The Police Visual Handbook

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Maximising UsageWe have found usage will depend on how the PVH was launched in force, how this has been sustained and what has been done to maximise usage.

Do you have a member of staff who acts as the Force PVH Champion, who identifies key opportunities to ensure that use of the PVH is maximised?

How was the PVH launched, publicised and what was the key message sent to users?

How is it accessed? How were key departments made aware of the

content of the PVH? Is the key IT contact in your Force keeping it up-

to-date? How are updates communicated to the Force?

Common Methods the PVH is accessed from an icon on the desktop

or from the front page of the Force intranet the PVH is highlighted on Force screen savers officers/police staff are made aware (usually by

email): of the content of the PVH that the PVH contains the Initial Crime Investigators'

Development Programme, Professionalising the Investigation Programme and the OSPRE® Part I promotion syllabus

that they can access the PVH at home and on their iPhone via n.calt

that they can contact the PVH and make suggestions for content

of the content of the ‘What's New' page when a new version is released

a PVH awareness session for all new student officers and existing staff on training courses, e.g. custody courses, CID courses, diversity courses

key departments are encouraged to take advantage of content, including: Custody staff, custody trainers – contains a

comprehensive custody guide CID staff, CID trainers – contains a comprehensive

investigation guide CMU staff, Force Crime Registrar – contains a

comprehensive guide to the HO counting rules and crime management

Roads Policing – contains a comprehensive guide to roads policing

Policy/Legal Units, are aware: of the breadth of information and guidance contained

within the PVH that they can use/copy material contained within the PVH,

e.g. extract information for inclusion in 'in-house' training material, Force orders and other guidance, etc.

that they can request/submit items for inclusion in the PVH free of charge

the PVH is used as a reference in policy documents, procedural/operational orders

subject matter is used as Standard Operating Procedures

Forces who have done this have reported usage between 4000 and 15000 hits per month (per 1000 officers).

Cost BenefitsMany forces use the PVH as a cost effective means of providing a reference tool, researching and formulating policy and procedure and as such savings can be made, e.g.: no longer purchasing exam guides - the PVH contains the

Initial Crime Investigators' Development Programme, Professionalising the Investigation Programme and the OSPRE® Part I promotion syllabus (to cut costs, at least one Force has chosen not to continue subscription to other publishers’ promotion study guides)

no longer undertaking ‘in house’ production of: 'in touch' style documents (one Force who did this released

three constables to other duties) legal or procedural guidance, and integrating policy production with the content of the PVH

tasking us with producing guidance that isn’t included in the PVH (recently approximately 50% of our new material was produced at the request of subscribing forces or by suggestions made directly by operational officers and police staff)

making sure that all key support departments are aware of the breadth of information and guidance contained within the PVH to avoid them undertaking unnecessary work

Rather than have members of a department develop policy or procedure, thereby taking them away from their core role, liaison will take place with the PVH who will work with a nominated individual to do this on their behalf and to their requirements and timescales.

In recent releases, specific requests by Forces include: our domestic violence guidance which has

been updated to include new guidance on the Domestic Abuse and Honour Based Violence

our guidance on the Display of Registration Marks on UK Motor Vehicles concerning misrepresentation on vehicle registration plates, together with a DVLA information sheet and a proforma witness statement

our guidance on the Form MG5 (Police Report) used in for anticipated guilty plea cases to be heard in magistrates' courts (CJSSS Streamlined Process)

New guide to Financial Investigation and Money Laundering Offences

Experience with Forces

As an Operational/Training Reference

The PVH can be used via the Force intranet, on ‘in-vehicle’ data terminals, on handheld devices carried by police officers (and where available, Airwave devices)

This means that in many cases, the PVH can be used as a tool to provide advice and guidance to staff concerning many operational matters without having to seek guidance from line managers by radio or by returning to a station

The PVH can also be accessed on any internet enabled mobile phone either via n.calt or via the Force IT department, essentially extending the number of mobile devices in Force

Key menus include: Student Officers Guide Operational Officers Guide Investigators Guide Custody Guide Inspectors Guide Superintendents Guide Points to Prove Toolkits Powers & Procedures

Examples

Used by training staff, to undertake course research, as course pre-read material, as part of courses, e.g. the investigators guide, family liaison toolkit, driving courses, diversity courses, custody courses, CID courses, courses for newly promoted Sgts and Insps.

Training material and syllabi sourced from PVH

Used as a reference tool, e.g. PSD staff, CMU staff, Custody Officers, EROs, supervisors

Used by supervisors to task their officers and staff to read guidance relevant to their work or development

As a Source for Policy & Procedure

Some Forces point staff to the PVH for their Standard Operating Procedures, with the Force policy simply adding local requirements, e.g.: the name of any Force form that requires

completion the details of key staff to be informed Force Databases to be completedMany ACPO Leads now task us to write or include material they wish to have brought to the attention of users, e.g. mass gatherings of the gypsy and traveller

communitySpecialist Units now task us with providing guidance on

‘hot’ topics, e.g.: rogue traders, money laundering

Highlight Specific Subject Matter

The PVH can be used as a means to provide additional information to staff for a variety of purposes, by including a hyperlink to the appropriate section: Force policy - documents that include extensive links

to the PVH include, crime investigation, crime reporting and management, crime scene management, domestic abuse, traffic collisions, exhibit handling

Force operational procedures - Operation Clean Slate (interviewing to obtain additional admissions (TICs)

departmental operational procedures - carriage of dangerous goods, pre reads for training courses, preparation of road checks

advice to staff - to advise of new procedures, correct evidential errors in statements, charging practices, 'end of month' detection procedures

Requests to Include Material

In addition to the examples given above, the following are examples of requests made on behalf of a Force to include material under our 'include it free if useful' policy:

Autism guide Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR) Leadership and Supervision First Aid Registration Mark guide false positives some Forces are having when testing

for the drug MDPV (methylenedioxypyrovalerone) procedures to be followed by all police officers who

view CCTV images and recordings in order to identify suspects

statements prepared from, and following, visually recorded evidence

Requests to Include Material

Everyone can have a good idea; the following are examples of inclusions in the PVH from users:

Toolkit menu Key Phrases in Foreign Languages Contamination Issues and Exhibit Officers (from an

Exhibit Officer in Bedfordshire) disclosure of information on the PNC Determining whether a mobile phone is stolen TER guide Immobilise and the National Mobile Phone &

Property Register UK Railway Byelaws the misuse of Motability scheme vehicles Road Peace Road Death Investigation Guide for

Bereaved Families

The PVH is a 'Pan Force' Product

The PVH may be sponsored by one Department: but all Departmental Heads should be aware of the

PVH and promote it's use amongst their staff; and if taken on across a Force it can save money and

provide cost benefits in many areas: by avoiding duplication, by reducing the need to do some things locally; or by freeing up time to do specific things rather than say

routinely developing new procedures.

Want some material included? usually available for use within 14 days.

Anyone can have a good idea, we take them all seriously.

Tasked with delivering something to the Force but its not in the PVH: ask us - the worst we could say is no, usually we put it in.

Examples Thames Valley are one of the first Forces to go to

the new CPS Charging Decision regime. Their key trainer rang us up and asked when the new regime would be set out in the PVH. We said its already included in next weeks release. He said “fantastic”.

A Chief Inspector from Cleveland rang to say he had a project to develop training for the change in Police Misconduct and Discipline. We are already working on it and you will have it in 2 weeks. He said “Job done”.

A draft of our FLO guide was sent to a Force nominee for opinion and comment. They had been tasked with producing an 'in force FLO guide'. The response was, “you have just saved me four months work”.

The End

Thank You