Further detail on report topic

Recruitment and Selection Approach
The recruitment and selection of senior officers has a number of well established phases. The approach set out below is recognised and consistent with best practice guidance produced by the College of Policing on the appointment of senior officers. It is also compliant with Regulation 7 of the Police Service of Scotland Regulations 2013 where the requirements on the Authority in appointing senior officers are outlined in detail. It also considers any lesson learned from the recruitment since the last update to the Committee in August 2024.
Pre-Assessment – This initial phase involves defining the role profile of the position to be recruited. A role profile should describe the skills and professional standards, competencies and behaviours required for policing on a national level at the rank of ACC, DCC or Chief Constable. The role profile will capture the primary and nationally consistent elements of the rank while also reflecting the needs and values specific to Police Scotland and the particular role. In developing the role profile, Police Scotland’s input is essential. The role profile will inform the advert and be included in an Information Pack which requires to be finalised during this pre-assessment stage.
Important to the pre-assessment phase is defining the assessment criteria before progressing with the appointment process. The assessment criteria must be reflective of the rank and Police Scotland’s Competency Values Framework. Assessment criteria will also consider the composition of the current executive team and its existing skills and experience, and whether there are any specific skills or experiences not currently reflected which a new senior officer could offer. Additionally, the Chief Constable has highlighted four key areas that are essential for prospective senior officers:
 Political Acumen
 Performance Focus
 Change Oversight
 Focus on Communities
Eligibility - Individuals who previously qualified as eligible for a senior officer appointment by virtue of successfully completing the senior police national assessment centre (senior PNAC) and the strategic command course (SCC) are eligible for substantive appointment to a senior officer role. Individuals who have successfully completed the PLP – stage 5 (executive leaders) will also be eligible for substantive appointment to a senior officer role.
Appointment Panel - In recruiting to the rank of ACC, DCC or Chief Constable, an appointment panel will be convened to enact the approved process. The panel’s purpose is to ensure the appointments process is discharged effectively and the principles of merit, fairness and openness are adhered to. The panel will challenge and test candidates against the requirements to perform the role and recommend preferred candidates to the Authority.
Appointment panels should consist of three to five panel members from a diverse range of backgrounds with experience in the assessment and selection of candidates. The appointment panel will be chaired by the Chair of the Scottish Police Authority and may also include:
• The Chief Constable (for DCC or ACC appointments)
• An additional Authority member
• An independent panel member
• A Scottish Government representative (for the appointment of Chief Constable only)
• A serving policing professional (for the appointment of Chief Constable only).
Any additional members of the selection panel in addition to those listed above are at the discretion of the Chair.
In addition to the appointment panel an HR professional and the Chief Executive will be in attendance, and it is recommended that HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary in Scotland is invited to observe the interviews with candidates.
It is suggested that the Chair considers and determines any appointment panel within the parameters above. With the support of the Chief Executive, the Chair must also ensure that those involved in the appointment process have received appropriate briefing/training in the selection and assessment practices that will be utilised.
Assessment – The main objective of any appointment process is to identify the right candidate for the position. There are a number of selection techniques that can be utilised to ensure a thorough assessment is undertaken. Based on the best practice guidance and previous experience, the stages below should be considered:
• Application form
• Shortlisting
• Presentation or scenario-based exercise
• Professional personal profiling (including psychometric testing)
• Media exercise (for the appointment of Chief Constable only)
• Policing Professional Conversation
• External Stakeholder panel, chaired by an Authority member (for the appointment of Chief Constable and DCC)
• Internal Stakeholder panel, chaired by an Authority member (for the appointment of Chief Constable only)
• Panel interview that assesses capabilities in relation to Police Scotland’s Competency and Values Framework
Attraction strategy – There are a number of requirements set out in Regulation regarding advertising of any senior officer vacancy. To ensure opportunities are open to the widest pool of eligible candidates, roles require to be advertised nationally through a public website or policing publication for a minimum of 3 weeks.
Based on the requirements above, and with a view to maximising the reach and visibility of any senior officer vacancies to a UK-wide audience, the following advertising and attraction approach should be considered when promoting vacancies:
• Scottish Police Authority website
• Police Scotland website
• National College of Policing website (accessible to all senior ranked serving officers across the UK)
• National Police Chiefs Council website (accessible to all senior ranked serving officers across the UK)
• Police Professional /Police Oracle (online)
• Letter from Chair to all UK Chief Constables promoting vacancies.
• National newspaper (print and online)
RESPONSIBILITIES
Responsibility for appointing senior officers sits with the Scottish Police Authority. Approval must be sought from the full Authority before any role can be offered to a candidate.
In the case of an appointment to the office of the Chief Constable, the Authority is required to recommend and seek the approval of Scottish Ministers before this role can be offered to a candidate.
The People Committee is responsible for determining and approving the optimum process and implementation arrangements for appointments to the ranks of Chief Constable, DCC and ACC.
it is recommended that responsibility for discharging the approved process for any senior officer recruitment process is delegated to the Chair of the Authority who is also the Chair of the Appointment Panel.
Responsibility for supporting the Chair throughout any appointment process rests with the Chief Executive.
The day to day running of a senior officer appointment process is the responsibility of the Authority’s Workforce Governance Team with support and input from Police Scotland (for example expert advice, visit facilitation, professional standard checks, vetting, on boarding). If it is identified that a secondment of dedicated HR support from Police Scotland would assist (when multiple roles require to be recruited in the same timeframe) this may be sought.
During previous recruitment processes professional support for the process was provided from the College of Policing. It is anticipated that for any recruitment undertaken in the next 12 months the request for professional support will be made.
APPOINTMENT
Following Authority approval (and Scottish Ministers in the case of the Chief Constable), the offer of an appointment can be made to a candidate verbally by the Chair of the Authority and followed up in writing from the Chair of the Authority thereafter.
Verbal offers are made subject to suitable medical assessment and vetting, and a written offer provided once these have been successfully completed. If the successful candidate has not completed PLP – stage 5 (executive leaders) they will be appointed on a temporary basis with their appointed made substantive following their successful completion of the programme.
Once an offer has been accepted, internal and external communication announcing the appointment will be led by the Authority, with the full support of Police Scotland’s communication team. In the case of an appointment to the rank of ACC or DCC, communication should incorporate comment from the Chair and the Chief Constable. Where possible and timings allow, comment from the successful candidate can be incorporated. In the case of the appointment as Chief Constable, communication should incorporate comment from the Chair, incoming Chief Constable and the Cabinet Secretary for Justice.

POST-APPOINTMENT
Following completion of recruitment activity, candidate on boarding will be the responsibility of Police Scotland HR team and a formal handover from the Authority’s Workforce Governance team to Police Scotland’s HR team will be completed to ensure communication with the successful candidate(s) continue.
TEMPORARY APPOINTMENTS
For any temporary appointments the recruitment and selection approach outline above will be followed with the following exceptions:
• The composition of the panel is at the discretion of the Chair.
• The attraction strategy will be determined based on the requirements of the role.
• The assessment will consist of the following elements:
o Application Form
o Shortlisting
o Presentation
o Panel Interview that assesses capability in relation to the Police Scotland’s Competency and Values Framework.
There may be occasions, where due to the specific nature of the temporary role, the appointment process for a temporary role would be best suited to being led by the Police Scotland Director of HR with an amended recruitment process. These occasions would be specifically agreed by the Chair in consultation with the Chief Executive and all temporary appointments require to be approved by the Authority.