When Kirklees police tell their recruits to “go by the book” they really mean it!
Kirklees is the first district in West Yorkshire to launch a Student Officer Development Workbook for all new officers to help with their progression and development.
It aims to ensure that all new student officers who come to Kirklees have a step-by-step guide to their early assignments, an introduction to different departments and help in gaining valuable experience and new skills. It also complements the learning and development involved in the new officers’ City and Guilds diploma.
Supt Oz Khan, of Kirklees District Police, said: “We have launched this student workbook in Kirklees for our student officers to ensure that they get a well-rounded introduction into district policing. We will also be providing a mentoring scheme to assist with their development through their career.
“As a force, we are always looking for talented officers to join the organisation and this workbook will be available to each and every new recruit, enabling them to experience a variety of departments across the district as well as learning about the communities they will be serving and a better knowledge about diversity and equality within the force."
PS Gary Guy, of the Continuous Improvement Unit, who developed the project, said: “It will enable them to gain invaluable experience in a variety of policing disciplines including CID, safeguarding, response and traffic. We hope that it will help our new officers to develop their skill sets and also learn key areas including community engagement which is at the heart of policing.”
Student officer PC Olivia Riley-Oakes, who joined the Kirklees district last year, said: “The workbook gives students a step-by-step guide once they have finished the 10-week training. It’s been incredibly useful as it gives you clear guidance of what to expect in all your attachments to enable you to get the most out of them and to keep a track of what you have dealt with.
“One of the elements which has been really interesting are the tasks we are set for working within the communities and helping us with communication and engagement skills. This helps us to get to know different members of the community that we may not normally be involved with and helping us understand their values and get a better understanding of the different communities we serve.”
In September this year, West Yorkshire Police will be recruiting for applicants to join the Force to become a police officer. Application forms are available via www.westyorkshire.police.uk/joinus .
