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This is a training programme for Police Officers, law enforcement officials and Authorities that has been specifically designed to better assist those managing and requiring to communicate in an environment of building safer diverse communities. The skills programme is especially relevant to those who need to devolop community-engagement and civil renewal, and who must communicate with communities in high-performing teams capable of making a real impact on local problems and safer neighbourhoods. The programme has been born from the experience and efforts of an inner city divisional police/consultative group, operating across multi-diverse and cross-cultural communities, who were challenged to strengthen mutual co-operation across 'Hard to Reach' and vulnerable communities to fight crime and disorder. The programme covers reassurance policing especially around operational, confrontational and critical incident events. Its successful reviews and relevance to policing in 2005 onwards can be found at http://www.padpolice.com/docs/Winning_Community_Relations.pdf
Deputy Chief Constable British Transport Police, Andy Trotter QPM, who took the leap of faith in supporting the Winning Community Relations programme when Deputy Assistant Commissioner in The Metropolitan Police Service.
"I have over recent years acquired considerable experience dealing with the media and giving presentations, but I have received no training in giving presentations and it is something that I regret. I remember how vulnerable I felt the first time I had to give a presentation to a sceptical and sometimes hostile community group. Learning on the job can be a very painful experience and I wish I had been given the opportunity to train for these occasions from the start. The need for police offices at all levels to communicate with the media and with the public is more important than ever. We need to win our battles in the media as well as on the streets against the criminals. We need to equip our staff with the tools to communicate with a diverse and challenging community, and to cope with the demands of a voracious and critical 24-hour media".
The above comments plus feedback from a variety of reports (see opposite), illustrated that a need existed for a training programme to better assist those managing and requiring to communicate in an environment of building safer diverse communities. Also, satisfying such groups by meeting their needs and expectations. Lynda King Taylor, given ten years of her experience working with police and community leaders across 'Hard to Reach' Groups, researched this need. This involved bringing together the best of the private sector to work alongside the public and voluntary sectors. As a result, a programme has been developed involving two intensive days of interactive training which aims to give police officers, local authority and other law enforcement officials the skills and understanding on how to communicate effectively in any environment. Whether an individual's role requires them to speak in public, communicate with diverse communities and the media, this course offers them the confidence, knowledge and practical ability. It is especially tailored to be accurate, relevant, realistic and challenging for the police service and its multi-agency/community partners.
There have been two pilot programmes for this 'Winning Community Relations' project each directed by Lynda King Taylor, Chair of the Paddington Hyde Park Sector Working Group and also an advisor to a number of organisations. Visit www.lyndakingtaylor.com. The programme delivers best practice communications and presentations skills when used as a vehicle for improving working partnerships across inner-city multi-cultural communities. These learning processes improve external 'communications effectiveness' to help share information and gain intelligence value with Hard to Reach Groups, as well as, improve inter-departmental presentations within the Police services and across multi-agency and media members.
Sharing Global Best Practice for Winning Community Relations
Lynda King Taylor, Chair of Paddington Hyde Park Sector Working Group is seen here with officers from the South African Police Service (SAPS), Superintendents Petro and Van der Ross, and the Head of a major Police/Community Group in Cape Town, Pastor Lennie Maart. The sharing of global best practice in working with groups across diverse communities has helped build this two-day programme. Says Lynda, who directs the unique initiative: "This programme has been especially developed from experience gained working with 'Hard to Reach' diverse communities across a variety of operational, confrontational, critical incident events - especially where there is a need to win the hearts and minds in community relations in order to better achieve policing by consent and co-operation." This programme is a highly participative seminar that goes beyond traditional speaking skills and develops delegates techniques using models based on research into the behaviour of top flight presenters. It provides delegates with the skills and techniques to construct and deliver successful presentations, either persuasive or informative in both formal and informal situations, to a wide range of communities, agencies, partnerships and media. The programme is specifically targeted for those individuals who need to speak to 'hard to reach' communities and is essential skills requirement when considering building safer communities together.
The UK's Metropolitan Police Service piloted the first programme, held for ten senior officers at Borough Commander, Specialist Operations or Senior Management Team levels. The programme received rich reviews across the board from all delegates who attended. All officers said the course was highly relevant to their policing priorities, with valuable and realistic case study and community based scenarios.
The second pilot was to establish this programme's relevance for cross border policing and was attended by senior representatives from the Police Service across selected European Union (EU) Members States. The programme was conducted alongside a European Policing Partner 'Europe 2000', which works at European Ministerial level on issues involving criminal justice, social & environmental affairs and organised crime including human trafficking. Again the programme received high praise from all attending. There will be more programmes during 2005-6 for UK police forces, law enforcement agencies and authorities as well as those across Europe. Click here to obtain more information on the programme content and delegate feedback.
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