Ethical practice (FoI)

Over the last couple of days, I have sent this request to all police forces of the UK.
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Dear Colleague

As you will be aware, the College of Policing has just finished their public consultation on the code of ethics for the police service. We await the outcomes of this process. Meanwhile, I am researching into what training and development officers and staff receive in ethical practice (and related matters). I take it as read that supervisors will address these issues in the course of ordinary day to day management and coaching. However, I am interested to find out what more formalised development your colleagues are receiving, as well as some indicators of success.

Specifically, please could you answer the following questions:

1. Do officers and staff undergo any regular programmed briefing/training/development in ethical practice?

2. By means of comparison, do officers and staff undergo any regular programmed briefing/training/development in first aid?

3. By means of comparison, do officers and staff undergo any regular programmed briefing/training/development in health & safety at work?

4. If answers are yes to any of these three questions, in respect of each:
a. is that all staff/officers or a selection (and thence on what basis)?
b. with what frequency?
c. how long is the session?

5. Are there any current plans to communicate the new code of practice to officers & staff once it is agreed? If so, please may I have a copy of the relevant document?

6. Beyond taking into account any retrospective disciplinary action, is ethical practice integrated proactively into promotion boards and job interviews? If yes, please may I have a copy of the relevant policy or document relating to this?

7. How many instances have there been in the last five years where officers or staff have (to quote the draft code) used their “professional position to establish or pursue a sexual or improper emotional relationship with a person with whom [they came] into contact in the course” of their work and who was “vulnerable to an abuse of trust or power”?

8. The draft code states that every person has a “positive obligation to report, challenge or take action against the conduct of colleagues” which is believed by the person to have “fallen below the Standards of Professional Behaviour set out in this Code”. How many instances have there been in the last five years of where someone has done this officially (and for which there is a record)?
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I await their responses in the new year. Watch this space for an analysis...