Policing and Criminal Justice Leadership - MSc

Strategic leadership refers to a manager’s potential to express a strategic vision for the organisation, or a part of the organisation, and to motivate and persuade others to acquire that vision. Strategic leadership can also be defined as utilising strategy in the management of employees. It is the potential to influence organisational members and to execute change.

The aim of this module is to identify the core aspects of strategic leadership and how/why visions and values can be developed to enhance working principles and practices. You will examine how strategic leaders create organisational structures, allocate resources and express vision and how managers can work in and create safe environments.

You will explore the main objectives of strategic leadership, examining the balance between staff empowerment and improving productivity. You will be able to identify how strategic leaders encourage the employees to follow their own ideas and generate safe spaces for this to occur, making greater use of reward and incentive systems for encouraging productive. You will be able to recognise how functional strategic leadership focusses on inventiveness, perception, and planning to assist an individual in realising his objectives and goals.

You will participate in learning and teaching on this module via a combination of in-person workshops and ELearning activities. You will attend four, three hour workshops in Semester one on Birmingham City university campus. This will allow you to receive the core aspects of subject material relating to strategic leaderships within policing. In between in-person workshops, you will complete ELearning activities through using VLE. Students will be provided with considerable support for assignments and tasks throughout the 12 weeks of study.

The aim of this module is to evaluate the concepts, practices and procedures surrounding equality, diversity and inclusion and the ways in which the police engage with diverse communities. The module will evaluate established definitions of equality, diversity and inclusion and how forces integrate these into operational strategy and policy. With historical practice continuing to influence contemporary policing, the content will examine whether Robert Peel’s interpretation of a service which reflected the communities it policed, has continued to focus force policy.

The module will evaluate the historical context of equality and ethical practice and the long and often contentious journey made towards reforming policing operational practice. It will critically examine the widening participation of community groups in police service delivery and the measures used by forces to understand cultural diversity when carrying out their roles and duties. The module requires students to critique how police culture & operational practice has or could influence and reinforce unconscious bias when interacting with the public and the role this plays in influencing community perceptions of the police.

You will participate in learning and teaching on this module via a combination of in-person workshops and ELearning activities. You will attend four, three hour workshops in Semester one on Birmingham City university campus. This will allow you to receive the core aspects of subject material relating to ethics and diversity within policing. In between in-person workshops, you will complete ELearning activities through using VLE.

This module aims to develop your critical analysis and original thinking skills within the subject area of criminal justice leadership. This involves a range of criminal justice system operational elements that include policing, the legal profession, Crown Prosecution Service, courts, probation service and prison service. You will also examine some of the theories and models that support understanding of crime and criminal behaviours. The module also includes evaluation of the nature of the criminal justice system and to what extent it can be referred to as a coherent system and how the system treats those individuals who can be defined as victims, witnesses or suspects/ offenders. You will therefore synthesise the key arguments around criminal justice system reform and to what extent leaders can influence that debate.

This module aims to develop your critical analysis and original thinking skills within the application of artificial intelligence/ machine learning tools and models in policing and criminal justice. This involves a range of operational settings including the predictive analysis of crime, offender management, live facial recognition, bail and sentencing decisions, large language models and data analytics. The subject matter will examine the core ethical questions in the use of AI within policing and criminal justice, including legislation, governance, legitimacy and accountability. You will critically examine the increasing importance of AI tools and models, along with public attitudes towards these powerful emerging technologies

The aim of the module is to enable you to develop an understanding of the research process and the nature and variety of research methods together with the need for an evidence base to guide decision making processes. The design of the module allows for face-to-face and blended learning. Its characteristic features are to encourage you to see qualitative and quantitative methods as equally valuable and often complementary and to involve you, wherever possible, in using and applying the methods.

The module will equip you with an ability to identify and utilise appropriate strategies and techniques for the purpose of individual investigations and research in professional development and practice. Toward this end, you will undertake workshop sessions, where they are introduced to research examples in order to critically consider how research is undertaken in an academic and professional contexts.

You will develop research skills exploring data management, analysis, interpretation and presentation and preparation; the application of statistical techniques; coding, categorising and pattern seeking in qualitative data; research report writing, publishing and dissemination. The module content will help you to select and apply suitable research methods for dissertation projects.

You will participate in learning and teaching on this module via a combination of in-person workshops and ELearning activities. You will attend four, three hour workshops in Semester two on Birmingham City university campus. This will allow you to receive the core aspects of subject material relating to research methods and practice within policing. In between in-person workshops, you will complete ELearning activities through using VLE. You will be provided with considerable support for assignments and tasks throughout the 12 weeks of study.

The Police Action Project (PAP) is the culmination of the careful and deliberate development of research teaching, learning and practice on the programme. The PAP represents a truly independent piece of research conducted under the supervision of the dissertation tutor.  The PAP allows you to conduct your own original research (either primary or secondary) and allows for the demonstration of the following skills: communication in clear written English, the ability to analyse and interpret complex data sets or secondary literature, the ability to analyse and interpret information and arguments, the ability to construct critical arguments, original and independent analysis and judgement, in-depth research skills, time management and planning, the ability to structure and organise an argument.

