Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship | Northumbria Police
3 years full-time | Professional Policing Practice BSc (Hons)

This module introduces criminal investigations and police processes. The module covers the various stages of the law enforcement process, from the legislation/guidance underpinning information and intelligence to the provision of materials for disclosure by the Crown Prosecution Service. In doing so the module examines broad themes such as how information and intelligence held by other agencies can help police operations to specific ones such as things to consider when responding to an incident. It necessarily covers the fundamental principles, legislation and powers related to such activities as well as the police processes that are derived from these.

The core of the module provides a detailed examination of the processes involved in conduct investigations. Unsurprisingly, this section of the module considers the appropriate approaches and/or processes for both responding to and attending incidents as well as gathering and managing evidence/information and carrying out investigations at the crime scene and elsewhere. In doing so it examines the nature and management of evidence and its use within court process.

In addition, the module considers police ethics and how the police support the vulnerable, victims and witnesses but also the responsibilities and procedures for detaining and escorting suspects to and once within custody. It also explores processes surrounding the building of effective case files such as the securing of evidence and the management of exhibits. It also considers the data protection and the general management of management of information and intelligence

PCDA curriculum learning outcomes:

Week 16-19:
Criminal Justice: 2,3,7,8,9,10,11, 12
Information and Intelligence: 1-8
Conducting investigations: 1-9

This year long module opens with a week-long induction to the PCDA programme that combines an introduction to your police force and to the university. To prepare you for your role as a police constable you will undertake sessions in key topics including understanding the role of the police constable, valuing difference and inclusion, and maintaining professional standards. The university induction prepares you for the academic learning components of the programme through a learning resource introduction, academic learning and research skills sessions, guidance on how to make the best use of available technology within your learning, and overall confidence building in becoming a work-based learner.

Your induction is followed by two weeks of intense sessions around officer personal safety and discretion and decision making before moving on to explore communication skills, wellbeing and resilience, leadership and team working in the context of the police constable role. In week 4 you participate in your first immersion phase where you shadow and observe police officers while on attachment to various shifts. You then move on to learn the legislation and police practice relevant to the role of the police constable on a series of related modules before returning to this module in week 14 for your second immersion phase. This module culminates in an extended period of operational practice, punctuated by additional periods of classroom-based learning on related modules, where you will be expected to apply in the workplace the knowledge and understanding gained from related modules. Preparation for the operation phase takes place in week 20 which is followed by your first supported patrol phase that runs between weeks 21-31, with a second supported patrol phase running between weeks 34-44 and 46-52. During the operational phases you will demonstrate (under appropriate levels of supervision) some supported application and awareness of the competencies relating to the role of the police constable. It is expected that you will achieve Independent Patrol Status towards the end of the practice period.

PCDA curriculum learning outcomes (content):

Classroom Weeks
Understanding the Police Constable Role: (Induction Week 1.1-1.5; 4.1-4.3; 5.1-5.4)
Maintaining Professional Standards: (Induction Week 1.1 – 4.5)
Research Method and Skills: (Induction Week 1.1 – 2.5)
Decision Making and Discretion: (Week Two 1.1-2.4)
Managing Conflict: (Week Two 1.1-10.5) To include completion of the appropriate Core Health and Safety Training Programme, as prescribed by the NPCC.
Communication Skills: (Week Three 1.1 - 2.4)
Wellbeing and Resilience: (Week Three 1.1-1.6)
Vulnerability and Risk: (Week Three 10.1 – 11.1)
Leadership and Team Working: (Week Three 1.1-1.3; 2.1-2.4)

Practice Weeks
Understanding the Police Constable Role: 2.1-2.4; 7.1-7.4
Evidence-Based Policing: 4.1 - 4.5
Decision Making and Discretion: 6.1 - 6.5; 7.1 - 7.3
Vulnerability and Risk: 9.1 - 9.14
Public Protection: 4.1 - 4.2; 5.1 - 5.9
Digital Policing: 8.1 - 8.9; 9.1 - 9.5; 10.1 - 10.5; 11.1 - 11.5
Criminal Justice: 4.1-4.3, 5.1 - 5.8; 6.1 - 6.3; 7.1 - 7.8; 9.1 - 9.5; 10.1 - 10.5; 12.1 - 12.6
Response Policing: 3.1-3.5; 4.1 - 4.23; 5.1-5.3; 7.1 - 7.3; 8.1 - 8.15; 9.1-9.7; 10.1-10.4
Valuing Difference and Inclusion: 1.1-1.3; 2.1-2.3
Maintaining Professional Standards: 2.1-2.5; 3.1-3.5
Problem Solving: 2.1-2.5
Communication Skills: 2.1-2.4
Wellbeing and Resilience: 1.1-1.6
Managing Conflict: 10.1-10.5
Victims and Witnesses: 3.1-3.5; 4.1-4.5; 6.1-6.7; 8.1-8.7
Digital Policing: 6.1-6.6; 7.1-7.2
Counter Terrorism: 6.1-6.3; 7.1-7.5
Policing Communities: 4.1-4.4
Policing the Roads: 5.1-5.2; 6.1-6.6; 7.1-7.7
Information and Intelligence: 2.1-2.2; 3.1-3.18
Conducting Investigations: 2.1-2.17; 3.1-3.16; 4.1-4.4; 5.1-5.6; 7.1-7.20

