CR6013 - Professional Police Practice in Context

What will I learn on this module?

The module will explore the contemporary police officer role in terms of the overall strategic context of policing and relevant national strategies (such as Policing Vision 2025) as applied in the context of complex policing challenges. The nature of ‘professional practice’ in current debates is considered. The module will encourage students to consider how to deliver effective policing outcomes in relation to diverse (and sometimes contradictory) stakeholder groups with different social, political and strategic demands. Meeting community demand might be an effective outcome, but might be in tension with providing for, for example, victim and witness care. Strategies (such as EBP and transparent decision-making) that might enhance police legitimacy are explored as methods to provide for professional policing. The role of the College of

Policing, HMICFRS, the Home Office, National Police Chief's Council and the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners in shaping strategic priorities for policing is explored.

CoP pre-join curriculum learning outcomes: CoP December 2023 v1.1
Core National Learning

Victims and Witnesses: 1.6a, 5.1-5.4


Response Policing: 5.1-5.3 joint emergency services incident (2.1) evolve strategies (1.1, 1.2) analyse the role of the police (2.1)



Core National Supporting Information
Supporting/Supplementary Material
Prevention and problem solving (incorporating evidence-based policing)
Victims and witnesses
Community policing and partnership working
Response Policing

Legislation/Reference Material
Charter for Families Bereaved through Public Tragedy
Children and Young Persons Act 1933 s1 Mental Health Act 1983: Code of Practice s40, s42, s135, s136
National Operating Model for the investigation of rape and serious sexual offences (RASSO): Investigator’s journey
Working Together to Safeguard Children National guidance for Public Protection Public Protection Authorised Professional Practice Vulnerability and Risk Guidelines Authorised Professional Practice
Victims’ Right to Review (VRR) Scheme available from www.cps.gov.uk

How will I learn on this module?

The module aims to further develop your skills in areas such as group discussion and debate as well as independent learning. Weekly

lectures will frame the discussion of each area of the syllabus. Teaching will focused on the key challenges for contemporary professional

policing, which will be introduced in lecture sessions, supplemented with key reading, and revisited through seminar sessions. The learning

experience on this module will draw upon key documentation relating to strategic direction of policing, such as PEEL inspections, Policing

2025, and Home Office plans, which will be subject to critical review drawing on academic literature. The implications of such debates for

policing practice (e.g. in terms of investigations and community engagement) are considered. Lectures will introduce theory, research policy

and practice connectives and will stimulate and provoke your thinking. Seminars will follow a more student-led, workshop format. For each

seminar workshop you are likely to engage in work as part of a discussion group to unpack, debate, research and analyse a set of

provocative questions via a case study or alternative exercise. You will also have space to develop your own thinking and position as a

scholar of policing and criminology. The seminar workshops are tailored to the learning preferences of the students on the module each year

and these are determined in consultation with you and your cohort in the first weeks. The learning and teaching on this module allows us to

oscillate between theory and practice. Formative assessment is built into the seminar workshop and lecture programme. Further development

of your confidence in synthesising, explaining and discussing information from a range of sources is also a key aim of the approach taken in

this module.

How will I be supported academically on this module?

As part of your intellectual development, you will receive support from your peers in the classroom and from the module tutor/s throughout the

module. Support outside the classroom includes additional academic support via 1-1 tutorial support opportunities that we encourage you to

take up with the module tutor/s. The module will develop your ability to reflect informatively, and think critically about some of the challenges

posed by considering links between professional policing, strategic challenges, and operational/investigative practices. The module

encourages you to make appropriate connections between theory, research, policy and practice in terms of policing, communities and key

strategic stakeholder. Academic support is also provided through the eLP, which contains electronic resources, background materials, lecture

capture, and access to discussion groups as appropriate.

What will I be expected to read on this module?

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. Online reading lists (provided after enrolment) give you access to your reading material for your modules. The Library works in partnership with your module tutors to ensure you have access to the material that you need.

