Investigations and Casework Training at the IPCC

Investigations and Casework Training at the IPCC

Investigations

Since 2004 the IPCC Investigations directorate have provided comprehensive training courses to investigations staff and have insisted that investigators become formally accredited.

The original training and accreditation programme was designed and accredited by Portsmouth University and the accompanying training courses were delivered by Naylor and Osborne, an accredited training provider, who also provide law enforcement training to many other organisations.

All staff was required to complete the training and accreditation programme and investigators who joined the IPCC between 2004 and April 2009 hold this qualification.

The training was delivered in 6 modules the aims of each module are detailed below

Module One

Module Aim

To introduce new investigators to IPCC investigations and provide them with the skills to conduct basic witness interviews and obtain statements

Module Two

Module Aim

To provide IPCC investigators with the skills and understanding to

Identify, secure and preserve evidence legitimately from a wide range of sources.

Module Three

Module Aim

To provide IPCC investigators with knowledge of how police operate in key areas and the procedures employed where the police fall short of the standards required of them.

Module Four

Module Aim

To provide IPCC investigators with the skills and knowledge to conduct effective interviews with significant witnesses and suspects.

Module Five

Module Aim

To provide IPCC investigators with the skills and knowledge to communicate effectively when dealing with critical incidents and conducting sensitive investigations.

Module Six

Module Aim

To provide IPCC investigators with the skills and knowledge to finalise investigations through case file submission and presentation of evidence at courts and hearings.

In April 2009, following a comprehensive review of learning needs in Investigations and of the training provided; a new more detailed accreditation programme was introduced.

This new programme is particularly focussed on developing practical skills and is less academic than the original programme. This qualification is an EdExcel Professional Investigator Btech award at level 3

Table 1: Investigation Accreditation Units

Unit No. / Title / National Occupational Standard (NOS)
LEVEL 3
L3:6A / The Police Reform Act / CA1, HH2, HH3 and 1A1
L3:7A / Legislation (governing investigators & offences) / CA1 and CB2
L3:8A / Basic evidence / CB1, CB2 and CD3
L3:9A / Investigation Skills / 2G1
L3:10A / Intelligence / CB2
L3:13A / Disclosure / AD2 AD3, CA1 and CB1,
L3:14A / Level 2 Interviews (witness) / AA1, AB1 and BE2
L3:15A / Level 2 Interviews (suspect) / AA1, AB1 and BE2
L3:16A / Exhibits / AB1, C1, GC10.2, CB1 and 2G1
L3:20A / Police Misconduct Regulations / DI1, HB8 and 4I3

Running alongside the new programme is a detailed Investigator Learning and Development Programme (ILDP). This programme continues to run after accreditation has been achieved to ensure that investigators maintain their skills and constantly re visit training and development needs. The ILDP includes areas of knowledge and skill which are not in the accredited programme providing Investigators with a wider skill base and covering some of the other skills required

Table 2: Investigator ILDP Units

Unit No. / Title
LEVEL 3
L3:1 / Performance development
L3:2 / Accreditation
L3:3 / Introduction to IPCC Investigations Directorate
L3:4 / Introduction to the Police Service
L3:5 / Other agencies under the remit of the IPCC
L2:6A / The Police Reform Act
L3:7A / Legislation (governing investigators & offences)
L3:8A / Basic evidence
L3:9A / Investigation Skills
L3:10A / Intelligence ( awareness)
L3 11 / DSI ( Death and serious injury) incidents and basic media awareness
L3:12 / Personal safety and risk assessment
L3:13A / Disclosure
L3:14A / Level 2 Interviews (witness)
L3:15A / Level 2 Interviews (suspect)
L3:16A / Exhibits
L3:17 / Investigation processes
L3:18 / Case work processes
L3:19 / TRIM
L3:20A / Police Misconduct Regulations
L3:21 / The Criminal Justice System
L3:22 / Bereavement and FLM awareness
L3:23 / Coroners, Pathologists and Post Mortems
L3:24 / Time and stress management
LEVEL 5
L5:1 / Death in Custody
L5:2 / Road Traffic Collision investigation
L5:3 / Firearm incidents
L5:4 / Disclosure
L5:5 / Managing an IPCC investigation
L5:5 / Media ( advanced)
L5:7 / Negotiation skills
L5:8 / Investigation management systems for those managing investigations
L5:9 / Post-incident management
L5:10 / Intelligence ( advanced)
L5:11 / Leading an investigation and setting strategy

Investigators submit their ILDP every 3 years to maintain their accreditation with the Law Enforcement Oversight Bodies Accreditation Board ( LEOBAB)

Casework

The IPCC decided in 2006 that is was appropriate to offer Casework Managers the opportunity to achieve an accreditation in their role.

