeing?

There is no one size fit all for this, but I have a few suggestions.

Connect: talk to people, engage with your friends and family. Make new friends! This ideally should be face-2-face, meaning in person, not facetime. Be around people, preferably people you like, we are trying to help you. Get involved in whatever way suits you. But laughing really does work.

Give: engage with people, genuinely engage. Being truly present in a conversation and not half in a conversation half in your phone is powerful for both parties involved. Try it.

Take notice: get outside and just look at the world around you, see what is going on. Even better if you can find a green space or get further out into nature. The Japanese practice of Shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing. Spending time in a forest with no distractions has been shown to promote mental health.

Keep learning: this has so many benefits beyond mental health. Brain health, learning new things as we get older helps not only our mental health but can also help keep our brains healthy. Activities like playing music or learning languages are said to be particularly beneficial. This one links in to the next, but learning and playing new physical activities (sports) help maintain the mind and body connection.

Be active: Kids and dogs are great for this, but just do something. You work in a job with a compulsory fitness test, so being active helps towards that. But the endorphin releasing power of exercise is well documented. Exercise is also now being prescribed as a treatment for depression and anxiety amongst other things. It doesn’t really matter what you do, just do something. We are not talking ultramarathons here, unless of course you want to.

One of the components of the Code of Ethics is ‘fitness for work,’ and most take this to mean physical fitness, or at least not hungover. I have always taken it to mean not just physically fit for work, but mentally fit for work. Are you balancing the stressors of life inside and outside of work and able to function to the best of your ability?

As Jerry Springer used to say, “look after yourself and each other.”

Further resources

If you are concerned that you are developing a mental health problem you should seek the advice of your GP.

The Mental Health Foundation has some good signposting to services and organisations that can help.

All learners and staff at UWE Bristol can also access the wellbeing services.

Police Officers and staff can also the access Oscar Kilo National Police Wellbeing Service which includes policing specific resources such as their better sleep toolkit, online webinars, mindfulness training (MindFit Cop), physical fitness videos and more.

Editorial Team

Paul Williamson (Joint Programme Leader & Senior Lecturer); Claudia McCready (Lecturer); Eve Middleton (Tripartite Assessor – Policing); Eve Smietanko (Senior Lecturer); Ian Lowe (Senior Lecturer) & Micah Hassell (Senior Lecturer).

If you would like to contribute as a guest blogger, please contact paul.williamson@uwe.ac.uk

Let’s talk about the student voice

Author claudiamccready | Posted on
An image of Constable Luke Walters with two horses from the mounted unit.
An image of Constable Luke Walters with two horses from the mounted unit.

 This blog welcomes the thoughts and experiences from current Student Representative, Luke Walters, who is completing his final year on the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship whilst volunteering time to feedback on the programme and create change for the current and future students.

A bit about Luke

Undertaking a degree 10 years after finishing education, the highest achievement being a level 3 in professional cookery and 9 years being a chef, I had my reservations about the PCDA programme. However, with support coming from both UWE and my constabulary, achieving a degree has never been closer. With 5 months left of a three-year programme, I am currently writing my final written assessment.

Luke’s experience of the programme

With a full-time job as a response police officer, getting married, moving house, going through a Tourette’s syndrome diagnosis and achieving marks at degree level I never thought I could shows that the workload is tough, but a manageable, amount. The degree programme is set up as a blended approach, meaning teaching days are a mix of on-campus sessions and online learning. This is extremely beneficial as when you are working from home you can work at your own pace (and it cuts the travel time). On the other hand, working on-campus gives you benefits such as practical scenarios, in class support and socialising with other police officers from different areas of your constabulary.

UWE has been extremely supportive regarding my disability. They provide a range of reasonable adjustments that can best assist the learner – both in class and with assessments – whether it’s for dyslexia, ADHD, Tourette’s Syndrome or even others.

Undertaking the PCDA programme has made me a better writer, more reflective, a critical thinker on the job. I am a better police officer than I was 2 years ago without the input from lecturers who have their own experiences in our role.

His role as a rep

Representation: proud to be a student rep

Whilst undertaking the PCDA programme and working with my constabulary, I was also elected student rep for my cohort. Being an active and approachable student rep has developed skills I may not have had a chance to being sat in a classroom, for example leadership, organisation and communication. These skills have been developed over the last three years by being someone other students come to with praise, or constructive feedback, or even criticism. It has been my duty to report between the students and the teaching team at UWE, the skills that have developed as a result will hold me in great stead for my next goal after the PCDA – becoming a Sergeant on a response team.

