The Chief Constable Of Sussex

The Chief Constable Of Sussex

Address: Sussex Police, Malling House, Church Lane, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 2DZ Unique reference number (URN): 2554104

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, learners are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect providers for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The provider has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The provider has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders establish a culture of inclusion in which staff accurately identify apprentices’ additional learning needs and barriers to learning. Leaders have appropriately trained staff to provide suitable ongoing support for apprentices with additional learning needs. Apprentices meet with the learning development team to discuss their individual needs and agree any adjustments they require. They benefit from helpful review meetings with staff to discuss any changes to their needs and support.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders make sure apprentices with temporary barriers to learning are supported well throughout their period of need. For example, apprentices that are absent due to illness are given additional time and one-to-one sessions to support them to catch up on missed learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders ensure that apprentices are well supported in the workplace. Apprentices with barriers to learning benefit from workplace adjustment passports that they share with their line managers, assessors and coaches so that their needs are understood and met. Staff provide useful resources to meet apprentices’ needs. For example, they provide apprentices with noise cancelling headphones, and mobile data terminals with assistive technology when out in the community. Apprentices become more independent in their learning and at work because of the strategies they develop and the support that they receive.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have a clear vision to provide high-quality training to prepare staff for the role of Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs). In doing so, they meet government neighbourhood policing priorities to help maintain the number of PCSOs needed to serve local communities.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders responsible for oversight have a clear understanding of the quality of their curriculum and the support that apprentices receive. Leaders use their expertise to challenge and support managers well. They monitor staff performance and apprentices’ outcomes effectively so that they can identify areas for improvement. For example, leaders identified a decrease in the proportion of apprentices that achieve distinction grades and put actions in place to improve this.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Staff feel valued by leaders. They appreciate the activities that leaders plan to support a sense of cohesion among staff, including coffee catch-ups and shared lunches. Staff benefit from many opportunities to attend groups and networks to support their wellbeing. They can attend a wellbeing hub, menopause support group and sports clubs.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders ensure that staff complete all mandatory training as set out by the college of policing, as well as additional opportunities to maintain subject currency. For example, staff complete monthly operational shifts so they know the current issues that PCSOs may face when working in the community. Leaders work effectively with subcontractors to offer qualifications in functional skills English and/or mathematics. Leaders ensure that most line managers have a secure understanding of apprenticeships. They recognise the need to develop this understanding further so that line managers can provide well-informed support to apprentices.

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Achievement Expected standard

Apprentices, including those who are disadvantaged, achieve well and develop valuable new knowledge, skills and behaviours. When on patrol, they are alert to their environment, noticing people of interest and those that might present risk. They use their designated powers accurately and with confidence. They develop positive relationships with their external agencies, such as council services, to help vulnerable people.

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Achievement Expected standard

Apprentices develop the English, mathematical and digital skills that they need for their job roles. They write incident reports accurately. They learn how to use hardware and software competently to search for information and file reports. Apprentices produce work at the standard expected for their stage of training and, in a few cases, their work is of a high standard.

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Achievement Expected standard

A high proportion of apprentices take on greater responsibility as Police Community Support Officers roles and secure increases in salary. Almost all apprentices continue to work in the police force after completing their training.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders sequence the curriculum logically so that apprentices develop the knowledge, skills, behaviours and confidence they need to do their jobs well. Apprentices first learn the law and how to record evidence, before moving on to patrol, where they practise what they have learned under supervision of their tutors. Staff generally plan sufficient time for apprentices to consolidate their learning and prepare for their final assessments. Leaders are taking appropriate steps to improve the quality of teaching resources to support more apprentices to work towards distinction grades.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff use their extensive experience in policing to train Police Community Support Officers effectively. They draw on the specialisms of guest speakers to enhance apprentices’ knowledge and skills. For example, fraud prevention specialists support apprentices to record evidence accurately when working in the community. Staff contextualise learning well to the communities in which apprentices work. They help those working in seaside or coastal communities understand the prevalence of issues, such as county lines.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff generally use effective teaching strategies. They recap prior learning using questioning and online quizzes. As they progress through their studies, apprentices practise and apply what they learn safely using simulated, real-world scenarios.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders ensure the curriculum is accessible to learners. Apprentices with dyslexia are provided with tailored resources ahead of teaching sessions to give them additional processing time.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Leaders set high expectations for apprentices’ professional behaviours and attendance. Apprentices are highly professional and demonstrate the behaviours required in the police code of ethics. Apprentices develop relationships with the people in their communities and use these to gather further intelligence about people of interest, such as prolific shoplifters. Apprentices’ attendance in training and at work is high.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Leaders provide apprentices with opportunities to develop their interests. Apprentices can access sports, social clubs and networks. They have opportunities to participate in charity events to raise money for local, regional and national causes.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Apprentices receive appropriate careers advice and guidance. They understand the roles and career development opportunities that are available to them within the police force. Apprentices can access additional opportunities to develop their skills and career prospects. These include mentoring, work shadowing in other teams and specialisms, such as dog handling.

