1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024
7. Areas of focus and action
Our primary focus is on the recruitment, retention, and progression of female officers and staff.
Recruitment campaigns for officers and staff seek to attract females, including for specialist and senior roles.
We will continue to support the progression of female officers and staff. We have taken a collaborative approach to this with the development of a female progression plan which has been written in collaboration with our Human Resources Department and the Kent Network of Women (KNOW) staff support association. Our plan outlines our ongoing actions to ensure that the attraction, recruitment and progression of females in the organisation remains a priority.
We will continue to actively review and respond to reasons for females leaving the force and take action to resolve consistent issues raised where appropriate.
Data shows that our officers perform well in the national police officer examination process (a requirement for promotion to some ranks), compared to the national pass mark, and females tend to perform well compared to males locally. The March 2024 National Police Promotions Framework exams saw higher pass rates for females. Efforts will continue to increase the proportion of females sitting the exam, thereby increasing the pool of eligible officers for succession planning and promotion opportunities.
We will continue our focus on encouraging females and under-represented groups through talent-spotting and enhanced support to join accelerated promotion pathways and to ensure readiness for promotion or further development. Our Internal Inclusion Team has continued to provide briefing events to encourage and support a diverse range of applicants for all promotion processes, both internally and externally. It is crucial we continue to support candidates and remove any barriers for those aspiring to senior ranks within the service.
Our Achieve programme supports individuals from underrepresented groups through personal, lateral, and promotional development. A proportionate number of females are engaged in the programme, working to identify and overcome barriers to progression within the organisation. Our teams collaborate closely with the KNOW to support officers and staff individually. Women-only fitness sessions are available to assist with the mandatory fitness tests and the KNOW offers further support in areas such as maternity, menopause, and caring responsibilities.
We continue to increase the proportion of females in the workplace, but the challenge to be fully representative across all ranks and grades remains. We recognise the need for a continued focus on the recruitment, support and development of the workforce to close the gaps presented in this report.