Staffordshire University as a Provider of Policing Education Staffordshire University has a long history of working in collaboration with Police Forces in the region to provide, for example, forensic awareness training, leadership development and insight into topical research questions. In 2016, an agreement was signed with Staffordshire Police to form the ‘Staffordshire Forensic Partnership’ that provides a formal basis for research and student placement opportunities between the University and Police Force. The first undergraduate degree programme, BSc (Hons) Policing and Criminal Investigation, was launched around 15 years ago, with over 1000 students graduating from the course. Many of these have entered policing occupations, as trainee police officers, police staff investigators, scenes of crime officers, analysts and in a wide range of other roles. The appropriateness of the course for entry into police officer training was recognised by some forces by their admittance of graduates to an advanced point in their IPLDP courses. However, whilst focussed upon policing, this degree also intends to develop graduates as critical and reflective thinkers with the ability to research and develop new ideas; clearly being much more that a ‘training’ programme. In 2018, Staffordshire University gained approval from the CoP to deliver under licence the new BSc(Hons) Professional Policing (pre-join) degree, being one of the first universities in the UK to do so. As a member of the HEI group involved in developing a response to the PEQF, Staffordshire University was well-placed to respond to requests from Police Forces in developing their own thinking and approaches for adoption of the expectations of the PEQF. The University registered on the YPO (a central body for public sector procurement) framework in 2018 so that it would be notified when tender calls were published by each of the Police Forces in the UK and be able to submit responses to these. A partnership of four Police forces in the West Midlands – Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Mercia and West Midlands – published a call for delivery of PCDA and DHEP courses during the latter half of 2018, with commencement scheduled for mid-2019. A team of staff was assembled at Staffordshire University to co-author the bid document, which was submitted in September 2019. As a member of the shortlist of candidates, a group from the University (including the Vice Chancellor) presented to a panel chaired by the Chief Constable of Staffordshire Police. Following further exchange of information, Staffordshire University was named as ‘preferred bidder’ for the four Forces in November 2018. During this time, Staffordshire University engaged with a number of other forces, universities and the CoP in developing the understanding and evolution of police education and built a strong reputation as an innovative, early adopter.
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