Zebedee wrote:Good grief. That's all we need: an arms race about who has the highest standard
I imagine RoSPA will have been influenced by the IAM's Masters programme.
I reckon the good thing about the Masters programme is that it has trained mentors and a programme of coaching. I hope RoSPA takes the coaching side seriously too. It's the learning that counts, not the test, IMO.
The arms race grew a long, grey beard many years ago and has since popped it's head out of its cave at every given opportunity.
The widely accepted civilian AD hierarchy and lineage, as I understand it, is:
IAM F1rst - most people will take an IAM course due to the IAM having spent more on marketing than RoSPA. RoSPA Gold - for people who feel the need to learn more of the same thing as IAM and who found out about the RoADAR course through someone in the IAM. Quite often, though not always, their IAM examiner.
IAM Masters (with Distinction) - for people who know there's more to it than that accepted during an IAM or RoSPA test and who have a spare couple of hundred quid to spend on more AD.
RoSPA Platinum - i'd imagine it would fit in about here somewhere.
HPC Gold - proves that the rest is only the beginning.
(Police Advanced - has its own territory which civilians cannot enter, due to legal restrictions and so it doesn't really count).
Then there are those people whose skills and abilities allow them to train the Police AD trainers. You're likely to encounter them via the HPC.