Back in January, the College of Policing announced its National Talent Development Strategy (NTDS) to help police forces “grow their leadership capacity, plan for the future and invest in talent at every level.”
The NTDS outlines six requirements which, together, will help deliver a consistent and strategic approach to talent and potential identification and development across the forces.
The challenge for forces is twofold: how to get started, and how best to meet those requirements. Find out how we can help.
Head Light has worked with over half of the UK’s police forces over the past 20 years to implement 360 and PDR systems designed specifically to reflect the police values, processes and structures.
We’re supporting forces to respond to the NTDS and develop – and implement – their strategic approach to talent development, retention, and capability.
Read on to learn how we’re help to deliver on each of the six requirements.
Requirement 1: Ensure local chief officer sponsorship, with clear responsibility for talent development
Getting buy-in from the outset is crucial. Not only from the most senior officers but across the organisation.
Make use of our Executive Briefing Pack, developed specifically as a tailored briefing for those chief officers responsible for talent, outlining the NTDS vision and how our Talent modules can help deliver it.
And, when a new chief officer for talent development is appointed, our complimentary workshop can get them up to speed on how our software works to support talent development.
Having accessible, up-to-date, and easily understandable analytics means that you can offer real time visibility of adoption and compliance metrics. Our implementation team will make sure that your dashboard presents as you want it to.
Our Blue Light Services User Group shares their own experiences about what has worked for them – and, importantly, what hasn’t.
If you want to be part of that Group, get in touch with us.
Requirement 2: Promote an evidence-based approach to workforce data and implement talent analytics
This requirement needs a robust, real-time analytics suite that allows you to cut and slice your data any way you wish; by rank, department, cohort group, diversity group.
And, just as important, is the clarity of the data presentation; easy to grab screenshots to include in a report, simple to understand charts to share with others.
Our Talent platform gives you this.
We also offer a National Benchmarking Service for 360-degree feedback data. Compare your data with those of the combined dataset from other forces – all anonymised of course.
Read our case study of Northamptonshire Police's use of the Police Edition of our Talent Performance (PDR) tool.
In this, you will read that Caroline Oppido comments:
"We wanted to evidence good leadership and build a positive culture within the Force. We now have the PDR system that can record, track and measure this."
Requirement 3: Utilise positive action for maximum impact in talent development
This needs you to be able to have your DEI/EDI analytics at your fingertips – and to track and show change over time.
As examples, our analytics can currently show (and provide answers to other questions asked by you around DEI):
-- how many females on a certain grade have a manager that believes they are ready to progress to a higher grade, vs males.
-- how the diversity of a current group of people changes should the talent pipelines ‘produce’ the successors intended.
-- how many of a certain diversity factor have a high talent score vs others - right now.
Needless to say, our platform is configurable to present the data you have, however you have coded it.
Requirement 4: Identify and develop talent and potential, embed effective PDR career development processes
This is the core of talent management – and lies at the heart of the NTDS.
Head Light has developed Police-specific Editions of its 360 and PDR modules – tried, tested and refined thanks to the input from our police clients over the years.
Our 360 – based on the CVF – helps identify those with leadership potential and areas for focused development. The tailored report offers options for different visual summaries for the individual themselves, as well as the feedback facilitator or internal coach.
Read about how this has been implemented at Thames Valley Police.
The Police edition of our PDR is as flexible as you would wish to reflect how you choose to implement PDR in your force. It can mirror policing PDR cycles (anniversary and non-anniversary) and link to templated competency frameworks (CVF-aligned). And, the digital workflow drives buy-in, action and tracking beyond the annual review.
Learn how Cleveland Police have deployed the Police edition of our PDR system.
Our Police Talent Passport presents an individual’s talent profile, integrating 360-degree feedback results, performance ratings, skills and development areas, previous roles and career aspirations/mobility – all in a combined report.
Our Blue Light User Group – with colleagues from police and fire – share their experience. More than this, they collaborate and write implementation guides, learning resources, internal communications and launch materials, all designed to make your life easier and sidestep any issues, bringing together the good practice and learning points from across policing. All members can access these. Get in touch if you would like to join.
Requirement 5: Embed the PLP, associated talent programmes and pipelines, and use succession planning for critical roles
The NTDS highlights the power of talent management and succession planning.
The Police edition of our Talent Successor module works with the key elements and characteristics of 'talent' found within the policing environment (and those for staff too).
If you want to know more about the best practice within succession planning, read our eBook.
Requirement 6: Enhance talent mobility, flexibility, and utilise re-joiners pathways and secondments
This is central to the NTDS; encouraging talent mobility and flexibility.
Our Talent Finder tool, and the extensive bank of talent analytics and visuals, allows you to map skills gaps against internal mobility opportunities.
Product functionality is one thing. You need a partner who is:
If you are looking for your talent platform partner that will be there alongside you as you work out how to meet the requirements of the NTDS, then get in touch for an initial conversation.