The standards of leadership expected at all levels in policing - by officers, staff, and volunteers.
First published
The leadership standards for policing have been developed as part of the National Centre for Police Leadership.
They support and enable leadership development, promotion and progression at all levels within the police service.
Leadership levels
This guidance sets out leadership standards at five organisational levels.
- Stage one – leadership foundations.
- Stage two – first-line leaders.
- Stage three – mid-level leaders.
- Stage four – senior leaders.
- Stage five – executive leaders.
These standards set a benchmark for the leadership knowledge and understanding, skills, attitudes, behaviours and performance expected of police officers, staff and volunteers operating at these levels. They set out what good leadership looks like when officers, staff and volunteers are carrying out the accountabilities of their role.
How the standards were developed
The leadership standards are informed by the Code of Ethics, the competency and values framework (CVF), policing professional profiles, leadership research and national policing priorities.
They will be reviewed and updated at regular intervals in partnership with the police service.
Stage one – standards for leadership foundations
These standards set the national benchmark for leadership performance by leaders at foundation level, both officers and staff. They are for constables and staff with equivalent levels of responsibility.
Leaders at foundation level should do the following.
- Act in the public interest to prioritise public service, cut crime and improve the safety and wellbeing of the public.
- Uphold the police Code of Ethics.
- Uphold the highest standards of professional behaviour.
- Challenge unprofessional actions, attitudes, behaviours or language.
- Demonstrate fairness, respect, integrity and accountability in performing their role.
- Build and maintain trust and confidence with colleagues, external partners and the public.
- Actively contribute to and promote an inclusive workplace culture.
- Work effectively as part of a team, demonstrating leadership skills and role-modelling good practice.
- Work effectively to successfully deliver organisational and operational requirements.
- Use problem-solving approaches and make effective, evidence-based decisions.
- Manage own performance effectively.
- Manage own wellbeing and resilience.
- Engage effectively with communities, partners and other stakeholders.
- Engage in continuing professional development.
- Use reflection and feedback to develop skills and performance.
Stage two – standards for first-line leaders
These leadership standards set the national benchmark for leadership performance by first-line leaders, both officers and staff. They are for sergeants and staff with similar levels of seniority and responsibility.
First-line leaders should do the following.
- Lead a team to act in the public interest, to prioritise public service, cut crime and improve the safety and wellbeing of the public.
- Uphold the police Code of Ethics.
- Lead a team, upholding the highest standards of professional behaviour.
- Challenge and address unprofessional actions, attitudes, behaviours or language.
- Lead a team with fairness, respect, integrity and accountability.
- Build and maintain trust and confidence within a team, with colleagues, external partners and the public.
- Lead and foster an inclusive workplace culture.
- Lead and manage by example, role-modelling good practice and motivating others.
- Lead a team’s effective and successful delivery of organisational and operational requirements.
- Allocate resources to enable effective service delivery and efficient use of available budgets.
- Enable problem-solving approaches and effective evidence-based decision making.
- Manage performance effectively, when leading a team.
- Manage wellbeing and resilience.
- Lead engagement and build effective working relationships with communities, partners and other stakeholders.
- Support and enable continuing professional development within a team.
- Identify and implement opportunities for change and innovation to drive continuous improvement.
- Use reflection and feedback to develop and enhance leadership skills and performance.
Stage three – standards for mid-level leaders
These standards set the national benchmark for leadership performance by mid-level leaders. They are for inspectors and chief inspectors, and staff with equivalent levels of seniority and responsibility.
Mid-level leaders should do the following.
- Lead multiple teams to act in the public interest, to prioritise public service, cut crime and improve the safety and wellbeing of the public.
- Uphold the police Code of Ethics.
- Lead multiple teams, upholding the highest standards of professional behaviour.
- Challenge and address unprofessional actions, attitudes, behaviours or language.
- Lead multiple teams with fairness, respect, integrity and accountability.
- Build and maintain trust and confidence within teams, with colleagues, external partners and the public.
- Take leadership responsibility for embedding and maintaining an inclusive workplace culture.
- Lead and manage by example, role-modelling good practice and motivating others.
- Lead effective and successful delivery of organisational and operational requirements across multiple teams.
- Manage resourcing, enabling effective service delivery.
- Manage and report on efficient use of available budgets.
- Enable problem-solving approaches and effective evidence-based decision making, when leading multiple teams.
- Manage performance effectively, when leading multiple teams.
- Managing wellbeing and resilience.
- Lead engagement and build effective working relationships with communities, partners and other stakeholders.
