Our Ambition
To be recognised nationally and internationally as the leading organisation for armed policing of critical national infrastructure in the UK.
Our Mission
In partnership with the civil nuclear industry, national security agencies and regulatory bodies, the CNC will deter any attacker whose intent is the theft or sabotage of nuclear material, whether static or in transit. If an attack occurs, CNC will defend that material and deny access to it. If material is seized or high consequence facilities are compromised, the CNC will recover control of the facility and regain custody of the material.
CNC Inclusive and Engaged
We are committed to building a unified, open, and inclusive culture, working together to achieve our Mission and Ambition. We actively develop a culture of engagement and inclusivity, promoting belonging and recognising the strengths of a diverse workforce.
We value inclusivity and engagement, focusing on health, safety and wellbeing so all employees can flourish and feel trusted, valued and involved in the organisation.
Our Values
The CNC is closely aligned to the nationally recognised values and principles within the Code of Ethics. These provide a consistent, transparent foundation upon which we can continue to strengthen and develop all our people-related activities. This framework ensures that there are a set of clear expectations for everyone working across all ranks and grades within the CNC.
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We are proud to deliver high quality armed policing. We are committed to protecting the public and to our core role of keeping the nation’s civil nuclear material safe.
As individuals and as part of a wider organisation, we have a responsibility to ensure that we act in the best interests of the public as a whole. Improving the safety and wellbeing of the public underpins all that we do.
We are dedicated to working in the public interest, engaging and listening to their needs and concerns. We work to make sure that the public feel valued and engaged, which helps build confidence in the service we provide.
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We are match fit and ready to respond, both through our core role and by supporting the UK’s armed surge capability. Remaining ready and agile is a whole team effort.
We are genuine with those we communicate with and endeavour to create trusting relationships. We accept feedback and are comfortable in responding to criticism and finding ways to improve.
We constantly think about how to create the best possible outcomes for those we serve and take personal responsibility for delivering this.
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Regardless of background, everyone is equal and has a vital part to play in helping us achieve our ambition. Equality, inclusivity and fairness are at the heart of everything we do.
As a police service, we must show impartiality throughout our dealings with colleagues, stakeholders and members of the public. We consider the different sides of a situation and ensure that each side is given equal consideration. We do not favour one person or group over another, acknowledging that discrimination increases feelings of unfairness and makes our jobs harder to do. We must not allow personal feelings, beliefs or opinions to unfairly influence our actions in any situation.
We are clear in our rationale for the decisions or actions we take, ensuring they are clear and evidence-based.
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Our strengths lie in armed policing and world-class firearms training. Our ambition is to be recognised nationally and internationally as the United Kingdom’s leading organisation for the provision of Armed Policing Protective Services.
We understand and reinforce expectations of professional behaviour and openly recognise good and bad performance. We also maintain the highest levels of professionalism, making sure that we always uphold the values and ethical standards of the police service.
We need to build and maintain the confidence of the public, colleagues and stakeholders if we are to deliver a modern and effective Armed Policing Protective Service.
Code of Ethics
The aim of the Code of Ethics produced by the College of Policing is to support each member of the policing profession to deliver the highest professional standards in their service to the public.
9 Policing Principles
The principles underpin and strengthen existing procedures and regulations for ensuring standards of professional behaviour for both police officers and police staff. They should also underpin every decision and action across policing, being used in day to day operations as interventions are planned and debriefed, in the selection of new staff, in educational and development programmes, in annual reviews and in promotion. The principles must be more than just words on a page and must become embedded in the way police professionals think and behave.
Honesty You are truthful and trustworthy
Objectivity You make choices on evidence and your best professional judgement
Integrity You always do the right thing
Openness You are open and transparent in your actions and decisions
Accountability You are answerable for your decisions, actions and omissions
Respect You treat everyone with respect
Fairness You treat people fairly
Selflessness You act in the public interest
Leadership You lead by good example
Equality Support Groups
A diverse workforce means our team has a wider range of skills, abilities and experiences. This helps us to be more effective and agile in the service we provide, and represent the communities we serve and work within.
The CNC has a number of Equality Support Groups (ESGs), whose aim is to provide social, moral and professional support to our diverse team. They’ve been created specifically for those groups of individuals with protected characteristics as detailed in the Equality Act 2010.
Our ESGs provide opportunities to:
- Learn about different cultures, identities, and practices
- Identify gaps in understanding of the varied needs of people from different backgrounds and groups
- Generate dialogue and innovative ideas to inform and improve current and future needs and services
- Effectively embed good practices through lessons learnt and shared
- Help to establish and promote an inclusive culture that values differences in our organisation and communities we serve.
New Age & Age Matters
Physical Disability - Mental Health & Neurodiversity
CNC LGBT+ Police Network
Family Support Group
Multi Ethnic Support Network
Multi Faith Network
Gender Affinity Inclusion Network (GAIN)
Charlie Charlie 1 – Armed Forces and Reservists
What does diversity look like at CNC?
