Vacancy Information
This role is within a unit where Surrey Police and Sussex Police work in collaboration, whilst continuing to be 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, allowance and hours.
Division / Department - Specialist Crime
Status - Full Time
Contract Type - Permanent
Grade - Surrey Police Grade F / Sussex Police Grade 9
Salary Grade Range - See Advert
Politically Restricted -
Unsocial Hours Allowance -
Location - See Advert
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.
The Role
Surrey and Sussex Forensic Investigations department currently have four vacancies for Crime Scene Investigators based across Surrey and Sussex. Successful applicants will assist in the investigation of Scenes of Crime and will provide professional and effective support in the field of scientific investigation of alleged criminal offences and other police incidents, offering expert advice to investigating officers, other colleagues and external stakeholders. Once qualified and competent, successful applicants will undertake crime scene management duties and provide support and guidance for less experienced staff acting as a mentor where required.
Key Responsibilities
Use professional judgement to attend, assess and examine crime scenes and recovered evidence. Be responsible for making decisions and documenting forensic strategies detailing the structured examination in line with force procedures, ISO standards and current legislation.
Prioritise and review tasks, taking responsibility for prioritising crime reports and ensuring an appropriate response to incidents. Proactively search the police computerised systems to support operational deployment.
Accurate and meticulous compilation of documentation relating to the scene examination including the streamlined Forensic reports and the subsequent presentation of evidence in court as a specialist/expert forensic practitioner.
Act as lead forensic investigator at scenes of sexual offences, fire, major, serious and complex incidents and unexplained deaths including attendance at post mortems where you will be required to utilise recognised methods to assist in the identification process of dead bodies.
To be responsible for managing crime scenes and assisting with crime scene management duties, providing specialist advice and working with Home office pathologists, coroner’s officers and other specialists.
Utilising knowledge, skills and experience consider whether further examinations could be accomplished by other specialists advising investigators. Ensure all decision making is documented and in line with force procedures, National decision making model and code of ethics
Use advanced photographic and digital video skills to create visual records of crime scenes and police related incidents.
Complete dynamic risk assessments for all aspects of the role in line with current Health and safety legislation and related force policies.
Assist in coaching and mentoring less experienced forensic personnel. This will include internal and external attachments and peers who may need assistance with performance issues.
Consistently meet the related competencies, as defined by the Competency and Standards team. Demonstrate a willingness to maintain and continuously develop in the role.
As and when required, carry out forensic awareness presentations to other colleagues to increase knowledge of Forensic Investigations services and procedures.
You will liaise with other members of Surrey & Sussex Police, members of the public, victims of crime and be required to give evidence in court as and when required.
Skills & Experience
Essential
Educated to degree level or have substantial, recent evidence of competent performance in a directly relevant role.
Be able to attend and achieve at a crime scene investigation course - or equivalent course developed by a recognised National training agency. The qualified CSI will have a broad and deep understanding of technical examination techniques built upon formal training and considerable wide experience of practical work situations.
Excellent negotiating and influencing skills together with a sound knowledge of cost implications of crime scene management when working with investigating officers.
Excellent communication and inter-personal skills, both oral and written, in order to effectively support and advise on crime scene investigation matters.
Able to cope with traumatic and disturbing crime scenes and police related incidents. Psychological screening will be conducted on appointment and reviewed yearly.
Work without supervision and to be methodical and thorough in all activities. To plan a daily work schedule with the capacity to adapt to changing demands is vital.
The ability to operate, record, search and communicate utilising role related computer systems and software. It is essential that post holder has sound experience of using Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint.
Required to wear a Police Staff uniform as appropriate to the Force employer.
Required to pass enhanced vetting in line with the Force Vetting Policy and maintain this standard. Due to the specialist operational nature of this role, post holders must provide finger/palm prints and a DNA sample for elimination purposes.
Hold a current, full driving licence and will be required to pass an internal driving assessment to be authorised to drive police vehicles of the relevant class.
Perform their duties across Surrey and Sussex The post holder should be able to make an equitable contribution to the designated shift pattern and on-call rota covering a 24-hour period, 7 days per week.