Multi-Professional Practice refers to a manager’s potential to work across and lead statutory and collaborative multi-agency and partnership arrangements with organisations from the public, private and voluntary sectors. The aim of this module is to develop your strategic, tactical and operational skills in understanding and evaluating policies, structures and practices that govern and influence the way in which multi-professionals deliver improved outcomes for communities. You will also examine the need to influence, motivate and persuade others in understanding mutual business benefits and developing/ delivering improved community safety outcomes in the face of civil emergencies and contingency planning. 

The module content will identify the core aspects of multi-professional practice and how/why effective collaborative working practices between diverse organisations can be developed to the benefit of community safety outcomes and outputs and the way appropriate authorities respond to civil emergencies. You will identify how strategic leaders can create effective relationships with partner agencies, create structures, share resources and assets and combine training opportunities to ensure joint work effectiveness and accountability in dealing with a range of multi-disciplinary and emergency demands. You will examine case studies around best practice and how leaders inspire others in reducing risk and maximising safety when working under extreme conditions in protecting the public and their workforce. In order for you to realise their own personal objectives and goals.

You will participate in learning and teaching on this module via a combination of in-person workshops and ELearning activities. You will attend four, three hour workshops in Semester two on Birmingham City university campus. This will allow you to receive the core aspects of subject material relating to multi-professional practice within policing. In between in-person workshops, you will complete ELearning activities through using VLE. You will be provided with considerable support for assignments and tasks throughout the 12 weeks of study.

The aim of this module is to examine the role of evidence based practice in service delivery, with particular reference to policing. The content will evaluate approaches used in Evidence-Based practice, with reference to specific case studies. This is to ensure that you are able to recognise its impact and effectiveness within policing context.

Content will include consideration of police decision-making, and how effective working can be facilitated through the use of evidence. The different types of evidence that practitioners might draw upon will be evaluated throughout the module, in order to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of each. Particular consideration will be given to the need for evaluations of methods, procedures and practices, in order to optimise performance and maximise outcome(s).

You will participate in learning and teaching on this module via a combination of in-person workshops and ELearning activities. You will attend four, three hour workshops in Semester two on Birmingham City university campus. This will allow you to receive the core aspects of subject material relating to evidenced based practice within policing. In between in-person workshops, you will complete ELearning activities through using VLE. You will be provided with considerable support for assignments and tasks throughout the 12 weeks of study.

The module aims to develop an understanding of command and control within a range of different organisations, evaluating its implementation within a number of sectors. The content will examine definitions, procedures, relevant legislation which governs within command structures. You will critically examine the importance of developing resilience within organisational structures as well as lines of formal and informal communication in order to create memorandums of understanding amongst groups and organisations under the command of a team or individual.

The module will critically examine the function of command and control structures and how organisations identify core goals and objectives which are achievable within the resources available to the team. You will evaluate the importance of communication and ensuring that lines of communication are clear within both in planned and spontaneous incidents.

You will participate in learning and teaching on this module via a combination of in-person workshops and ELearning activities. You will attend four, three hour workshops in Semester three on Birmingham City university campus. This will allow you to receive the core aspects of subject material relating to command and control within policing. In between in-person workshops, you will complete ELearning activities through using VLE. You will be provided with considerable support for assignments and tasks throughout the 12 weeks of study.

The aim of this module is to examine the methods and policies which protect, empower and support those who are vulnerable within England and Wales. The content will define safeguarding and examine how multi-agency partnership approaches and policy, attempts to reduce the risk factors which can lead to displacement and exploitation. You will evaluate the difficulties of providing protection and the increasing issues faced by forces in the backdrop of austerity and a cost saving approaches.

You will examine key pieces of legislation including the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and what agencies should do to manage and protect those with severe learning, mental and physical disabilities within England and Wales. Concepts such as vulnerability, neglect, abuse, forced marriage and modern slavery will be examined in critical detail with specific reference to mixed methods and approaches developed by agencies to tackle these issues.

You will participate in learning and teaching on this module via a combination of in-person workshops and ELearning activities. You will attend four, three hour workshops in Semester three on Birmingham City university campus. This will allow you to receive the core aspects of subject material relating to ethics and diversity within policing. In between in-person workshops, you will complete ELearning activities through using VLE. You will be provided with considerable support for assignments and tasks throughout the 12 weeks of study.

This module will provide you with the option to take part in a 20 week Professional Placement as part of the Masters programme. This module will improve your employability skills by allowing you to work in an area of the jewellery trade that is appropriate to your aspirations and aims, and your future career. This can include manufacturing, purchasing, museum curation, or research establishments. During the placement you will collect evidence of your continuing pathway through the jewellery sector, and your continuing development in terms of employability, and professional workplace-based skills.