Interview with Shaun Ostle – Course Leader for BA (Hons) Professional Policing

Published by wpmicro on 22nd September 202122nd September 2021

Newman University is excited to launch its BA (Hons) Professional Policing degree in September 2022 (subject to successful validation). We caught up with course leader Shaun Ostle to find out a little more about the course, and his background in the Police Service.

Can you tell us a little bit about your journey before joining Newman University?

“My plan whilst at school studying A-Levels was to become a teacher, however, at the last minute I decided to apply for the police and was successful. I joined Nottinghamshire Police where I served for 30 years, the last 16 years at the rank of Chief Inspector. I worked in many departments including response, neighbourhoods, CID, firearms, traffic and also some project work. Towards the end of my police service, I had the opportunity to undertake some partnership work with the University of Derby and also did quite a number of guest lectures. In 2019, I started full-time at the University of Derby, where I taught on various policing programmes and then became the Programme Lead on the BA (Hons) Professional Policing. When I saw the opportunity come up to work at Newman University, I really welcomed the challenge of setting up my own programme and creating a really good course for students and future police officers.”

What is the most memorable moment of your career so far?

“I could tell you about lots of things that I have been involved in during my police career, such as being firearms commander for the visit of the Queen, Prince Andrew and Kate Middleton, being involved in vehicle pursuits and attending numerous serious and fatal incidents. However, my most memorable moments are different. In my time as lead for mental health and wellbeing, I took great comfort in helping both members of the public and also members of the police service who were at their worst time in life and felt there was no way out. I welcomed listening to people and helping them through times of crisis and helping them mend from whatever they had been through.”

What are your particular areas of interest within the field of Policing?

“I would say that my main areas of interest is in emergency and operational planning, which involves preparing for and dealing with major incidents. I also have a wealth of experience in commanding firearms operations, road policing and dealing with fatal crashes. As I mentioned above, I have a really keen interest in mental health and wellbeing, both external and internal, to the police service. For many years I have been a qualified coach and mentor and this is something that people do not always think of first when talking about policing, but actually, it is a really important and key part of developing a good workforce.”

Can you tell us more about the new Professional Policing course?

“This course is designed to provide you with the skills and knowledge required to be a police officer and It also qualifies you to apply for the police. You will still need to go through normal selection processes, but the knowledge learned will help you significantly in this. You will get an insight into the law, police powers and procedures, and learn how to use some of these in practical exercises.”

What is your main piece of advice for anyone who is interested in a career within the police service?

“Take every opportunity offered to you. Sometimes, you might think that it’s not your kind of thing, but actually, every opportunity you take you are learning something. This is particularly relevant when you want to apply for a promotion or a move to a different department, you will be able to evidence your experience.”

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