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Lynsay
Chief Inspector Lynsay joined the CNC as a staff member 16 years ago
I’m currently based at one of the CNCs largest units managing the strategy and operational readiness team. I joined the CNC as a police staff administrator at Dounreay, before applying to become a police officer and after a few years I was promoted and qualified as an operational firearms commander. I later decided to specialise as a firearms instructor and worked through the promotion process to be become an inspector in 2017, as well as training to become a Post Incident Manager. In 2019 I went on maternity leave and had twin boys. When I came back, I decided to throw myself in at the deep end and go for promotion again! I was appointed as Chief Inspector in January 2021.
During my time at the CNC things have changed massively for women in the force – the requirement to wear skirts and carry a handbag went years ago to my relief! It isn’t easy to have a career and be mum but it is possible - the force offers support and flexibility, being diverse as an organisation is an advantage and looking after our people is at the heart of what we do. The CNC is full of good, hardworking people who always want to do their best and there are opportunities for everyone if you want them to have an interesting and varied career. -
Josh
T/Sgt Josh is an AFO, currently temporarily promoted to sergeant
I joined the CNC four years ago as an AFO with the plan of being deployed at one of our Northern sites. Becoming an AFO with no previous firearms or policing experience seemed a daunting and unachievable task. However, my willing attitude coupled with the support and extensive knowledge held by our Training Department, equipped me with the required skills needed to become a competent AFO. The CNC is committed to offering development opportunities to its employees which has allowed me to extend my skills further by becoming an Operational Firearms Commander and gaining several other qualifications. In my most recent position as a staff officer, I have had the privilege to support a variety of departments who have all displayed a high level of professionalism whilst working towards the CNCs Mission. As a member of the CNC’s Multi-Ethnic Support Network, I am proud to be part of a forward-thinking organisation who are working extremely hard to promote an inclusive and diverse workplace.
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Helen
PC Helen is a firearms instructor and joined the CNC in 2001
I’m currently a firearms instructor working in the compliance department. When I joined the CNC 20 years ago, all I wanted to do was to be a dog handler, which I worked towards and achieved. I had two dogs and when my last dog retired, I had the choice of taking another dog, for another five or six years. However, at this point I was 30 and my partner and I wanted to have children so I was looking for a role that was more compatible to family life. When a role came up doing personal safety training, fitness training and self-defence, I moved to that as it was a day job that worked well with family. From that I migrated into the firearms department and I went on my firearms course to become a firearms instructor. I’ve had a really varied and enjoyable career at the CNC and the best thing about it is the people I work with. We’re family. The guys I work with, we’re a team. We’ve all got each other’s backs and are friends outside of work too. Life at the CNC is never boring - dog handling, medic training, fitness training is all so rewarding. I have never thought about leaving the CNC - it’s part of me, it’s what I do and I am proud to be a CNC officer. Although we have a high proportion of female officers compared to other forces, we can still do better. One thing I would love is to see more women as AFOs and firearms instructors. This isn’t just a job for the boys.
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Adam
Police staff member Adam works in finance and joined the CNC 17 years ago
One of the main reasons I have been at the CNC for so long is how the family friendly policies have supported me throughout my career. The CNC has enabled me to travel the world on a career break, support the Territorial Army, and manage the extremely difficult loss of my wife after a 22-month fight with cancer, in which I always felt fully supported and valued. More recently and perhaps the most rewarding was the support of the CNC to allow me to have shared parental leave. This was the most magical time and I was able to bond with my son on a different level than I could ever have imagined with our new shared experiences. I could have easily missed out on this had I been in a different organisation. The CNC has supported me through this process and gave me the freedom to stay as connected as I needed to be, on my terms. I always felt valued and was welcomed back smoothly as if I had never been away. All these experiences have helped me develop as a person in many different ways and shaped who I am today.
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Lizzie
Lizzie is currently working as HR Manager - People Performance.
I joined the CNC three years ago from a retail background. When I had my first child I was only able to take eight months off for maternity leave as my employer at the time only offered statutory pay. Luckily, when I had my second child I was working for the CNC and their family friendly polices meant I could take a year off with the baby and the rest of my young family which may not have been possible to do with other employers.
Whilst I was off, I had great contact with my team, my manager and maternity cover. Six months after I’d had the baby, I was invited to away days so I could start to get involved again in a way that ensured I still felt involved in the organisation but without any pressure. I recently did some Continuous Professional Development as part of my KIT days before returning to work so I feel very invested in as an employee.
Working for the CNC has meant that I’ve been able to come back as a full-time working mother. Our hybrid working has meant that I’ve been able to work from home a couple of days a week to help do the school run and still be in a full-time rewarding role.
The CNC is very supportive for working parents as our flexible working and hybrid working policies have made it comfortable to manage my work and home life.
Going forward we’re continuing to work on a hybrid and flexible basis in the CNC. Along with all of our other family friendly policies which we constantly review and update we are continuing to develop our menopause and IVF policies to ensure they are supportive to all of our employees.
Who the CNC are partnering with
