Following the Child Q report, the Runnymede report and the conviction of a Safer Schools officer PC Hussain Chehab, there has been a strong narrative questioning the legitimacy and positive impact that SSOs have on young people, with a specific concern around disproportionate policing of school children from under-represented groups. Therefore, the police must ensure that the officers that are placed in roles working closely with children have the right character, skills and experience to undertake policing in schools effectively.
Research on the relationships between the police and schools shows the main attributes of a good SSO are categorised as follows:
Ability
- Good communicator (includes confidence, approachability and diplomacy with school staff and young people)
- The right sort of person (includes common sense, being fair, a desire to work with young people and invested in achieving good outcomes for young people)
Knowledge- Possess a range of policing experience (possess a wide knowledge of policing processes and practices)
- Knowledge of school policies and procedures
References
Kids Aren’t the Problem: Understanding Police Officer-School Staff Relationships within Safer School Partnerships:
https://www.proquest.com/openview/f7d70d720e43c17323b25e7f80e85682/1?cbl=2026366&diss=y&pq-o...‘Child Q’ report (2022):
https://education.hackney.gov.uk/content/response-child-q
'Child Q' report update (2023):
https://chscp.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Jim-Gamble-Statement-CHSCP-Child-Q-Update.pdfRunnymede Trust - Over-policed and under-protected: the road to Safer Schools (2023) :
https://www.runnymedetrust.org/publications/over-policed-and-under-protected-the-road-to-safer-schoo...