What will I be expected to achieve?

Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the module you should be able to: 1. Demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of advanced debates about the continuing development of professional practice in policing, and how this is shaped by wider strategic challenges. 2. Demonstrate your ability to identify, explain, evaluate and interpret links between advanced debates and operational and investigative practice. Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities: By the end of the module you should be able to: 3. Communicate your knowledge and understanding of critical issues relating to the development of professional policing and the implications these have for practice. 4. Understand the variety of policy/guidance documents relevant to policing and the work of other agencies intersecting with the police in the criminal justice system. Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA): By the end of the module you should have developed the ability to: 5. understand what professionalism means in the context of policing 6. Enhance your knowledge and understanding of key principles of identifying strategic challenges emerging in policing and to apply these to practice.

How will I be assessed?

Formative assessment During the semester you will have a formative assessment comprising of a written exercise analysing a problem scenario relating to an emerging strategic priority for policing. This will be marked by your seminar tutor and you will receive written feedback on your answer. Summative assessment This will take the form of a 3500 word assignment. This will require you to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of critical debates relating to professionalism, strategic challenges for policing, and their implications for operational practice. Summative feedback will be available in written form on scripts, via the eLP as notes for guidance and orally from module/seminar tutors. Assessment Criteria and Grade-Related Criteria will be made available to you to support you in completing assessments. Grade-Related Descriptors are descriptions of the level of skills, knowledge and/or attributes that you need to demonstrate in order achieve a certain grade or mark in an assessment, providing a mechanism by which the quality of an assessment can be measured and placed within the overall set of marks.

Pre-requisite(s)

n/a

Co-requisite(s)

n/a

Module abstract

The module aims to further develop your skills in areas such as group discussion and debate as well as independent learning. Weekly

lectures will frame the discussion of each area of the syllabus. Teaching will focused on the key challenges for contemporary professional

policing, which will be introduced in lecture sessions, supplemented with key reading, and revisited through seminar sessions. The learning

experience on this module will draw upon key documentation relating to strategic direction of policing, such as PEEL inspections, Policing

2025, and Home Office plans, which will be subject to critical review drawing on academic literature. The implications of such debates for

policing practice (e.g. in terms of investigations and community engagement) are considered. Lectures will introduce theory, research policy

and practice connectives and will stimulate and provoke your thinking. Seminars will follow a more student-led, workshop format. For each

seminar workshop you are likely to engage in work as part of a discussion group to unpack, debate, research and analyse a set of provocative questions via a case study or alternative exercise. You will also have space to develop your own thinking and position as a scholar of policing and criminology. The seminar workshops are tailored to the learning preferences of the students on the module each year and these are determined in consultation with you and your cohort in the first weeks. The learning and teaching on this module allows us to oscillate between theory and practice. Formative assessment is built into the seminar workshop and lecture programme. Further development of your confidence in synthesising, explaining and discussing information from a range of sources is also a key aim of the approach taken in this module.

Course info

UCAS Code LL44

Credits 20

Level of Study Undergraduate

Mode of Study 3 years Full Time

Department Social Sciences

Location City Campus, Northumbria University

City Newcastle

Start September 2025

Fee Information

Module Information

All information is accurate at the time of sharing. 

Full time Courses are primarily delivered via on-campus face to face learning but could include elements of online learning. Most courses run as planned and as promoted on our website and via our marketing materials, but if there are any substantial changes (as determined by the Competition and Markets Authority) to a course or there is the potential that course may be withdrawn, we will notify all affected applicants as soon as possible with advice and guidance regarding their options. It is also important to be aware that optional modules listed on course pages may be subject to change depending on uptake numbers each year.  

Contact time is subject to increase or decrease in line with possible restrictions imposed by the government or the University in the interest of maintaining the health and safety and wellbeing of students, staff, and visitors if this is deemed necessary in future.

 

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