A partnership approach to higher educational accreditation of the UK’s national Direct-Entry Superintendents programme

The evolution of the UK’s high profile and first ever Direct-Entry (DE) Superintendents programme followed the recommendations for policing identified by Winsor (2012) and the UK Government’s vision of enabling ‘fresh thinking and fresh blood [to be] brought in from outside the profession’ (Green, 2013). The eighteen-month DE programme aims to attract highly talented and proven leaders from alternative sectors directly into executive policing roles. The College of Policing’s (2015) own review identifies the importance for executive leaders to demonstrate on-going personal development. As a result a joint College of Policing and Teesside University team worked together to develop the Post Graduate Certificate in Strategic Police Leadership which was mapped onto the new DE education and training programme, resulting in the provision of an educational award which meets the needs of the contemporary police service. The programme has been designed primarily to be both academically and vocationally challenging, recognising the education and training previously completed by direct-entry superintendents, who may not have any previous policing experience, who are joining the police service in senior executive roles. The aim being that on successful completion of the eighteen-month mandatory higher educational programme, learners will be able to operate independently across a wide range of strategic leadership deployments as competent uniformed superintendents, bringing with them a range of new skills and ideas to the service.