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Participation and development Expected standard

Apprentices do not experience bullying, harassment or discrimination. They are confident that any incidents would be dealt with quickly by leaders through the force's policies and processes. They value the support that their colleagues provide, when members of the public demonstrate challenging or offensive behaviours towards them.

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What it's like to be a learner and/or an apprentice at this provider

Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) apprentices enjoy their learning and are motivated to succeed. They train in calm, professional and respectful environments. When they respond to incidents that present challenges, they are mindful of their own safety and that of their colleagues.

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What it's like to be a learner and/or an apprentice at this provider

Apprentices, including those with barriers to learning, achieve well. They benefit from activities that develop the new knowledge, skills and behaviours that they need for their roles. They participate in scenario days to learn how to respond to incidents that they are likely to encounter when on patrol, including the exploitation of vulnerable people, missing children and modern slavery. Apprentices receive support to help them to maintain positive mental and physical health and healthy relationships. They attend debriefing sessions following traumatic incidents to discuss their feelings. They understand the professional boundaries that must be maintained to avoid abuse of power.

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What it's like to be a learner and/or an apprentice at this provider

Apprentices develop their resilience as a result of their training. They practise powers of seizure, radio communications and referrals. They do so under pressure, often responding to challenging incidents with calm confidence.

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What it's like to be a learner and/or an apprentice at this provider

Apprentices have a deep understanding of the values important in modern Britain and those that underpin policing. They complete presentations and assignments in community policing and community engagement to contextualise their knowledge of equality, diversity and human rights.

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What it's like to be a learner and/or an apprentice at this provider

Apprentices know how to keep themselves safe from the risks associated with radicalisation and extremism. They receive thorough training and specialist input from guest speakers that help them to understand how to keep themselves and others safe.

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Next steps

Leaders should further develop teaching to support more apprentices to achieve distinction grades. Leaders should further strengthen careers advice and guidance so that it is highly individualised to apprentices' aspirations and career goals. Leaders should strengthen their work with apprentices' line managers, so that they understand fully the demands of apprentices' training and are able to provide consistent, well-informed support.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the provider:

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About this inspection

The Chief Constable of Sussex (Sussex Police) is an employer provider. Leaders have been offering apprenticeships since March 2019. All apprentices are employed by Sussex Police and study the police community support officer apprenticeship at level 4. They work in police stations across the county. At the time of the inspection, there were 57 apprentices in training, all of whom were over 18 years of age. Sussex Police and Surrey Police work collaboratively and the learning and development department oversees both forces.

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About this inspection

Leaders subcontract functional skills qualifications in English and mathematics to FSUK. At the time of inspection, there were no apprentices completing these qualifications.

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Lead inspector:

Jo-Ann Henderson, His Majesty's Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This was the data available at the time of the full inspection, taken from different sources . More recent data may have been published since the full inspection took place.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The inspector(s) used this data during the full inspection on 8 September 2026

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Apprenticeships pass rate

Head of Learning and Development: Emma Andrews-Fisher

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other providers can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The provider reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The provider is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The provider needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Urgent improvement

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk . Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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