- Support and enable continuing professional development across multiple teams.
- Lead implementation of change and innovation to drive continuous improvement.
- Use reflection and feedback to develop and enhance leadership skills and performance.
Stage four – standards for senior leaders
These standards set the national benchmark for leadership performance by senior leaders. They are for superintendents and chief superintendents, and staff with equivalent levels of seniority and responsibility.
Senior leaders should do the following.
- Lead across areas of senior responsibility, to prioritise public service, cut crime and improve the safety and wellbeing of the public.
- As a senior leader, uphold the police Code of Ethics.
- Maintain and enforce the highest standards of professional behaviour across areas of command or responsibility.
- Build and maintain a culture of fairness, respect, integrity and accountability across areas of command or responsibility.
- Build and maintain trust and confidence across areas of command or responsibility, with colleagues, external partners and the public.
- As a senior leader, lead and enable an inclusive workplace culture across multiple teams and areas of command or responsibility.
- Lead by example as a senior leader, role modelling good practice and motivating, engaging and managing a team of policing professionals.
- Lead effective development and implementation of strategy and policy across areas of command or responsibility.
- Take a lead role in critical incident management in accordance with legal and force requirements.
- Lead, manage and co-ordinate allocation of appropriate resources within significant areas of command or responsibility.
- Develop budget plans, negotiate and control budgets in their areas of command or responsibility.
- Understand current and future demands within areas of command or responsibility, engaging in effective planning to ensure demands are met.
- Make effective operational and business decisions at senior level, using relevant data and evidence-based approaches.
- Lead and manage performance within areas of command or responsibility, meeting standards and addressing any issues of performance.
- Implement organisational strategies to promote workforce wellbeing and resilience.
- Develop, manage and maintain effective strategic and collaborative partnerships at senior level, demonstrating awareness of political environments.
- Implement organisational strategies to support continuing professional development.
- Lead the design and implementation of significant organisational change and innovation within areas of command or responsibility to drive continuous improvement.
- Use reflection and feedback to develop and enhance leadership skills and performance at senior level.
Stage five – standards for executive leaders
These standards set the national benchmark for effective leadership performance by executive leaders. They are for those currently working at, or aspiring to, chief officer level.
Executive leaders should do the following.
- Act in the public interest in performance of their executive leadership role, to prioritise public service, cut crime, and improve the safety and wellbeing of the public.
- Maintain the highest levels of professionalism within the organisation they lead, upholding the police Code of Ethics and enforcing expectations of professional behaviour.
- Be honest, clear and transparent in strategic decisions, actions and communications with others.
- Remain impartial in all dealings with colleagues, external partners and the public.
- Build and maintain trust and confidence with colleagues, external partners and the public, enhancing the reputation of the organisation they lead and that of the wider police service.
- Understand the range and level of accountability associated with leading a policing organisation and the need for resilience.
- Lead and enable an inclusive organisational culture, promoting and supporting equality and diversity, and valuing difference.
- Lead by example as an executive leader, role modelling good practice, influencing, motivating and inspiring individuals and teams of senior policing professionals.
- Employ ethical strategies and approaches to achieve organisational aims, delivering a high-quality public service.
- Lead or support the development of strategic vision and purpose for their organisation, driving delivery and building capability.
- Lead or contribute to the setting and delivery of operational strategy for the force, providing an effective and efficient police service to meet current and future demands.
- Take leadership and command of policing incidents or events, as relevant to the responsibilities and accountabilities of their role, enabling effective law enforcement and public protection.
- Develop, manage and be accountable for workforce planning and strategy, including effective resource and finance management.
- Understand current and future challenges and priorities in policing, and use evidence-based leadership approaches to address these.
- Have a clear rationale for strategic decisions and actions, ensuring they are evidence-based.
- Lead the management and review of performance within their area of responsibility (including data analysis), improving service delivery.
- Foster an organisational culture that supports, prioritises and maintains workforce wellbeing and resilience.
- Engage with and serve the public, addressing the needs and concerns of different communities and taking personal responsibility for delivering the best possible outcomes
- Build and lead sustained collaborative partnerships across complex systems and political environments (both local or regional and national).
- Be an effective leader when working in operational partnership with other agencies.
- Lead in representing the force locally, regionally and nationally, in dealings with the public, the media and other external stakeholders.
- Lead and enable an organisational culture of innovation, continuous improvement, evidence-based research, learning and professional development.
- Use reflection and be open to feedback and other perspectives, to develop and improve as an executive leader.