Police Now

Measuring the Social Impact of Police Officer Training Programmes

Introduction

Police Now is a national policing leadership development organisation, established to diversify and strengthen police recruitment across the United Kingdom. Since its inception, Police Now has worked in partnership with police forces and the Home Office to attract and train officers dedicated to serving local communities. As public sector funding comes under increasing scrutiny, Police Now identified the need to rigorously measure and communicate the social value generated by its programmes, ensuring transparent and robust justification for ongoing funding.

Project Background

The UK Government’s commitment of £3.6 billion to the Police Uplift Programme aimed to significantly increase the number of frontline officers. Within this context, Police Now has become a vital conduit for recruitment, training and support, responsible for attracting thousands of officers who may not have otherwise joined the service. With its annual funding allocation from both the Home Office and individual police forces, Police Now faced increasing expectations to demonstrate that its approach delivers tangible, measurable social value, both to justify the allocation of public funds and to support future investment in innovative policing programmes.

Solution

To address these requirements, transformacy undertook a comprehensive analysis to quantify the return on investment (ROI) and social value associated with its activities. The methodology included:

• Financial Modelling: The value per officer was benchmarked using UK Government expenditure data, with £77,412.70 identified as the average investment per new recruit, encompassing recruitment, training, and ongoing support.
  
  
• Attribution Analysis: Police Now surveyed recruits, discovering that 49% would not have considered a policing career without this programme. This insight enabled a robust calculation of the officers directly attributable to Police Now’s efforts.
  
  
• Crime and Anti-Social Behaviour Data: Historical data on incidents of crime and anti-social behaviour (ASB) in Police Now wards were examined. By comparing these with national averages and assessing the reduction in incidents following Police Now deployments, the team estimated the societal cost savings achieved.
  
  
• Social Value Frameworks: The Social Value Portal’s Themes, Outcomes, Measures (TOMs) framework was used to assign a monetary value to additional hours of community service delivered by recruits.

All data sources were triangulated to ensure the reliability of findings and to support clear, evidence-based reporting to stakeholders. 

Key Findings

• Value of Recruitment: Over the past decade, Police Now directly enabled the recruitment of 1,647 officers who would not have joined through traditional routes. This represents an additional £127.5 million in value, with an ROI of £1.58 for every £1 invested by the Home Office and police forces.
  
  
• Avoided Crime and Anti-Social Behaviour: Analysis revealed that between August 2017 and July 2018, wards with a Police Now presence experienced 3,281 fewer ASB incidents, rising to an estimated 29,529 fewer incidents over subsequent years as the programme matured. Given the societal cost of £32,301 per ASB incident, this translates to a potential cost avoidance of £953.8 million—a social return of £11.80 for every £1 of funding.
  
  
• Additional Community Service: Police Now recruits contribute an average of 400 extra hours of direct community service during their two-year programme. Using the TOMs value of £17.48 per hour, this equates to £23.57 million in social value, or an additional ROI of £0.29 per £1 of funding. This value is over and above the baseline contribution of police officers.

The total calculated Social Return on Investment (SROI) is £13.67 for every £1 of public funding, reflecting the combined value of recruitment, crime reduction, and community engagement.

Results and Impact

The results of this social value measurement exercise were consolidated into a comprehensive report and presented to the Home Office. The evidence-based approach, combining robust financial modelling with social impact frameworks, provided public sector decision-makers with clear, auditable figures underpinning Police Now’s positive impact. These findings not only justified the annual funding allocation but also reinforced the case for sustained and potentially increased investment in similar recruitment and community engagement programmes. The report’s clarity and rigour were instrumental in demonstrating accountability and value for money to both the Home Office and wider policing partners.

Client Testimonial

“Working with transformacy on our social value impact measurement has been instrumental in demonstrating the tangible benefits of our programmes. Their expertise and tailored approach allowed us to quantify our impact in a meaningful way, providing valuable insights that will guide our future initiatives and strengthen our stakeholder relationships.” — Head of Impact & Insights, Police Now

Conclusion

Police Now’s commitment to quantifying and reporting its social value has set a benchmark for transparency and accountability in public sector initiatives. By adopting a rigorous methodology and leveraging nationally recognised frameworks, Police Now has been able to demonstrate a significant return on investment, both financially and in terms of societal benefit. This approach not only secures the trust of funders and stakeholders but also establishes a template for future measurement of social value in policing and beyond. As funding environments become ever more competitive, the ability to evidence impact will remain critical to securing resources and delivering long-term improvements for communities across the UK.