Groom
Salary: Band 4, £27,204 - £27,513 (Please note it is Northumbria Police policy to appoint at the beginning of the band)
Location: Houghton le Spring
Hours/Contract: 37 hours per week, 12 month fixed term contract
Working for #TeamNP
Our purpose at Team NP is simple: to keep people safe and to fight crime. But it takes more than officers alone to do the job – and that’s where our 2,000-strong team of police staff and 200 volunteers come in.
As one of the largest police forces in England we have a huge variety of departments and specialisms offering you endless opportunities. From mentoring and coaching schemes and online soft skills courses to leadership development programmes; we’ll give you the support, training and time to carve out the career you always wanted.
As a disability confident employer, we promote a culture of respect in the workplace so everyone can feel seen, heard and valued.
Whether you’re a member of staff or a volunteer, you can also expect first-rate support to manage your health and wellbeing. With year-round events, a 24/7 welfare support hotline and a leading approach to neurodiversity, our initiatives enable you to be at your best.
Above all else, here at Team NP, we can offer you a career that is so much more than just a job, it’s a chance to be part of something that really matters.
Learn about our full benefits package
The role
Here at Northumbria Police, we think our region is amazing! It takes a great deal of people from different backgrounds, with diverse skills and experience to serve our force area effectively, think you have what it takes to help us make a difference? This could be the perfect time for you to join us in our Force Coordination and Operations Department as a Groom.
This is a unique role and could be for you if you have a real passion and dedication for horses. You will join our fantastic Mounted Section department delivering specialist services within our force area. The Mounted Section is instrumental in the delivery of effective policing services and is key to ensuring that Northumbria Police achieves high levels of performance.
The successful candidate will undertake a range of duties to ensure the welfare and training of horses in the care of the Force, to local and national standards, in order to provide the force with healthy horses who are fit for operational duty.
What you’ll do
- Feed, ride and exercise horses on a daily basis, ensuring that any special dietary or exercise requirements are met to maintain the health, fitness and wellbeing of police horses.
- Turn out horses for operational duty and maintain equipment to a high standard.
- Support with training delivery including riding, in order to maintain high standards.
- Maintain a high standard of hygiene and cleanliness of the stables, stock and all equipment, to maintain the welfare of the horses and minimise any risks to users of the facility.
- Monitor the physical and mental health of horses, identify early signs of illness, provide basic treatments such as worming and administering prescribed medication, and seek further veterinary advice when needed to maintain their overall well-being.
Sound interesting? For further information, and to support your application, please view the job description
What you’ll bring
- Must be able to work flexibly and be available to react to the demands of the mounted section, including 24 callouts as required.
- Minimum BHS level 2 or equivalent. Extensive proven experience riding and training large horses.
- If the Force requirement is for the support staff to drive the unit’s vehicle fleet, then it is desirable they have a full clean driving licence and hold the relevant authorities.
- Significant experience in early identification of veterinary issues and strong awareness of vet call out procedures.
- Experience in equine first aid.
We know it's important for you to feel that you're not only part of a great team, but part of a community. We welcome applications from suitably qualified people from all sections of the community, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.
Harnessing these differences creates a productive environment in which everyone feels valued, and their talents are fully utilised. Appointments are based on merit alone.
Interested to learn more? For further information about the role please contact Ged Sharp, Sergeant Mounted Section by email at Gerrard.Sharp@northumbria.Police.uk
What we offer
- 26 days’ leave (increasing to 30 days for 5 years+ service) plus 8 bank holidays
- NHS Fleet Solutions Car Lease Scheme
- Enhanced maternity, shared parental and adoption leave
- Flexi time - allowing you to fit your working hours around your individual needs
- Flexible working (we are happy to discuss options such as compressed hours)
- Agile working – option to work from home, your team zone, and spaces across the force
- Fantastic market-leading public sector pension scheme with up to 16% employer contribution
- Corporate travel schemes – local rail, bus services and metro discounts
- Access to private healthcare and eye test vouchers
- Discounts on shopping and eating out thanks to the Blue Light Card and Blue Light Tickets
- We’ve invested in extensive paid sick leave, trained mental health first aiders on-site, an employee advice service for the times you need that additional support
- Access to gyms in some stations
- Sports & Social Club – join our thriving sports scene at Team NP and enjoy further exclusive discounts on days out and travel
- Cycle to work scheme
- Opportunity to volunteer in local community
We are committed to building a dynamic, agile workplace where meaningful connection are key. For roles designated as agile or home-based, employees will work from a Force site at least once a week, with two days recommended. Hiring managers will be happy to discuss how this works in practice at interview stage. This approach helps build strong relationships, supports wellbeing, and fosters collaboration across teams.
Just so you know
Candidates with priority status will be given precedence for this role over other applicants.
Our application form will help us understand how your work, education and life experience has prepared you for the role of a Groom with #TeamNP. To help support your application research what makes us tick here at Northumbria, the role you’re applying for and the values and behaviours that contribute.
The recruitment process will consist of the initial application form followed by an interview. Just so you know, you can save your application and come back to it any time prior to the closing date on the advert.
We are proud members of the Business Disability Forum, working together to improve the lives of disabled employees. As a Disability Confident Leader, we are committed to offering an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role. In cases of very high application volumes, we may prioritise those who most closely meet the criteria, applying the same fair approach for all candidates.
If you tell us that you have a disability, we can make adjustments to support you through the recruitment process (for example we can arrange extra time for tests or provide a sign language interpreter) You can get in touch with us via careers@northumbria.police.uk for any support regarding the application process. Please provide us with plenty of notice so we can ensure your visit goes smoothly.
Use of AI in Applications: At Northumbria Police, we embrace innovative technologies to enhance our recruitment process. We understand that candidates may use AI tools to assist with their applications. While AI can be a valuable resource, we encourage applicants to ensure their submissions accurately reflect their personal qualifications, experiences, and skills. Our selection process includes thorough evaluations to verify the authenticity and suitability of all applications. We value genuine and thoughtful responses that showcase your unique strengths and perspectives.
If your application is successful, we’ll ask you to complete a Recruitment Vetting (RV) form, therefore you must be a resident of the UK for a minimum period of 3 years to ensure vetting checks can be successfully performed. A job offer will be dependent upon vetting clearance, medical information, and references.
Terms of appointment
This is a fixed term / secondment role subject to a six-month probationary period.
If you are successful in your application, you will have a six-month probation period with us where you will be unable to apply for any other post advertised internally or externally.
Please note if you are interested in applying for this secondment opportunity, please discuss this with your Line Manager and gain agreement prior to applying.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.