The examinations and assessment team at the College of Policing has made history by becoming the first in the UK to reach an international standard for their work in supporting the career progression of police officers and police staff.
The team has achieved certification against ISO 10667 for the delivery of their assessment services to policing. This is a major achievement for the team who underwent an in-depth six-month assessment by leading certification body SGS United Kingdom Ltd. The independent award underlines the high quality of the services being provided to police forces, and the professional standards being achieved by officers and staff as they progress in their careers.
College of Policing board director, Sara Thornton, Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police, said: “The award of this new international standard is a fantastic achievement for the College of Policing examinations and assessment unit. The quality of policing relies very heavily on the quality of our staff and this award shows that we are supported by the very best there is in terms of assessment and selection. I hope that the public are reassured by the high standards of selection which enable us to be able to say with confidence that we are identifying, developing and nurturing talent effectively and fairly.”
College of Policing head of examinations and assessment, Ciaran McGuigan, said:
”Certification to an international standard demonstrates to our members that the products and services designed and delivered by the examination and assessment team are of a high quality and meet rigorous external and internationally recognised standards. This award supports the emerging role of the College of Policing in developing and applying standards of professionalism for the service.”
The auditing team at SGS who carried out the assessment of the business unit’s practices and procedures were particularly impressed by the systems in place.
SGS lead auditor, Ana Inacio, who led the assessment work on the examinations and assessment team, said:
”ISO 10667 sets the benchmark for assessment activities and ensures that these lead to successful recruitment and career progression processes within organisations. The College of Policing already had in place the best practices of this sector and used the standard requirements as a means to confirm their leadership in this arena.”
In preparing for the external assessment the College team used a software application they had developed called Quality Assurance Management Systems (QAMS). QAMS reduces unnecessary bureaucracy and staff time within police forces around the management of quality assurance, business improvement and inspection frameworks.