Tag: Learning

National Apprenticeship Week

Author Paul Williamson | Posted on

To mark the NAW2026 Apprentice Wednesday theme, we are sharing another snapshot of life on the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA). In this blog, apprentice officer Tom Owen from our June24 cohort, reflects on the variety and pace of frontline policing, busts a common myth about the journey into the role, and explains how academic learning, reflective practice and real-world experience combine, often under pressure, to shape professional judgement. Over to Tom…

Favourite part of the role

Variety – no two days feel the same. You might be writing coursework, reflecting on your experiences one day, and the next you’re then seeing how the theory translates into practice as you juggle safety, legislation, and investigation at the scene of a roadside collision. That overlap between academic thinking and frenetic frontline policing is demanding, but it makes the PCDA feel like real professional development, not just policing with university on the side.

One Myth to bust

It’s a long road to becoming a police officer. That’s definitely not been my experience. Day one, its impressed upon you that you’re an officer – with the accountability and responsibility that comes with it. The expectations are rightly high even as you learn the basics.

Day in the life

There’s no standard day, and no easy ones either! You might be on a nine-hour shift, with no possibility of rest and no guarantee of finishing on time. During that you’ll work collisions, assaults, thefts, and anything else that you’re thrown at and whether you’re with your tutor (in the early days) or out on your own, you’re constantly applying what you’ve learned to some really chaotic situations. You may never have experienced real conflict before, but you’ll suddenly find yourself trying to remember how a complex piece of legislation fits the circumstances you find yourself in and gets you to a good outcome for the people involved. If you’re not on shift and back in an academic cycle the pressure doesn’t lessen. Sure, you may not be in harm’s way, but you’ll have assignments and deadlines that keep the pressure on. It’s so important to find ways of balancing it all, managing that stress, but it’s worth it. It really is.

Top 3 learning moments

Reflective writing helps you. It feels strange and perhaps less than relevant when you begin writing reflections as part of the apprenticeship programme. Lean into it: It’s a crucial skill. It teaches you to take a moment and breathe, to learn what you can from a situation and to recognise the things that are within (or beyond) your control. You’ll need that every day you’re on duty.

Keep de-escalating. Find new ways to try to calm a situation. Even if you’ve tried, even if you’re repeating yourself, even while you’re having to physically intervene just keep trying to calm them.

Theory and Practice: it’s fair to say that some models you look at in university don’t quite land cleanly out in the world. Policing is messy and chaotic and you’ll scratch your head trying to find the relevance of a particular model. Take the pieces of each of them that apply to a situation though and you’ll quickly find yourself building better ways of approaching problems that come up again and again.

Challenges

The hardest part of the process is workload. The University periods seem well contained, but managing your reflective practice and selecting evidence to meet competencies while being bounced from incident to incident can prove challenging. The work of response policing alone can be challenging to be honest, if somewhat expected. The best advice is to speak with your tutor and supervisor early and check in if you need to.

Advice for applicants

Get comfortable with planning your work in advance – even on district. If you have investigations, you’re managing then understand who you need to speak to, where you need to go to advance them and do it before the radio calls you to the next demand on your time. It’s fair that even the best laid plans rarely survive a busy shift but keep a record of outstanding tasks and get to them when you can – it’ll save you a headache later as you try to catch up and the radio’s calling.

Thanks to Tom for sharing such an honest and thoughtful snapshot of life on the PCDA. If you are interested to find out more, you can follow these links to #NAW2026 and the Police degree apprenticeship route.

Editorial team

Paul Williamson (Editor-in-Chief); Claudia McCready (Lecturer); Claire Bowers (Senior Lecturer); Eve Smietanko (Joint Programme Leader & Senior Lecturer) and Ian Lowe (Senior Lecturer).

Celebrating National Apprenticeship Week 2026

Author Paul Williamson | Posted on

We are thrilled to be supporting the start of National Apprenticeship Week with a two-part series celebrating Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA) officers from Avon & Somerset Police. Each piece offers an honest look at early career frontline policing, what they enjoy most, what a typical shift can involve, key learning that has shaped their practice, and the realities of balancing degree study alongside operational demand.

