Vacancy Information
Division / Department - See Advert
Grade - Grade 8
Status - Full Time
Contract Type - Permanent
Salary Grade Range - £27,747 - £29,649
Working Hours - 37.0 Hours per Week
Shift Allowance - Yes
Politically Restricted - No
Location - Multiple Locations (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.
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
Sussex Police are excited to open recruitment for the role of Detention Officer working within our custody facility at Worthing, Brighton and Crawley.
As a Detention Officer you will be part of a team responsible for ensuring the smooth running of the custody suite, ensuring the safety and comfort of detainees whilst facilitating access for visitors and contractors when required.
You will receive training in relevant aspects of the law, conflict management, food preparation and first aid as well as also being trained to take fingerprints, footwear impressions and DNA samples.
You need to be competent at using computers and will receive IT training enabling you to enter detainee data into secure police systems. These positions will appeal to applicants who are reliable, enthusiastic, and self-disciplined with good people skills and a cool head. In this role you will see and meet people from all aspects of society, at times dealing with people who are upset, angry and or violent. You will be required to use not only verbal communication skills to process detainees but may also be expected to physically restrain detainees if required. You need to be prepared that you will not always be spoken to or treated with respect by detainees.
Sussex Police have five operational custody centres located at
• Brighton
• Crawley
• