Ofsted Inspect Merseyside Police Force Control Room Apprenticeships for the First Time and Rate Provision as ‘Good’ in All Areas

Ofsted inspectors carried out their first assessment of the quality of apprenticeship training provided by Merseyside Police to their call handling staff in their force control room in October. The call handlers are those employees who answer both emergency and non-emergency calls to the police, which are received via the phone or digital means. Inspectors evaluated the effectiveness of the training, the personal development and outcomes achieved by the apprentices and the leadership and management of the programme. Merseyside Police has now been officially awarded the grading of ‘Good’ in all areas.

The report noted that: “Apprentices are highly motivated to learn. They value the support and encouragement they receive from staff. Attendance to training sessions is very high. As a result, apprentices encourage one another and consistently meet leaders’ and managers’ high expectations…”

Chief Superintendent for Response and Resolution, Mark Wiggins, expressed his personal delight with the result: “Specifically, this inspection was focusing on our Contact Resolution Officer Call-Handler Apprenticeships, which are a key part of the work we do to support our communities who contact Merseyside Police asking for help and advice. I’m so pleased that our result reflects the hard work of the trainers, managers and of the apprentices themselves.

“The report recognised that our apprentices develop substantial new knowledge, skills and behaviours, as well as growing in resilience and character as they apply those new skills. That development and growth is something we feel incredibly proud of, so seeing it reflected in the report is fantastic. This helps us to ensure we are providing quality training and support to those in our team who are often the first point of contact for the public”.

The Ofsted inspection was the first time Merseyside Police had been formally assessed on the quality of its apprenticeship delivery.

The force hopes that this positive Ofsted inspection report outlining the quality of its apprenticeship training will give confidence to those seeking to develop their skills and encourage them to apply to become a contact resolution officer call handler, either through the apprenticeship or non-apprenticeship route or for one of the other varied apprenticeship roles the force offers throughout the year.