Due to the time critical nature of specialised operational posts, post holders are required to be in a position to demonstrate considerable flexibility in terms of working time and will be required to undertake call-out duties.
To work within and comply with the appropriate auditory measures required to maintain ISO accreditation standards and demonstrate personal competency within their identified role. Undertake training and participate in the provision of auditing for accreditation purposes across Forensic Investigations when requested.
Must have the ability to undertake relatively physically demanding work under a variety of circumstances and situations which involves manual handling and lifting.
Desirable
To demonstrate competent performance in crime scene investigation. For example, proven competence in a directly relevant role or from another area of policing,
Forensic science (including laboratory work) or public service. It is strongly desirable that post holders have attained academic qualifications in the field of crime scene investigation.
Crime Scene Investigator Competency Gateway
Prior to fulfilling the above accountabilities the Crime Scene Investigator will start at Grade F/SPA 9 progressing through a training and development programme designed to provide the skills to examine volume crime scenes. An individual will be able to achieve Grade G/SPA10 once they have successfully completed the stage 1 CSI training program, fulfilled the key accountabilities, work independently in the role and demonstrated competence as outlined in the competency framework. (This will include assessment of technical knowledge, practical skills and work products). Progression is dependent upon the availability of training courses and an individual successfully completing the requirements of the training and development program. It is envisaged that this will normally take between 12 months and 2 years.
Contact Details
For further information regarding this role, or to express an interest in one of the informal workshops, please contact:
S/CSI Sarah Rackliff (sarah.rackliff@sussex.pnn.police.uk)
S/CSI Stuart Leonard (stuart.leonard@sussex.pnn.police.uk) or
S/CSI Bob Fox (robert.fox@sussex.pnn.police.uk).
The closing date for applications is 28th February 2020. Prior to the closing date there will be two Informal Familiarisation Workshops held on 14th February 2020 & 19th February 2020. These workshops will give you an opportunity to find out more about this challenging role and engage with personnel already employed by Surrey and Sussex Forensic Investigations. Attendance at the workshops will not affect your application, but may be useful to determine whether this is the right job for you before you apply. To attend the workshops you must meet the essential criteria above. Please contact us for further details and to let us know if you plan to attend so we have an idea of numbers.
Selection for posts will involve a paper sifting exercise of application forms, with successful candidates being invited to attend the next stage, which is an assessment centre. The assessment centres will be held on 19th March & 20th March 2020. Candidates that are successful at the assessment centre will then be invited for an oral competency based interview drawing from the Competency and Values Framework. The interviews will be held on 26th March and 27th March 2020.
Unsuccessful interviewees who achieve a benchmark set by the recruiting officers will be held in a pool for 12 months and may be contacted and offered a position should any further vacancies arise across Surrey or Sussex. Please note that feedback will only be provided for candidates who make it to interview.
The successful candidates will be required to participate in a shift pattern and on-call rota covering a 24-hour period, 7 days per week. Shift work operates between the hours of 0730 to 2200 in Surrey and 0800 to 2200 in Sussex, on call thereafter.
All applicants must be available to attend a residential Crime Scene Investigator course and will be required to sign a learning contract to cover this or any further training courses that may be required for the role.
All posts will be offered subject to successful vetting and medical review.
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.
Surrey Police and Sussex Police work together in collaboration for this role, however they remain two different employers, with differing pay scales, allowances and terms and conditions including hours of employment.
If you are an internal candidate and are conditionally offered the role your attendance record and any reasonable adjustments already in place will be discussed with yourself and your current line manager. If you are successful in your application, you may be required to resign and transfer your employment, taking on the Terms & Conditions and pay scales of the Lead Force (if this is not your existing Home Force).
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.
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.
Diversity Statement
We are only as good as our people. It's really 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 skills that diversity brings; all of which help us 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 the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index and Disability Confident, a signatory of the Race at Work Charter and aligned with the Armed Forces Covenant and the HeForShe movement.
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 beliefs, we would love to hear from you.
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