'Behavioural competencies' - applying for Police job
Discussion
I'm looking to apply for a 'Communications Officer' post with the Police, have got the application form and found a page in the job description/person spec entitled "Behavioural Competencies to undertake the role" then references to various competency levels (A), (B) and (C) taken from the National Competency Framework, with the competency levels placed against such titles in the form of (a couple of examples) 'problem solving (C)', 'team working (C)' and 'respect for diversity (B)'.
This doesn't mean a great deal to me, to be honest. I have an NVQ level II in 'Customer Service' and have worked in a similar "take calls, prioritise and act upon them" role in a local authority for 8 years so believe I could do the Communications officer role no problem
. I'm also a graduate but never did anything with it thanks to the recession of the early 90s.
However, where do the 'competency levels' fit in and how do I work out what level I am capable of working at? Google and the BBC have been of no help on this one.
Any advice on this will be greatly appreciated from the BiB on here.
Thanks in advance.
Rich .
This doesn't mean a great deal to me, to be honest. I have an NVQ level II in 'Customer Service' and have worked in a similar "take calls, prioritise and act upon them" role in a local authority for 8 years so believe I could do the Communications officer role no problem
. I'm also a graduate but never did anything with it thanks to the recession of the early 90s. However, where do the 'competency levels' fit in and how do I work out what level I am capable of working at? Google and the BBC have been of no help on this one.
Any advice on this will be greatly appreciated from the BiB on here.
Thanks in advance.
Rich
.It doesn't mean anything to them, either. It's just buzz words strung together to sound impressive. If you google for it you can probably find a position statement about it (if not, try ACPO site ?).
The reason for this nonsense (rather than actually writing what you would be doing) is someone sits in an office dreaming up this tosh to justify their salary.
Problem Solving simply means you can do the job rather than drink tea or eat doughnuts all day. Team working is not being an antisocial git. Respect for Diversity means touting the usual anti-racist bollox (it doesn't mean not being racist).
Job Apps these days have, like everything else, to be atomically quantified ; you ask everyone the same mindless questions and get the same mindless answers ; and those have to be quantified. Anything that actually might measure your competence at the job is less relevant. It's increasingly difficult to employ people based on nous and experience about whether someone might be actually good at the job or not.
It's okay in some places but not things like being a copper, where the skills aren't easily directly measurable. The result is you get people who are very good at interviews and hopeless at everything else, bulls**t merchants.
The reason for this nonsense (rather than actually writing what you would be doing) is someone sits in an office dreaming up this tosh to justify their salary.
Problem Solving simply means you can do the job rather than drink tea or eat doughnuts all day. Team working is not being an antisocial git. Respect for Diversity means touting the usual anti-racist bollox (it doesn't mean not being racist).
Job Apps these days have, like everything else, to be atomically quantified ; you ask everyone the same mindless questions and get the same mindless answers ; and those have to be quantified. Anything that actually might measure your competence at the job is less relevant. It's increasingly difficult to employ people based on nous and experience about whether someone might be actually good at the job or not.
It's okay in some places but not things like being a copper, where the skills aren't easily directly measurable. The result is you get people who are very good at interviews and hopeless at everything else, bulls**t merchants.
Behavioural competencies are linked in to the annual staff appraisal system called PDR (Personal Development Review).
Within the PDR are personal objectives that can be linked in to the way you would like your career to develop i.e. wanting to be a roads policing officer and providing evidence that your typical work is directed and linked into achieving that goal.
In my force you need a minimum 4 objectives, 2 of which can be Force objectives to achieve an 'effective' grading. Gradings vary from 'outstanding' through to 'development needs'.
The rest of the PDR is made up from core responsibilities such as personal responsibility, community relations, Community safety, prosecutions, intelligence, etc (obviously from the point of view of a police officer and not the station cleaner who will have different core responsibilities).
PDR was brought in to the police service to be used as a development system for officers on a recommendation from the Race Relations Act. There are several statements within each of the competencies that you will be expected to provide evidence supporting your work in your PDR. The PDR is reviewed a minimum of twice annually by your immediate supervisor. PDR is needed for job progression or transfer between departments. In my force, you will not get an interview for a transfer to another job or department without being able to provide your last 2 years PDR with the application form.
PDR is not just for police officers. PDR is for everyone employed by the organisation, even the station cleaner has to do it!
I cannot tell you what the behavioural statements are because I am at home and do not have access to them. When I am at work next, I will give you an example of what you will be expected to evidence in relation to these if you decide to apply and work for the police.
>> Edited by mg6b on Saturday 11th March 11:30
Within the PDR are personal objectives that can be linked in to the way you would like your career to develop i.e. wanting to be a roads policing officer and providing evidence that your typical work is directed and linked into achieving that goal.
In my force you need a minimum 4 objectives, 2 of which can be Force objectives to achieve an 'effective' grading. Gradings vary from 'outstanding' through to 'development needs'.
The rest of the PDR is made up from core responsibilities such as personal responsibility, community relations, Community safety, prosecutions, intelligence, etc (obviously from the point of view of a police officer and not the station cleaner who will have different core responsibilities).
PDR was brought in to the police service to be used as a development system for officers on a recommendation from the Race Relations Act. There are several statements within each of the competencies that you will be expected to provide evidence supporting your work in your PDR. The PDR is reviewed a minimum of twice annually by your immediate supervisor. PDR is needed for job progression or transfer between departments. In my force, you will not get an interview for a transfer to another job or department without being able to provide your last 2 years PDR with the application form.
PDR is not just for police officers. PDR is for everyone employed by the organisation, even the station cleaner has to do it!
I cannot tell you what the behavioural statements are because I am at home and do not have access to them. When I am at work next, I will give you an example of what you will be expected to evidence in relation to these if you decide to apply and work for the police.
>> Edited by mg6b on Saturday 11th March 11:30
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