You will learn how police operate in terms of processing cases, suspects and supporting victims from the initial response, through the custody and charging process, to courts, prisons and offender management processes. As a result of this you will understand that police operate in a complex environment, interact through partnership building with a broad range of criminal justice, public and private sector, and third sector, organisations and that decisions and processes in those environments impact on what police organisations and staff do. Following on from that you will learn how police officers and staff engagement with the public can have a significant impact on the community and on individuals in terms of reassurance and safety, life-chances and well-being, risk and security. You will learn how an understanding and appreciation of diversity (in broad terms) is significant in terms of demands on police, public expectation, community policing and satisfaction with police services. The importance of human rights to policing and the management of risk is addressed, using case studies and applied examples. Ideas of vulnerability and the different thresholds of vulnerability are explored with reference to examples drawn from fields such as domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, and hate crime, and terrorism and radicalisation, and how police can intervene positively in people’s lives to prevent these issues and other public protection incidents. Police, and other agency responses, in terms of safeguarding are explored in terms of principle and practices. The final part of the module will teach you about Evidence Based Policing and Problem Oriented Policing, examining the principles of these approaches and what they mean for practitioners. You will learn how EBP can shape operational policing and begin to understand how to gather and analyse data and information for evidence based practice.

PCDA curriculum learning outcomes:
You will learn how police operate in terms of processing cases, suspects and victims from the initial response, through the custody and charging process, to courts, prisons and offender management processes. As a result of this you will understand that police operate in a complex environment, interact with a broad range of criminal justice, public and private sector, and third sector, organisations and that decisions and processes in those environments impact on what police organisations and staff do. Following on from that you will learn how police officers and staff engagement with the public can have a significant impact on the community and on individuals in terms of reassurance and safety, life-chances and well-being, risk and security. You will learn how diversity (in broad terms) is significant in terms of demands on police, public expectation, and satisfaction with police services. The importance of human rights to policing and the management of risk is addressed, using case studies and applied examples. Ideas of vulnerability are explored with reference to examples drawn from fields such as domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse and hate crime. Police, and other agency responses, in terms of safeguarding are explored in terms of principle and practices. The final part of the module will teach you about Evidence Based Policing and Problem Oriented Policing, examining the principles of these approaches and what they mean for practitioners. You will learn how EBP can shape operational policing and begin to understand how to gather and analyse data and information for evidence-based practice.

PCDA curriculum learning outcomes:

Week One

Understanding the police constable role LO 7.1

Valuing difference and inclusion LO 1-2

Vulnerability and risk LO 1-9, 12

Criminal justice LO 1, 3-4, 13-14

Week Two

Understanding the police constable role LO 2-3

Counter terrorism LO 1-7

Victims and witnesses LO 1-8


Week Three

Evidence based policing LO 1-4

Problem solving LO 1-2

Research Methods and Skills LO 3-6

Criminology and crime prevention LO 1-3

Public protection LO 1-6

Policing communities LO 1-5

This module will introduce students to the criminal law, police powers and procedures, such as arrest, stop and search and making seizures, including how police powers are to be used ethically and professionally to detect crimes, protect the public and police the roads. This will include gaining an understanding of relevant legislation and guidance associated with different forms of policing. The module will consider general themes and principles in relation to the role of the police constable and the law, while introducing students specifically to:

• Understanding how to exercise police powers and procedures fairly and without bias, including recording incidents, powers of arrest, stop and search, and making seizures while respecting the core principles of equality, diversity and human rights.
• How to protect the public and police the roads.
• An overview of the criminal law in England and Wales and how to apply points to prove to practical arrest scenarios.

The module will cover the following Learning Outcomes from the Policing Education Qualifications Framework (PEQF):

Understanding the Police Constable Role 6.1, 6.2, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4
Public Protection 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 5.6
Decision making & Discretion 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 4.1 - 4.10
Criminology & Crime Prevention 3.1, 3.2
Criminal Justice 1.3, 4.2, 4.3, 5.1, 5.2 5.4, 5.5, 5.6, 5.7 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 10, 10.1, 10.2
Response Policing 2.1, 2.2, 2.3 2.4, 2.5, 5.1 - 5.3, 6. - 6.4, 7.1 - 7.3, 8.1 – 8.15,
Roads Policing, 1.1 – 1.6 2.1, 2.2, 2.3 3.1 – 3.3 4.1, 4.2 5.1, 5.2 6.1 – 6.6 7.1 – 7.7
Conducting Investigations 1.2