New Sergeants & Inspectors Promotion Process (SIPP) in testing

The College of Policing has announced that the formal testing phase of the new Sergeants & Inspectors Promotion Process (SIPP) is underway.

You may not have heard of this new process until now, as there has been a distinct lack of detail about it since rumours first emerged in 2023.

Officers from Gwent Police, Lincolnshire Police, Leicestershire Police and Avon and Somerset Police have been selected to conduct the trial, which commenced in April 2024.

The new process currently under trial focuses on three stages:

• Development
• Selection
• Promotion

Successful candidates will need to demonstrate their readiness for leadership in various ways, including completing Professional Development Reviews (PDR), leadership training, and practice-based evidence.

The College’s overall aim is to simplify and remove barriers to promotion that it has identified within the National Police Promotion Framework (NPPF) process.

Testing is due to conclude in March 2026, with any final decision regarding a national rollout to come after that date. Whether this date is achievable remains to be seen, as the original College of Policing documentation outlining the new draft process stated that trials should have taken place in 2024, ready for a decision on a national rollout in 2025.

You can read the College of Policing press release regarding SIPP here.

What does this mean for the legal exam?

We’ve been monitoring developments at the College for some time, and previous Freedom of Information (FOI) requests have revealed a lot of uncertainty regarding the exam. The initial SIPP draft document had several sections pertaining to it, with some suggesting it could be removed altogether and replaced with an “on-the-job” assessment.

The most recent announcement from the College however states –

(Candidates) will also take an examination to assess their legal knowledge with questions specific to the role they are applying for. Partnership forces will support and advise their candidates throughout the process.

College of Policing – 23rd May 2024

We’re therefore under the impression that an exam will remain as part of the SIPP, but with more relevant and targeted questions to the area of policing that candidates seek promotion in. This seems to be a positive change, balancing the need for a solid understanding of the law with the vast syllabus content found in the legal exam today.

Should I wait until the process is rolled out before I seek promotion?

We wouldn’t recommend it. There is no guarantee that the new process will succeed nor that forces will support any rollout.

The implementation timeframe has already slipped significantly and could do so again in the future.

Our advice would be to engage in the promotion process when you are ready to take on the challenges of the next rank. You wouldn’t want to hold up your career progression for a future process that may change or cease to exist!

I’m from a trial force – what do I do?

The College hasn’t provided any details regarding the specifics of the process within trial forces, so we recommend contacting your Force Examinations Officer or Learning & Development team to see what content is likely to be tested in your legal exams.