Superintendent Steven Duncan works in leadership training and development, looking at probationary governance.
My department monitors the journey of probationers through their first two years of service, and I’m looking to ensure that we’re achieving the required academic, fitness and operational standards.
Clearly, if performance is not being achieved then it becomes the function of the department to look at invoking more formal processes that can ultimately result in officers being discharged from the service.
I do think it’s a really important role that we are playing, particularly in terms of delivering the Chief’s vision around a thriving workforce. That initial training of our recruits and ensuring that they’re then deploying to the highest standard as possible is really critical.
As resources have become ever more stretched on the front line, that level of support for brand new probationers working in smaller teams with supervisors that have got more demands placed on them, it’s really important that as soon as a probationer leaves the College they’re in a stronger position to be efficient in that operational environment.
From conference it’s been good to hear from the Chief Constable and the Cabinet Secretary of Justice. I think it is important that people in those sort of positions have an understanding of the challenges that the senior operational leaders are facing.
Those of us in this role do get the broader challenges right, but it is really important that we see and hear from these leaders, and get a perspective of what it is they’re doing for policing.