Vacancy Information

This role is within a unit where Surrey Police and Sussex Police work in collaboration, whilst remaining two separate legal entities/employers with different terms and conditions.

Both Surrey Police staff and Sussex Police staff are employed in this unit on their own force terms and conditions.

Successful candidates may be appointed on the terms and conditions of employment of either Surrey Police or Sussex Police, depending on organisational requirements. A discussion will be held with the successful candidate to confirm the details of location, salary, allowances and hours.

Division / Department - Specialist Crime
Grade - Surrey Police Grade H / Sussex Police Grade 11
Status - Full Time or Happy to Talk Flexible Working
Contract Type - Permanent
Salary Grade Range - Surrey Police £38,064 - £45,058 / Sussex Police £39,813 - £43,920
Working Hours - 36.0 Hours per Week
Shift Allowance - No
Politically Restricted - No
Location - Surrey Police Headquarters, Guildford

The starting salary for this role will usually be at the bottom of the salary range and will be pro-rata if the working hours are less than full time.

Chief Constables' Message

We really welcome your interest in joining our Police Force. It is a privilege to lead the teams in Surrey Police and Sussex Police who continuously work selflessly and tirelessly in order to keep people in our counties safe.

We are looking for talented and inspirational people who put the needs of the public at the heart of everything that they do and who want to make a difference. If you feel you are that person then we want to hear from you.

We wish you all the very best with your application.

Chief Constable Tim De Meyer & Chief Constable Jo Shiner

The Role & Key Responsibilities

The role is working as part of the Forensic Competence & Standards team, responsible for the development and implementation of ISO 17020 accreditation and compliance with the Forensic Regulator's Code of Practice for Crime Scene Services in both Surrey and Sussex Police.

You will be part of the team that designs and delivers the competency framework, assessing and reporting upon staff competence (CSI & CSM) through knowledge checks, mock scenes and skills tests. You will be required to work across Surrey and Sussex to ensure that staff demonstrate competence and maintain quality standards.

You will be responsible for developing and maintaining quality standards through use of your extensive knowledge and experience of crime scene examination over the full range of volume, serious and major crime types gained in a policing environment. You will also work with the team on:

• validation exercises for CSI procedures and equipment
• standard operating procedures
• providing training and assessment
• providing project updates and participate in the CSS ISO meetings
• become a trained auditor
• providing evidence for UKAS assessment
• be a point of contact for accreditation and technical queries

Skills & Experience

• Candidates will have a pass in both Maths and English GCSE or equivalent qualification.
• The post holder is required to be educated to degree level or have substantial workplace experience in crime scene investigation with evidence of additional project work or areas of responsibility.
• You will hold professional qualifications in crime scene investigation at CSI stage 1 and 2 (or equivalent),
• You will have extensive practical experience in delivering operational crime scene services of the full range of volume, serious and major crime types.
• You will have a good knowledge of ISO 17020 and FSR Code of Practice in relation to CSI.
• You will have experience of coaching staff
• You will have experience that demonstrates your commitment to ISO accreditation/quality standards through project work, auditing, document reviews, procedure writing, or competency testing.
• You must hold a current, full driving licence for manual vehicles and will be required to pass an internal driving assessment to be authorised to drive police vehicles of the relevant class.
• Many of the duties involve lone working, so you must be self-motivated and able to perform successfully without supervision.
• Teamwork is also key, so you will need to demonstrate the ability to work in a wider group.
• You will need to be able to prioritise your work, be organised with your time, work to tight deadlines and have the flexibility to alter plans as priorities change.
• You will possess exceptional communication skills, both oral and written.
• You must have sound experience of using Microsoft Word, Outlook, Teams, PowerPoint and Excel.

Why Work With Us?

We recognise that our people are balancing demanding careers with commitments and interests outside of work. We welcome applications and discussion with candidates who want to work full time or part time/flexible hours.

We encourage agile working, giving you the opportunity to manage your own diary and work wherever you give the best service to the public. This may include flexi-time and home working.

We take pride in looking after our people and offer a variety of benefits;

• career progression
• contributory pension scheme (LGPS)
• generous annual leave allowance
• discounts for everyday spend
• on-site gyms and a range of sports clubs
• generous and supportive parental leave
• financial and mental wellbeing guidance and support
• discounted contributory healthcare scheme

Please use the following links for more information on the benefits of working with Surrey Police or Sussex Police

Diversity Statement

We are only as good as our people.  It's important that our officers and staff can be themselves in the workplace and we know that as an organisation we'll grow from the variety of thinking, approach, and the skills that diversity brings; all of which help us to deliver a better policing service. We strive to ensure how we deliver our services, provide information and how we recruit is open and accessible to all.

We have multiple staff support groups who help to improve our understanding of minority issues and ensure they are reflected in our work. We are proud members of Disability Confident, hold Race Equality Matters Trailblazer status, are a signatory of the Race at Work Charter and are aligned with the Armed Forces Covenant and the HeForShe movement.

We are committed to being an anti-racist police service. We promise to challenge injustice, ensure fairness and to uphold anti-racist principles in both our organisation and our communities. For more information, you can read our full anti-racism statement here.

We value the differences that people bring from all backgrounds and communities. Regardless of age, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, disability, social status, or religious belief, we would love to hear from you.

Please use the following links to find out more on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at Surrey Police and Sussex Police

Additional Information

Following submission of your application you will receive a confirmation email with a copy of your application attached. Occasionally emails from this address can fall into spam/junk folders so please ensure this is checked regularly.  You may wish to consider adding noreply@surreysussexpolice.as.recruitmail.com to your address/contact list to ensure you receive all communications.

This post is being advertised in parallel with Force redeployment processes.  Any redeployees who are identified will be given preference.  This may result in the post being withdrawn at any point during the recruitment process.

Please note that not all jobs are available for internal candidates across both Forces, the current agreed recruitment principles are;

• vacancies in collaborated units are available to all officers and staff across both Forces
• vacancies in non-collaborated units are only available to officers and staff within the Force with the vacancy unless it is advertised externally
• if the vacancy is advertised externally and an officer or member of staff from the other Force is successful it will result in a transfer of employment

Surrey Police and Sussex Police Special Constables, Volunteers and Agency Staff (excluding self employed workers) covered under the Agency Worker Regulations (AWR) are eligible to apply for internal advertised posts.

Attachments

• Forensic Competence and Standards Officer role profile.docx