Police forces invited to join RSL pilot programme for annual Sergeant CPD

The proposed programme, Leading Frontline Supervision: The Sergeant CPD Programme, has been developed to strengthen frontline investigative supervision, leadership confidence and operational decision-making. It is designed as an annual CPD intervention for sergeants who supervise investigations, manage crime reports, support frontline teams and carry responsibility for standards, welfare and performance.

The programme responds to a clear gap in the current development landscape. While many officers complete initial investigative training and promotion processes, there is often limited structured CPD focused on the practical realities of supervising investigations and leading operational teams.

RSL’s own survey of frontline sergeants reinforces this need. In the survey, 190 sergeants were asked whether they had received annual CPD in the previous 12 months relating to the supervision and administration of crime reports. The majority said they had not. Further responses showed strong support for refresher inputs on investigative supervision, staff welfare, professional standards issues and annual CPD to support continued development in the sergeant role.

RSL wants the programme to be designed by sergeants, for sergeants. For each participating force, the course can be tailored to local need through initial focus groups with officers performing the role, including acting sergeants, newly promoted sergeants and experienced frontline supervisors.

The programme also provides an opportunity for forces to address relevant Areas for Improvement identified by HMICFRS, where appropriate, by incorporating targeted inputs into the proposed course timetable. This makes the pilot relevant not only to operational learning and development teams, but also to chief officer teams focused on supervision standards, investigative quality and leadership capability.

The course reflects the direction of travel set out in the Police Leadership Commission report, which places sergeants at the centre of frontline leadership reform. The report identifies sergeants as a pivotal rank in policing, responsible for shaping team culture, setting standards, supporting welfare, quality assuring practice and influencing the day-to-day public experience of policing. It also highlights concerns that sergeants are often under-supported, under-trained and placed under significant operational and administrative pressure.

Against this backdrop, RSL believes there is a strong case for a structured annual CPD offer that helps forces invest in sergeants beyond initial promotion or qualification. The new programme is designed to provide practical, role-relevant development that supports sergeants in supervising investigations from allocation to outcome, managing risk and vulnerability, leading teams, conducting difficult conversations and understanding their responsibilities in relation to complaints, misconduct and professional standards.

Proposed three-day structure

Day One: Supervising Effective Investigations
The first day focuses on investigation planning, reviewing progress, victim-centred and suspect-focused decision-making, safeguarding, vulnerability, golden hour opportunities and investigative priorities.

Day Two: Leading People and Operational Performance
The second day develops practical leadership capability, including operational briefings, missing persons and critical incidents, staff welfare, sickness and performance management, coaching and succession planning.

Day Three: Professional Standards and Leadership Excellence
The final day covers ethical leadership, professional standards, complaints and misconduct responsibilities, decision-making, accountability, operational case studies and personal leadership action planning.

Invitation to join the pilot
RSL is now seeking police forces to join the pilot programme. Participating forces will help shape the final course design, test the content with serving sergeants and assess how an annual CPD model could support local investigative standards, supervision quality and leadership development.

The pilot is intended to be practical, collaborative and evidence-led. Forces taking part will be able to provide feedback on course relevance, operational fit, delivery format and the balance between investigation, people leadership and professional standards content. This will help ensure the final programme is grounded in the real pressures faced by sergeants and aligned to the needs of modern policing.

RSL believes that investing in sergeants is one of the most direct ways to improve investigative quality, frontline confidence, staff support and public service outcomes. Sergeants are often the point at which policy, standards, welfare and operational delivery meet. Providing them with structured annual CPD is not simply a training intervention; it is a practical investment in supervision, consistency and frontline policing capability.

Police forces interested in joining the pilot programme or discussing the course in more detail can contact:  dipesh.mistry@rsl.ltd.