SPHERE: Shared Police & Higher Education Research & Enterprise
Katherine Jones, Enterprise Manager
01905 855556
k.jones@worc.ac.uk
Hines Building room 1.3
SPHERE is a partnership between West Mercia Constabulary and the University of Worcester, which enables the force to utilise academic expertise to enhance it’s policing activities.
SPHERE was developed to enable research and consultancy to be carried out for West Mercia Constabulary to enhance its operational effectiveness. Work is carried out by undergraduate students, postgraduate students and University staff. The Constabulary benefits through gaining access to the latest and skills in specific fields, while University students and staff gain valuable workplace experience.
Since 1997, over forty projects have been completed on a wide range of topics including:
- Evaluation of a Beat Manager scheme
- Development of a competency framework for police officers
- Exploration of factors affecting police training
- Delivery of Instructional Techniques training to firearms officers
Twenty-six academic publications and conference papers have been produced as well as eleven student theses. The research and consultancy has often made an important contribution to improving Force performance and making communities safer throughout West Mercia.
The benefits for the University have also been significant. Work has fed directly into Public Sector Management, Human Resource Management, Psychology and IT teaching programmes within the University and a number of the researchers have a national profile, both in the police sector and in their specialist field (e.g. selection, assessment and training). The SPHERE partnership has also led to the University completing work for the Metropolitan Police Service and the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO). In 2005, the SPHERE prize for the best undergraduate and postgraduate project has been introduced.
SPHERE has achieved many significant accolades for both the Constabulary and the University. It’s success contributed to the force achieving the Queen’s Award for Innovation in Police Training and Development. The initiative has also been highlighted as an example of best practice in the Standing Conference of Principals (SCOP) Lambert Review 2003 and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary Best Value Training Review 2005.
SPHERE was used in University College Worcester’s submission for University title to the Privy Council and has also been submitted as a case study of best practice in 3rd stream activity to the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) in 2005.
For further information on the case study, click on this link.