Deputy Chief Constable

The Deputy Chief Constable supports the Chief Constable to lead the Force. They assist in creating a vision, direction and culture for the Force that builds public and organisational confidence and trust and enables the delivery of an effective policing service.

The Deputy Chief Constable holds direct operational accountability for the policing response to crime and major and critical incidents and its effective command and leadership.

The Deputy Chief Constable is responsible for the implementation and delivery of the Force’s Delivery Plan and the day to day running of the Force in line with the agreed direction and vision, to provide a professional, effective and efficient policing service.
The Deputy Chief Constable contributes to the development of regional and national policing within a specific area of expertise and may be accountable for national operations or standard setting.

• Contribute to the setting of the organisational and operational strategy for the Force, with regard to wider plans and objectives such as the Police and Crime Plan and Strategic Policing Requirement, in order to provide an effective and efficient policing service that meets current and future policing demands.

• Support and maintain the mutually productive strategic relationship with the Police and Crime Commissioner and the Office of the PCC, whilst maintaining the principle of the Chief Constables’ operational independence.

• Support the Chief Constable to lead the Force, embedding the organisational culture and promoting values and ethics, holding responsibility for adherence to professional standards to enable an effective and professional service.

• Lead the implementation of the Force Delivery Plan, ensuring that performance is monitored and evaluated with findings utilised to drive improvements in service delivery and the achievement of Force objectives.

• Support the Chief Constable to lead, inspire and engage the Chief Officer team; setting and role modelling approaches to a workforce culture that promotes wellbeing, facilitates impactful professional development and performance management to create empowered teams that effectively enable the achievement of the Force vision and goals.

• Develop guidance and provide strategic direction on identifying and managing threat, risk and harm within the policing area and in the Force’s policing responses in order to protect the public and develop operational strategies.

• Fulfil the authorising responsibilities of a Deputy Chief Constable, holding responsibility for compliance in order to protect the public and ensure effective policing responses.

• Lead and command the operational policing responses on occasion, in the most high risk and high profile instances in order to protect the public and ensure an appropriate and effective response.

• Develop and maintain a meaningful operational performance framework and governance structure, in line with Force strategy, in order to hold the senior leadership of the organisation to account for operational delivery and outcomes in order to enable effective law enforcement and public protection.

• Support the financial management of the Force, driving efficiency and productivity within the budget framework to maximise the use of resources, ensure the effective use of public spending and maximise value for money.

• Develop and maintain strategic relationships with local, regional and national partners, effectively influencing and collaborating to enable the achievement of the Force objectives and develop public confidence in policing.

• Represent the Force at a local, regional and national level to the public, media and other external stakeholders to support the Chief Constable to improve visibility, connect with the public and build confidence in policing.

• Embed a culture of organisational development, change and innovation, ensuring enhanced productivity, value for money and continuous improvement in evidence based policing.

• Develop national thinking, policy and guidance within an area of specialism to enable the continuous improvement of effective policing practice.

• Discharge the powers and duties of the Chief Constable as required in their absence.

Prior education and experience:
• Successful completion of the Police Leadership Programme: Stage 5 (Executive Leaders) or successfully completed the strategic command course prior to 2023.

• Authorising Officer Training.

• Wide ranging operational law enforcement experience.

• A demonstrable track record of successful experience of working at a strategic level, including the leadership of law enforcement officers and staff at senior levels.

• Experience of successfully engaging with and influencing multi-agency partnerships.

• Experience of embedding an effective performance management framework.

• Experience of implementing successful organisational development, change and innovation.

• Experience of management of significant budgets.

• Up to date operational/technical policing knowledge.

• Knowledge of developing political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental factors and an understanding of the implications for strategic planning.

• Knowledge of relevant local, regional and national policies, strategies and initiatives and an understanding of the implications within the policing context.

Policing Education and Qualification Framework (PEQF):

The education provision for the ranks above Police Constable has still to be confirmed. Should an educational requirement be agreed for the Chief Officer ranks, the expectation is that this would be set at Level 7. Information will be made available in due course by the College of Policing. Any new requirements agreed with the Service will require development before implementation. Consequently existing promotion requirements will continue to apply for the foreseeable future.

Skills:
• Skilled in the development of ambitious strategy and policy, aligned to operational realities.

• Able to create operational plans which balance complex and conflicting resource demands and enable the achievement of strategic goals.

• Able to manage substantial financial, people and material resources, demonstrating high levels of commercial acumen to balance complex, competing demands on resources by making appropriate risk-based decisions within the available budget.

• Able to drive strategic organisational change that reshapes the services or functions delivered by the Force, to deliver appropriate responses to emerging trends and issues.

• Able to scan the internal and external horizon, identifying emerging trends and issues and use these to inform strategic planning.

• Able to operate with high levels of political astuteness, skilled in negotiating the internal and external political landscape effectively.

• Able to use a wide range of highly effective communication and influencing techniques and methods to successfully negotiate, collaborate and influence change at senior levels and across a diverse range of stakeholders and partners.

• Skilled in maintaining an effective critical advisor role to more senior positions.

• Skilled in building and maintaining productive stakeholder and partner relationships at senior levels and being able to apply problem solving approaches and methodologies to resolve issues and to reconcile conflicts of interest.

• Skilled in leading, developing and inspiring people, engaging the organisation with Force strategic priorities, values and behaviours.

• Able to reflect on and hold themselves, individuals and the organisation to account for performance and behaviours.

• Able to identify, commission and implement new or improved technologies/services that have a transformational impact on Force service delivery and/or cost.

A senior leaders CPD Framework has been developed that identifies three important elements Chief Officers should consider when planning their CPD.
Chief Officers should reflect upon their existing knowledge, skills and experience to identify and plan their professional development alongside the following examples. Below are some suggested examples but are by no means exhaustive:

Personal Skills
• Role model continuing professional development and lead by example by sharing learning and reflections to support the professionalisation of the police service.

• Maintain knowledge of strategic leadership and management theory and continually reflect on practical application in the operational policing context.

• Consider participation in secondment opportunities to gain differing perspectives on leadership and management, where appropriate.

• Participate in coaching and/or mentoring opportunities for self and others to use and share the learning to inform own and others’ approach to leadership, management and policing.

Business Skills
• Maintain commercial awareness and build financial acumen by working closely with partners and multi-agencies at a local and national level, where appropriate taking advantage of shadowing and/or secondment opportunities.

• Maintain knowledge and understanding of performance management processes, including data analysis methodologies and how performance can be benchmarked locally, regionally and nationally.

• Contribute to evidence based research by conducting research and analysis of operational policing issues to solve problems and support the professionalisation and transformation of policing.

• Build and participate in peer networks and action learning sets to enable approaches to joint problem solving, share learning locally, regionally and nationally to support business process modernisation, efficiency and continuity.

Professional Skills
• Maintain knowledge of College of Policing Guidance, best practice and national and local initiatives and policies applicable to the strategic policing context.

• Maintain and update key knowledge and understanding to effectively apply legislation, policy and practice across all functional policing areas of operational responsibility.

• Maintain knowledge and understanding of political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental factors and developments to inform strategic policing plans and enable an efficient and effective approach to policing and ensure the force is able to tackle new and evolving crime, threats and priorities.

• Work with national policing agencies and bodies, such as Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC), National Crime Agency (NCA) and the College of Policing to ensure the force maintains professional standards.

• Complete all annual and mandatory training to retain occupational and operational accreditation.

• Not applicable.

• Assistant Chief Constable
• Chief Constable