POLICING in North Yorkshire has been highlighted in a new report by the College of Policing.

North Yorkshire Police's commitment to developing officers and staff to better protect their communities was mentioned in the college's new Neighbourhood Policing guidelines.

In North Yorkshire, teams of PCSOs, PCs, Sergeants and Inspectors are part of a scheme which sees them work to obtain a formal Skills For Justice qualification in Neighbourhood Management, with PCSOs, PCs and Sergeants reaching a level 3 award in Understanding Neighbourhood Management within a year, while Inspectors obtain a level 5 award in Neighbourhood and Community Planning. The qualifications cost between £40 and £45 per candidate, and the scheme was introduced following recommendations made in a review in October 2015, which highlighted the need for more specific training in neighbourhood policing for the force.

In its evaluation of the scheme, the College of Policing wrote: "The introduction of the qualification has been well received by staff and there has been positive feedback on formally recognising skills and professionalising neighbourhood policing."

The evaluation also highlights other positive aspects, including the course content developed by frontline officers and staff, and the passion of the subject matter experts who provide the training.

Deputy Chief Constable Phil Cain said: "Neighbourhood policing has always been right at the heart of our service here in North Yorkshire, and we’ve done a huge amount of work with our neighbourhood teams to ensure we have the right people in the right places, with the equipment and training they need to do the job effectively.

"We are absolutely committed to providing a high-quality service to local communities, so it is good to see the College of Policing recognising our Neighbourhood Management qualification scheme as a national case study."