The IPCC BTEC Professional Diploma in Casework Management award is a skills based accreditation programme accredited by a nationally recognised external body (EdExcel). It is framed around the National Occupation Standards (NOS) taken from the Skills for Justice Sector.

These NOS are used for NVQ qualifications and are the same NOS used by many other investigation bodies including the Police Service.

The IPCC have developed their own unique qualification which is a BTEC award at level 5 and requires the Casework Manager to provide assessable evidence of competence in the assessed areas.

Since 2006 Casework managers have had access to an accreditation programme, on introduction the programme was optional but the majority of our Casework mangers registered and completed accreditation.

Since 2009 the accreditation has become compulsory for new casework managers.

The programme consists of 4 modules as outlined below

UNIT 1 - Casework legal knowledge

UNIT 2 - Casework Skills

UNIT 3 - Casework principles, policies and procedures

UNIT 4 - Telephone complaints skills (Telephone complaints centre staff only)

These units are supplemented with training and development in 17 skill areas:

Table 3: Casework accreditation Index of Units

Title / National Occupational Standard (NOS)
CW2a / Performance and personal development (CLDP) / HA2
CW4a / Referrals / HH1 HH2 AA1
CW5a / Investigation Appeals / HH6 AA1
CW6a / Non Recording appeals / HH6 AA1
CW7a / Local resolution appeals / HH5 HH6 AA1
CW8a / comebacks / HH6 AA1
CW9a / Dispensations and discontinuances / HH2 AA1
CW10a / Withdrawals / AA1
CW11a / Applications for Local Resolution / HH5 AA1
CW12a / The Police Reform Act / HB8
CW13a / Legislation ( offences) / HB8
CW14a / Legislation ( Process) and disclosure / HB8
CW15a / Police Misconduct Regulations / HB8
CW22a / File management and control / AG1
CW23a / Good Report Writing and Proportionality / AA1
CW24a / Handling Difficult callers / HH4
CW25a / Effective customer service / HD1 HH4 AG1 AA1

The programme runs alongside a comprehensive casework learning and development programme ( CLDP), as with investigations ,this ensures that skills are maintained after initial accreditation and that some training is offered in skills which sit outside the framework of the accreditation process. The CLDP is detailed below

Table 4: CLDP Index of Units

Title / National Occupational Standard (NOS)
CW1 / Introduction to IPCC Casework Directorate
CW2a / Performance and personal development (CLDP) / HA2
CW3 / Casework Accreditation
CW4a / Referrals / HH1 HH2 AA1
CW5a / Investigation Appeals / HH6 AA1
CW6a / Non Recording appeals / HH6 AA1
CW7a / Local resolution appeals / HH5 HH6 AA1
CW8a / comebacks / HH6 AA1
CW9a / Dispensations and discontinuances / HH2 AA1
CW10a / Withdrawals / AA1
CW11a / Applications for Local Resolution / HH5 AA1
CW12a / The Police Reform Act / HB8
CW13a / Legislation ( offences) / HB8
CW14a / Legislation ( Process) and disclosure / HB8
CW15a / Police Misconduct Regulations / HB8
CW16 / The Criminal Justice System
CW17 / Time and stress management
CW18 / Practical Operational Policing
CW19 / Operational Policing Powers
CW20 / Basic Investigation review skills
CW21 / Stat Guidance and Using the Operations Manual
CW22a / File management and control / AG1
CW23a / Good Report Writing and Proportionality / AA1
CW24a / Handling Difficult callers / HH4
CW25a / Effective customer service / HD1 HH4 AG1 AA1
CW26 / Mental Health Awareness
CW27 / Guardianship
CW28 / Discrimination Guidelines
CW29 / Dealing with the public face to face

In addition to the above processes and training, the IPCC offer corporate training events covering broader topics e.g. diversity, assertiveness etc.

Training is delivered as a mixture of “on the job” and classroom based events, workshops seminars and conferences. The IPCC have a team of trained trainers in both casework and Investigations who deliver some of the programme, External trainers are also employed on an ad hoc basis, particularly to cover more specialised areas.