There are a number of new companies to the police recruitment training market. Many of these have simply copied our old "IntoBlue " format, which our Training Director, John McTaggart created.

Simply speaking, we would suggest that the clearest evidence of us being the best is that we have the honour of being the only company National Policing Improvement Agency have ever complained about, saying we give too much away, so providing an "unfair advantage". 

What they really mean is that they were unhappy with the level of preparation our students received. This of course is the whole point! It's a bit like your driving examiner complaining that you took lessons with an instructor before your test. There is nothing unfair about it, its called good preparation. 

Another indicator is the fact that we are the largest and longest running company in this field. We attract the most students, run the most courses, and are the most successful because we provide an excellent product which will give you the best possible advantage.On average, we run over 45 courses a year. We are registered with Companies House, and our trademarks are also registered. We have our own offices. In short, we are a professional training company.

However, if you are researching which course to go on in general, consider asking the following questions of the provider:

Absolutely yes with Talking Blues. With us, whilst we have to ask for a deposit as we are charged by the venue for non attendees, we make the following promise. We do not ask for the balance of the course fee until the END of the day. If you feel you are nor benefiting from the course by lunchtime, tell us, we refund your deposit there and then, we shake hands and part as friends. It has never happened in six years, and we have trained thousands of people, but there is always a first time for everything. 

Good question. Difficult to answer though, as we run so many courses that many people will simply not get back to us to let us know how they did. We estimate that it is somewhere between 8 and 9 out of ten. Realistically, there will always be someone who has a bad day at the assessment, no matter how much preparation they do. You be the judge on the course day though. If you are not satisfied at our efforts, then do not pay us. It’s that simple.

Talking Blues courses start at 0915 and finish at seven in the evening. It is a long day, but if other courses finish earlier, what do they miss out? Ours is so long as it needs to be to get you through!

At Talking Blues, you will receive a professionally printed manual containing 140 pages. A photograph is on our site. Many companies just give out poorly photocopied bits of paper they have "borrowed" from elsewhere in  a cheap ring binder. (See the side bar heading on our "course manual"

In the Talking Blues course manual, there are 14 full role play exercises. This means that each has its own set of role actor instructions and a full marking guide. Some companies only give out four or less. Ask how many you will receive, and if they are all original. We write all of our own material, where as many of our competitors simply use old exercises that at one stage have been available free of charge  from the police themselves. We guarantee that you will never have seen our material elsewhere, well unless that is someone has copied it from us (as has been known)!. Our role-plays are so good that we have had to use legislation to stop some competitors copying them. There are also two full written exercises in the manual, along with specimen answers, along with notes on the interview questions.  

At Talking Blues most definitely not. What is the point of getting feedback from someone who only knows as much as you? You will act as the candidate in two full role plays, which will be assessed by the trainers. Incidentally, no two role plays are the same. 

We were the first company in this market, and in fact we created it. We have run quite literally hundreds of courses, as evidenced by our class gallery. Other companies run one or two courses here and there, and have only been in existence a short period of time. We started under the IntoBlue name in 2001. Don't be confused by the IntoBlue name either. Some companies are trying to use sound-alike names to make people believe that they are somehow connected with it, or Talking Blues. If it does not say IntoBlue, then it is an imitation. Consider why anyone would want to do this, as opposed to building their own professional reputation.

Be wary of companies that encourage you to call on mobile numbers, use post office box numbers, or constantly have ansaphone messages on. Have they got a fax number? All this probably means that they are just running a sideline. Are they a limited company (i.e. have to comply with company legislation), or just a few friends treating your future career as a hobby? Is their company name and logo registered at Companies House? Talking Blues have registered offices, with a receptionist to take your calls during office hours. We are indeed a limited company. Small sidelines will not invest in quality training manuals or presentations, as they cannot afford to. We can, and we do.