Member Development Charter Status

Merseyside Police Authority's investment in its Members was recognised this week with Member Development Charter Status from the Municipal Journal and North West Employers.

The Charter Status, which is similar to the Investor in People Award for employees, was established after the police authority was externally assessed on:

· communications around training and development opportunities for Members;
· processes for identifying individual development needs;
· a strategy to meet the training and development needs of Members;
· implementation of this strategy; and
· adequate officer support around training and development.

Recent training and development opportunities for Members have included a session on community consultation and engagement, an Excellence in Policing Conference, a Criminal Justice Management Conference and an event about Community Safety Partnerships Under the New Government. All of these were attended by one or more Merseyside Police Authority members.

Merseyside Police Authority Chairman, Bill Weightman, said "A police authority Member has a difficult job to do in an ever-changing environment. There's a whole range of challenges to face on a day-to-day basis, from recruiting senior police officers to working in partnership to set annual budgets of hundreds of millions of pounds. This takes the sort of knowledge and skills which need to be continually updated and improved. I'm delighted we've achieved Member Development Charter Status because it means we're getting this right and making the most of our already highly experienced Members. I would also like to thank the staff of the Authority for their continued support to Members"

Merseyside Police Authority Deputy Chief Executive, Carolyn McConnell, said: "It's vital we support our Members so they are in the best possible position to make the right decisions about policing for our communities on Merseyside. Member Development Charter Status recognises the hard work by our Officers in making sure Merseyside Police Authority Members have sufficient training for their complex and demanding roles."