An image of a group of UWE Student Reps from the Handbook
Sarah Williams, a senior lecturer and programme lead on the PCDA

Sarah Williams, a senior lecturer and programme lead on the PCDA, also shares the importance of listening to the student voice and her experience of Student Representative Staff Forums. This blog hopes to shine a light on those students and staff that are committed to making a difference here at UWE and encourage others to get involved…

Sarah’s role – listening to the student voice

As the year one programme lead on the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship, my role has many responsibilities, but few more important than listening. Listening is a much under-rated skill. Much attention is paid – and rightly so – to why policing must listen to the public. However, in this blog I want to talk about the importance of listening to the student voice.

When top brands release new products to the market, it is usually preceded by months (if not years) of design followed by extensive product testing. This is such a well-known strategy it hardly seems noteworthy, but it can be helpful to consider student representation in the same way. In this example, the ‘product’ is the PCDA, the ‘consumer’ is the student officer, and we replace the term ‘product testing’ with the term ‘student voice’.

If we really want policing education to work, we must listen to those who have experienced it. What brought a subject to life so well that it was instantly recalled by the officer when dealing with an incident in real life? What fell so flat that the same officer forgot they’d even had an input on it? This is incredibly valuable information we can use to make things better for future student officers.

Student Rep Staff Forums

There are several ways in which student officers on the PCDA can make their voices heard, but one of the main ones is through Student Rep Staff Forums (SRSFs). These take place every three months and are an opportunity for student officers, via their chosen student reps, to give us their perspective – positive or negative. The feedback received at SRSF is fed into the PCDA Programme Management Committee or PMC (universities love an acronym just as much as the police), where the programme leadership discuss how they will take student feedback forward. Being a student rep is not particularly demanding. The main expectation is to attend SRSFs and provide feedback and disseminate the response to the colleagues on their cohorts. However, its importance cannot be overstated.

The PCDA programme at UWE has evolved significantly since its inception. Gone are the Covid days of online lectures. Today, we prioritise learning on campus because of the greater interactivity it allows. Power-point dominated lectures have been replaced with more interactive, discussion-based sessions and a significant increase in practical, scenario-based learning. This is all in response to student feedback as well as the adoption of evidence-based principles about what works best to help students learn. Student feedback makes a difference!

Could you join us?

An image of the process of feedback from student reps.

The PCDA is fortunate to have a small number of dedicated reps who have already been invaluable in helping the PCDA improve (Ross Windsor and Luke Walters can be singled out specifically). But we need to hear from more student officers. The student voice is at its loudest and most influential as a choir, not a solo act, and on average there are 10-12 cohorts enrolled on the PCDA at any given time. That’s a lot of student officers who can provide their perspective and influence the programme’s development. We want to hear from them.

Being a student rep is also an excellent opportunity to develop leadership skills. Representation is a two-way process. It is a genuine opportunity to influence the programme’s development and the student office’s engagement in it. Student police officers are not a list of collar numbers meeting recruitment targets, expected to absorb unthinkingly what they are told in training. They are the next generation of police officers, possessing critical thinking skills, the knowledge to achieve evidence-based change, and the potential to change public perception for the better. Their voices need to be listened to in our ambition to achieve outstanding policing for everyone. In the words of Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai, “the little grassroots people can change this world”.

Further resources

UWE Student Rep Handbook

You can learn more about becoming a student representative here:

Freshers’ Fair 2023 (thestudentsunion.co.uk)

Student Reps Handbook by The Students’ Union at UWE – Issuu

We would encourage readers to share your thoughts on the UWE blog series and if you are interested in writing a blog, please contact the Policing Editorial Team.

Editorial Team

Paul Williamson (Joint Programme Leader & Senior Lecturer); Claudia McCready (Lecturer); Eve Middleton (Tripartite Assessor – Policing); Eve Smietanko (Senior Lecturer); Ian Lowe (Senior Lecturer) & Micah Hassell (Senior Lecturer).

If you would like to contribute as a guest blogger, please contact paul.williamson@uwe.ac.uk

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Guest blog: Policing the Digital Age

Author Paul Williamson | Posted on
Image of Paul Heywood

This week we are privileged to feature a guest blog from Paul Heywood, Director of National Security at Microsoft UK. Paul has been in the role nearly 3 years and prior to this he built a start-up technology company focusing on intelligence and law enforcement organisations both in the UK and overseas. His early career was spent at GCHQ in a variety of mission and programme roles, including 3 years spent in the US (Washington) working on technology & Cyber capability development across the 5-Eyes Network (the 5-Eyes brings the UK, the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand into the world’s most comprehensive intelligence alliance).

