Culture change through communications

This guide is for people working in and with police communications teams.

Communication campaigns to combat sexist behaviour in policing can benefit from applying principles learned in behavioural science. This guide aims to provide actionable advice for applying evidence and insights to the development of campaigns.

Some of the advice may correspond with established practice in communications teams, while some of it may be new. In either case, it is helpful to have the principles set down in a form that can act as a reference and source of ideas.

• Summary

Part one – Aims, methods and review of the evidence

The first part of this guide introduces the topic by setting out the aims of the guide, as well as why and how it was developed, and by summarising themes emerging from the behavioural science literature. It is part of an overarching, multi-component strategy that includes training and structural changes (see Appendix 1).

• Aims of the guide and how to use it
• Why and how this guide was developed
• Menu of evidence on messaging to combat sexism in organisations

Part two – Actionable advice

The advice offered in the second part of the guide distils the themes that emerged from the research evidence, input from workshops with officers and staff, and consultation with communications departments of Norfolk Constabulary, Suffolk Constabulary and the College of Policing.

• Selecting audiences and behaviours
• Building trust and acceptance
• Targeting messaging to audiences' capabilities, opportunities and motivations
• Targeting capabilities
• Targeting opportunities
• Targeting motivations
• Evaluating communications

Appendices

• Appendices

We would like to thank:

• the authors of this guide, Professor Robert West PhD (University College London) and Dr Esther Flanagan DClinPsy (College of Policing)
• Norfolk Constabulary and Suffolk Constabulary for their collaboration on this guide