First up is Coral Forde, reflecting on teamwork, the pace and variety of response policing, and the practical lessons picked up on the programme.

Favourite part

My favourite part of my policing career is my team. The team dynamic works well, in that we recognise each other’s strengths and weaknesses, which we use to our advantage at jobs. By having a smaller team, we hold each other accountable and identify areas for personal development. Due to the shift pattern, we spend a lot of time around each other, and by having a great team where I feel supported, I enjoy going to work.

A common myth is that all police officers are blue‑light trained, but in reality, officers complete the advanced response driving courses needed to legally and safely drive on blue lights after 3 years of service.

Day in the life of

I try to arrive early, giving myself time to settle in before the pace picks up. Some days I am sent straight out to support colleagues or help meet demand. If I am not, I head into briefing — the essential “need‑to‑know” update on recent activity, current risks, and priority intelligence for my area. We will also be assigned to our call sign and crewing. This usually takes around 20 minutes. I may be assigned a handover, where I take over the investigation around someone who is in police custody or a Top 3 priority job, which is a call that needs to be dealt with ASAP but due to staffing levels and other demands, has not been attended yet. Where I can, I check my emails and task tray, working through any admin that needs attention before heading out. Throughout my shift I can be dispatched to anything from Missing people, Road traffic collisions, Domestic incidents, suspicious behaviour, and people in mental health crisis. In between calls, I will grab some food and where I can I like a cup of tea. Every day is different, some can be busier than others, but each one is centred on preventing harm, crime reduction and supporting my community.

Three things I have learnt

One of the important things I have learnt whilst at UWE that has transferred over into operational policing is the 8 – Step ladder to Femicide, developed by Professor Jane Monkton Smith. By understanding the 8‑Stage Homicide Timeline, I can now better recognise patterns of coercive control and escalating risk long before violence reaches a crisis point, and I can use the stages alongside my NDM to identify practical actions and safeguarding interventions at any domestic incident I attend.

I have also learnt the importance of learning about and understanding local issues within my community, as it will help me identify and support vulnerable people, and understand why they may commit crime. This will shape the type of policing response we give to help balance public confidence whilst upholding the law.

Being on the PCDA programme with UWE has taught me how important it is to reflect on my work and decisions, both in the moment and after incidents. Through academic input and practical learning, I have developed a better understanding of why reflective practice strengthens my professional judgement, improves my policing approach, and helps me recognise areas for growth. It has encouraged me to think critically about my actions, learn from experience, and continuously improve the way I safeguard and serve the public.

 Challenge of apprenticeship

For me, the biggest challenge of the apprenticeship is time management. You get protected learning time when you are at UWE, but alongside operational demand, you are required to complete reflections weekly during tutorship, and monthly thereafter. On top of this we are also required to submit evidence forms until we become fully operationally competent (FOC) to demonstrate our learning on the job. I was very fortunate in that I have an incredibly supportive PDU assessor. He introduced himself the first week of the PCDA programme and outlined how he would be supporting my career development. We maintained regular contact and set goals which minimised any stress and build-up of workload. He has also been supportive around my welfare as and when appropriate.

One piece of practical advice

One piece of practical advice I would give any officer, is invest in your locker. It will become your personal welfare hub. Keep it stocked with grab and go snacks, drinks, toiletries, spare uniform, and a change of personal clothes. By investing in your locker contents, you will be prepared for what the shift may throw at you. Plus, it means you will not have to wear custody clothes if you must change after a particularly messy job.

One thing I am proud of

I am proud to be working in my community, doing what I can to make a positive difference, and I hope that by showing my commitment, I can inspire others to step forward and do the same.

Thanks for reading Coral’s snapshot. If you are interested to find out more, you can follow these links to #NAW2026 and the Police degree apprenticeship route.

Editorial team

Paul Williamson (Editor-in-Chief); Claudia McCready (Lecturer); Claire Bowers (Senior Lecturer); Eve Smietanko (Joint Programme Leader & Senior Lecturer) and Ian Lowe (Senior Lecturer).

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