The College of Policing

Established in 2012 under the Police Act 1996 as amended. A company limited by guarantee with charity status. Its purpose is to provide the skills and knowledge necessary to prevent crime, protect the public, and secure public trust. The chief executive is a non-police appointment. Funded partly by the Home Office and partly by charges to forces.

APP is the official source of professional practice for policing in England and Wales. It covers virtually every area of policing activity. Officers are expected to have regard to it; it is not legislation, but departure from APP without good reason is relevant to professional standards assessments and misconduct proceedings.

• Investigation: what a proper criminal investigation requires, lines of enquiry, victim management
• Stalking and harassment: specific APP on how these investigations should be conducted
• Digital forensics: what digital investigations require, evidence handling
• Victims: how victims should be treated and communicated with
• Professional standards: how PSDs should handle complaints and conduct matters
• Vetting: the detailed vetting APP setting out what forces must do

The Code of Ethics (first published 2014, revised 2024) sets out three principles: public service, respect and empathy, and courage. It applies to everyone working in policing. It is non-statutory. The 2023 Code of Practice for Ethical Policing is statutory, issued under section 39A of the Police Act 1996, and chief officers have a legal duty to have regard to it. Neither sets the standards used in misconduct proceedings, those are the Standards of Professional Behaviour in the Police (Conduct) Regulations 2020.

Six competencies covering public service, decision making, working with others, leadership, and others. Used in recruitment, promotion and performance management. Where a supervisor has failed to provide proper oversight of an investigation, the CVF's leadership competency is relevant to how that failure is assessed.

The College maintains both under the Police Barred List and Police Advisory List Regulations 2017. The barred list records all dismissed officers, special constables and police staff; it is publicly searchable. The advisory list records those who resigned or retired while under investigation; it is not public but forces must consider it during vetting. The Crime and Policing Act 2026 extended both lists to the NCA, BTP, Civil Nuclear Constabulary and MoD Police.

Professionalising Investigation Programme. The licensing framework for investigators in England and Wales, with four levels from initial investigators (PIP1) through serious and complex investigators (PIP3) to strategic management (PIP4). Sets the training and accreditation standards investigators must hold for the type of cases they handle.

• Investigate a complaint about an officer
• Intervene in an individual case
• Direct a force to take a particular action
• Overturn a misconduct outcome
• Remove an officer from post

The College sets the standards. The IOPC and force PSDs apply them. HMICFRS inspects whether forces are meeting them. The College's role is upstream of all of those mechanisms.