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Jewish police officers and staff to have their own Positive Action Leadership Programme

The National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) is running the first ever Positive Action Leadership Programme specifically for Jewish police officers and staff this week.

Fifteen Jewish officers and staff from the Metropolitan Police, Greater Manchester Police, West Yorkshire Police and NPIA - representing around 5% of all Jewish police staff - will attend the course this week.

The four-day programme is made up of eight modules looking at delegates' values, beliefs and self-limiting assumptions as well as conflict resolution, decision-making and mentoring.

The sessions will be a mixture of facilitated discussion, group work and individual exercises.

The programme is part of the NPIA's commitment to developing a wide cross-section of talent and creating a police service that properly reflects the community it serves. It is designed to encourage the retention and progression of members of under-represented groups in the police service.

More than 3000 police officers and staff from a range of under-represented groups have completed a course since it began in 2006. These include Muslim, Christian and Hindu police officers and staff as well as those who are black, gay, women or disabled.

The courses are delivered at NPIA sites or within individual forces for either a specific under-represented group or a mixed group.

NPIA chief people officer, Angela O'Connor, said: "This is a great way to retain Jewish staff and officers and to encourage them to progress to potentially become the next generation of leaders in the police.

"It is also an excellent development opportunity for police staff and officers from an under-represented group who are ambitious to develop their career.

"It is essential that forces keep and develop the talents of staff from all backgrounds so they reflect the communities they serve."