Almost a year into the new, mandatory public and personal safety training (PPST), and the response from officers has been ‘overwhelmingly positive’.

That is according to PPST lead Beth Hawke, who was involved in creating the course at a national level, before returning to her home force in South Wales to oversee the training.

 

Almost 75 per cent of officers have completed the training since its launch in January, with many ‘heaping praise’ on the ‘refreshing’ new course.

 

Beth, who admits she was initially apprehensive that officers might not welcome the training, said: “The response to the new course has been overwhelmingly positive.

 

“The level of engagement we’ve seen from officers has been fantastic. I couldn’t be more pleased.”

 

 

It is mandatory for all operational police officers to complete the training, which has been set out by the College of Policing, by the end of the year.

 

The course runs across two days - a total of 12 hours - and is completely scenario-based. It is shaped around six common policing situations: attending a street fight, stop and search, a domestic call, a public order situation, a custody job and an incident involving vulnerable people.

 

“We’ve received some great feedback. A lot of people have said how refreshing the new course is,” Beth continued, “I think a lot of people are happy that their training finally reflects the reality of policing.

“We’ve also heard from participants that they like the fact that those leading the course are ‘coaching’ them rather than ‘telling’ them what to do.”

 

The training also allows officers to network with colleagues - with a mix of roles joining each course.

 

“The cross-working element of the course is huge. It’s great for officers to see colleagues who they don’t know or don’t work with regularly,” said Beth.

 

“It’s a fantastic opportunity for officers to learn from each other - especially newer cops, who are in the infancy of their career.”

 

Beth explained that the success of the course is a reflection of the team effort made by those across South Wales Police, with the Force’s media professionals even getting involved.

 

“One of the key things that officers love about our course is that the props are not only realistic but they have been inspired by the local community. They were all made in-house by the marketing team at South Wales Police,” Beth said.

 

“Part of the set is a custody cell, and it really resembles the ones we have here. I think that’s made a huge difference to the positive engagement levels we’ve received.”

 

Beth explained that just recently, she had heard from an officer who had put their training into practice when they were out on a job and ‘had a knife pulled on them’.

“That officer said that the training helped him deal with such an incident in real life,” said Beth, “And that’s what it’s all about: equipping officers with the knowledge and skills they need to be able to face the realities that come with modern-day policing.”

 

Two of the first people to complete the course were Phil Walker, chair of South Wales Police Federation, and branch secretary Mike George.

 

“I get that people are anxious. I appreciate that people who might not have seen the training room might be concerned but, honestly, you can be any level of fitness or experience, and have a beneficial two days,” says Phil.

 

“You learn from colleagues, you learn from the trainers, and you learn from yourself.

 

“If you are worried, please speak to Beth or one of the trainers, and they will reassure you. They will adapt the training to suit you because, ultimately, they want everyone to pass.”

 

Operational officers must complete the training every year, which means Phil and his cohort will be getting their second course in the diary come 2025.

And having seen how successful the new training has been, Beth is looking to develop the course further.

 

“We’re exploring the possibility of creating training courses for specific roles so they are even more relevant to the job that person does,” Beth said.