Training line managers to be NVQ assessors rather than employing specialists is to help West Midlands Police save £1 million a year.

The strategy, which is being rolled out following a successful pilot, was developed by the force in response to a Home Office requirement in 2006 that all new police officers gain a level 3 or 4 NVQ in policing. With 560 student officers taken on every year, this presented a challenge.