Policing has produced thoughts and guidance on digital challenges through the ‘National Policing Digital Strategy 2020-2030: Digital, Data and Technology Strategy’ as well as the College of Policing’s ‘Future Operating Environment 2040’.  We are fortunate in this blog to get an external view on these issues from an expert in their field for which we are most grateful. Over to Paul…

Policing the Digital Age 

Like it or not, Policing is undergoing a profound transformation. The pace at which technology is developing and democratising, is fundamentally changing the way in which policing & law enforcement will need to operate and interact with their communities. 

The Digital challenges facing UK Policing and why
 

Image of code on screen with hacker’s hands in background

Policing has always been a human endeavour, keeping communities and individuals safe, while removing those who wish to do harm from our streets and neighbourhoods. The digital age presents an extant threat to the effectiveness of our police forces. One of the most prominent issues is cybercrime. Criminals are exploiting anonymity (through the dark web) and reach of the internet to engage in identity theft, financial fraud, and even cyberattacks on critical infrastructure. The activity is becoming more complex to detect, yet increasingly easier in which to execute – Digital technology has and continues to reduce the barriers to entry for criminality. Many digital capabilities that were the preserve of state nations are now in the hands of cyber criminals globally. Policing of these virtual and at times, invisible crimes demand a new set of skills and resources. 

Increasing Complexity
 
To compound, the proliferation of social media platforms has added complexities to maintaining public safety and confidence. False or Disinformation and rumours spread like wildfire – never did we imagine that many globally respected media outlets would need to regularly verify their sources or content. This new wave of information fundamentally impacts the demands and effectiveness of our police, we now need new ways to sift through what is true, but also what the source of that ‘truth’ is. 

Opportunities on the journey ahead

Image of global digital network

That said, In these challenges lie numerous opportunities for policing & law enforcement to enhance their impact and build stronger community relationships. A data-driven policing approach will enable better collaboration, more effective knowledge sharing which would then in turn enable better prioritisation of resources and identification of patterns (criminality/behaviour). Digital is the centre piece of this approach but requires investment, committed join up between forces and agencies and a collective will to make it work for the benefit of citizens. 

AI in Policing and Security

Artificial Intelligence & security image

Building patterns is a key step to the vision of Predictive policing, powered by artificial intelligence, allows policing to forecast when and where crimes are likely to occur. While this technology has sparked debates about its potential to perpetuate bias and infringe on civil liberties, when used responsibly, it can aid in resource allocation and crime prevention. Striking the right balance between technology and human judgment is crucial- This embrace is a critical moment in the future of policing in the digital age. 

Further resources

When asked what other sources readers of the blog could explore if interested in this subject, Paul highlighted ‘Tools and Weapons – The Promise and Perils of the Digital Age’ (2021) by Microsoft President Brad Smith and Carol Ann Browne. Paul explained that this provides “a good geo-political view on how technology and democracy meet head on”. Tools and Weapons is also available on Apple Podcasts.

We would encourage readers to share your thoughts on the UWE blog series and if you are interested in writing a blog, please contact the Policing Editorial Team.

Editorial Team

Paul Williamson (Joint Programme Leader & Senior Lecturer); Claudia McCready (Lecturer); Eve Middleton (Tripartite Assessor – Policing); Eve Smietanko (Senior Lecturer); Ian Lowe (Senior Lecturer) & Micah Hassell (Senior Lecturer).

If you would like to contribute as a guest blogger, please contact paul.williamson@uwe.ac.uk

Policing@UWE Bristol

Author Paul Williamson | Posted on

Welcome to the new UWE Bristol Policing blog!

Profile picture of Dr Anne Eason.

Because of all the wonderful achievements over the past years, we wanted to have a forum to share them. Somewhere that student and staff achievements can be shared, showcased. A place to share thoughts, research, opinions, publications, and all other things policing at Avon and Somerset Police (ASP) and UWE Bristol. So, we have put together a schedule of events, thoughts and interests to bring to you over the coming year and hope you not only find them of interest but want to make your own contribution. You can do through the editorial team, noted at the end.

Reflections on progress

So, to start, just some reflections on the programmes and recent successes….

The Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA) was launched by UWE Bristol and ASP in May 2019, as part of the new College of Policing Professionalisation movement. The first cohort numbered 30 newly appointed apprentices or student officers who were the trailblazers for the programme that has since had 23 cohorts, 6 of whom have passed through the End Point Assessment. This has been a challenging but rewarding time for all involved, the apprentices, UWE Bristol staff and the ASP Learning Department not only due to the continuous development of the programmes but also facing the unprecedented complication of a pandemic.

Without warning, both staff and students had to pivot from a classroom led programme of study into an online virtual world. A world new and different to all of us, fraught with technical difficulties (“my Wi-Fi doesn’t work”) security difficulties (never heard of Cisco Webex!) and, of course, Covid-19 itself. Most of us made it but some, sadly lost their battle.

Force Graduation Ceremony at Avon & Somerset HQ

Nevertheless, May19 graduated in 2022  with five students achieving a first-class hons classification. Pictured here, the first cohort were instrumental in not only the way the programme has been redesigned, but also in how operational learning has developed; how to write reflections, the extension of the initial training carousel and much, much more.

Evidence-based Policing in practice

Since then, there have been many more graduates who have produced a wealth of interesting and impactful research that has begun to influence policing and policy practices. All research projects available through the new repository, open to everyone who wants to explore a new and evidence-based way of policing, problem solving and policy making. A more recent success was that of PC Gary Berry, who presented at the UWE Social Sciences Student Conference this summer and won first prize for his PCDA dissertation research entitled: An Investigation into the Barriers Involved in Preventing Police Officers from Utilising Stop and Search Powers. This is a wonderful achievement. Many congratulations to Gary.

Inspections and awards

At the end of last year, UWE Bristol and ASP were subject of an Ofsted Inspection and then earlier this year, an End Point Assessment Quality Inspection and in both of which, the overall rating was ‘Good’. This is a fantastic achievement and testament to the hard work that goes into supporting new officers from recruitment through to graduating as a fully occupationally competent officer. UWE Bristol was recently ranked in the Top 20 Apprenticeship providers and furthermore, the Avon and Somerset Police PCDA has been ranked 75th in the Department of Education’s Top 100 Apprenticeship Providers List. A great accolade to all involved!

Investing in the future

PCDA apprentices in a lecture at UWE.

Investment at the Frenchay campus has led to bespoke teaching space that provides state of the art classrooms and forensic space for simulation work so crucial to the application of legislation, policy and theory to practice. This gives all our student officers the opportunity to ‘get it wrong’, reflect and develop the knowledge skills and behaviours needed to be effective ‘on the street’; critical thinkers in times of problem orientated policing strategies.

Leading through change

There have been many staffing changes too. A new Chief Constable Sarah Crewe when CC Andy Marsh moved on to become the CEO College of Policing. Mark Shelford taking over the reigns as the PCC, Chief Officer Dan Wood moving over to UWE as Chief People Officer and many, many more. The most notable recent change in ASP is the welcoming of Ferzana Shan as the new Head of Learning, and in UWE, Dr James Lee as the Deputy Head of College. The development of both the ASP Practice Development Unit and UWE policing team has seen an exponential growth to cater for the uplift and introduction of the Degree Holder Entry Programme for Detectives (DHeP), which launched in 2021. Training the investigators of the future, the DHeP works closely with ASP to ensure the best training for new detectives to take on the complex task of investigating crimes and bringing justice to victims.

Looking forward

As you can see, a very busy four plus years since the first PCDA was launched. Moving to the future, the new Professional Policing Degree starts in September 2023 bringing all three College of Policing degree routes together. We are also now developing a Level 6 Top-Up in BSc (Hons) Applied Criminal Justice, giving those long-standing officers the opportunity to use AEL (Accredited Experiential Learning) and undertake just the final year of a degree programme, giving them accreditation for all their years of experience and the chance to join the evidence-based policing movement.

So once again, welcome to the UWE Policing Blog. We hope you find the topics of interest over the coming weeks and months as the UWE Bristol, ASP team and other guests share their knowledge and experiences and in the words of the late Robin Williams remember, ‘no matter what people tell you words and ideas can change the world’.

Be safe and be kind.

Dr Anne Eason

Editorial Team

Paul Williamson (Joint Programme Leader & Senior Lecturer); Claudia McCready (Lecturer); Eve Middleton (Tripartite Assessor – Policing); Eve Smietanko (Senior Lecturer); Ian Lowe (Senior Lecturer) & Micah Hassell (Senior Lecturer).

If you would like to contribute as a guest blogger, please contact paul.williamson@uwe.ac.uk.

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