The implementation of a new Code of Ethics for the police, which sets down the professional behaviours ‘that the public can expect to see from officers, staff and volunteers’, is facing criticism from the Police Federation of England and Wales.
The College of Policing’s Code of Ethics, designed to support “everyone in policing to deliver a service that is fair” will work alongside a separate statutory Code of Practice for Ethical Policing, which was launched in December and sets out the actions that chief officers should take to support people in their force to use the ethical policing principles and to demonstrate professional behaviour.
However, the PFEW has said it was disappointed that “significant concerns raised by us about how the revised Code of Ethics should fit within the existing regulatory framework” remained.
This was because of a mismatch between what is cited within Home Office guidance on the Police (Conduct) Regulations 2020, and the new Code of Ethics.
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The PFEW said that there was no guidance on handling behaviour that does not uphold policing principles or meet expected standards within the revised Code of Ethics, despite the body being involved in the consultation process to ensure the updated code was as clear as possible for members to follow. The previous code did provide general guidance, it said.
PFEW deputy national secretary, Gemma Fox, said the body fully welcomed the ethos and focus on cultivating a culture of learning, development and honest reflection. A crucial element of this, she added, was the Police (Conduct) Regulations 2020, which introduced the Performance Requires Improvement process, “where officers can take part in Reflective Practice with their line manager if their action[s] do not amount to misconduct or gross misconduct”.
Fox said this gave police officers “the opportunity to embed learning and ensure performance is improved as quickly as possible, signifying a step towards putting blame culture in the past”.
But the statutory definition of “practice requiring improvement” included consideration of the Code of Ethics to inform any assessment or judgement of conduct, she said. This demonstrated “not only the paramount importance for the new Code of Ethics to be embedded into the Home Office Guidance and the Police (Conduct) Regulations 2020 to mirror one another, but also highlights how the Code of Ethics underpins a vital section of the Conduct Regulations – therefore merely removing mention of the Code of Ethics as a quick fix is not a feasible solution.”
Fox said she strongly urged the Home Office to “change and revise the guidance on police officer conduct and Police (Conduct) Regulations 2020 in accordance with the revised Code of Ethics”.
The PFEW said it took over a year for extensive changes to be fully understood and actioned by all officers and staff, through adequate training and that police officers needed to be given protected learning time “so they can follow the code to restore public confidence”.
Officers should be allocated time during their working hours to learn and should not be made to undertake it at home where they may not have the capacity, said the Federation.
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