Public insight and scrutiny
Independent Advisory Groups
Independent Advisory Groups (IAGs) are a way for our diverse communities to work with us to help improve our service. Groups are comprised of members of the public, with 13 groups representing each of our 11 Local Policing Areas (LPAs) as well as a Strategic Independent Advisory Group (SIAG) and a Stop and Search Independent Advisory Group (SSIAG). For information on how to become a member of an IAG, please scroll to the bottom of this page.
IAGs consider local issues such as stop and search figures, hate crime statistics, critical incidents or issues raised as relevant and topical to the public that the LPA serve. IAGs enable us to create a genuine partnership with our communities. Their insights help shape our service for the benefit of all our communities to maximise on trust and confidence. IAGs are independent only in relation to their views.
- Read your local LPA IAG meeting minutes,
- Find out more about the Strategic Independent Advisory Group,
- Find out more about the Stop and Search Independent Advisory Group.
IAGs aim:
- To maximise the trust and confidence of the diverse Thames Valley communities through communication, exchanges of views and discussing police issues,
- To provide a forum for the community to help shape service delivery,
- To enable Thames Valley Police to develop policies and procedures that are both accessible and transparent,
- To increase our engagement with communities and help expand the potential for community resilience through the Neighbourhood Policing plan,
- Act as a 'critical friend' to scrutinise policing and policy decisions and debrief incidents and operations.
IAG meetings are held at least quarterly. However, as a result of an incident - an ‘extraordinary’ IAG may be held.
Minutes of the IAG meetings are available on the website with members details anonymised.
Who are the IAG members?
IAG members are members of the public who have an interest in the community and the policing of it.
Membership seeks to be reflective of the protective characteristics held within the Equality Act 2010.
Members are not expected to be a spokesperson for any particular community but should bring their own personal experiences and perspectives to the IAG.
IAGs should have members reflecting the diversity of the local community which may include the following areas:
- Age,
- Disability,
- Gender (including transgender),
- Geography,
- Isolated communities (including Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities),
- Race,
- Religion or Belief,
- Sexual Orientation,
- Socio-economic status.
Who can become an IAG member?
If you work or live within the Thames Valley Police area you are eligible to apply to become a member of an IAG.
Previous court convictions or police contact is not a bar to membership, however, all members are vetted to a basic screening level.
All personal details from meetings will be held internally but will not be published in any media or be made available on the force website.
Who else attends IAG meetings?
The Local Policing Department at Thames Valley Police headquarters manage both the Strategic IAG (SIAG) and the Stop and Search IAG (SSIAG).
The Assistant Chief Constable for Local Policing attends the Strategic IAG (SIAG) and the SSIAG, while the Local Police Area Commander or Deputy Commander attend the Local Policing Area IAGs.
Police officers and staff attend the IAGs to deliver presentations on themes and act as subject matter experts to answer questions raised on the agenda items.
Apply to join an IAG
Thames Valley Police are recruiting new members for our IAGs to seek your valuable input to help shape and impact local policing. If you have a desire to improve what and how services are delivered to your community, please complete the application form and either email it to [email protected] or send it to the below address:
Thames Valley Police,
Local Policing,
TVP HQ South,
Oxford Road,
Kidlington,
OX5 2NX.
All applicants will be checked for eligibility and then processed by the Chair of the target IAG, and offered a place where a vacancy exists.
You can also view the IAG Policy for more information about the groups and their role.
You can view a flowchart outlining the process for applying to join an IAG.
There are two ways you can start the process of applying to be part of the TVP IAG, you can either have an:
Informal Discussion with an existing IAG Member, or via this web page, the process is then the same from this point.
You will need to complete the application form linked above, and either email or post to the addresses listed.
The application is then sent to the relevant Local Policing Area (LPA) Administrative Support Officer (ASO), who will arrange for your identification to be verified. This will be forwarded to the vetting department, who will conduct background checks.
The background checks are then reviewed by the nominated lead on the relevant LPA.
If the application is declined at this point, you will be provided with feedback to discuss the way forward.
If there are no issues with the background checks, the application then goes to the IAG Chair for a decision on whether your application is approved or declined.
If the application is declined, you will be provided with feedback to discuss the way forward.
If your application is accepted and you are appointed, you will receive an induction pack and training, before taking part in the IAG and attending the meetings.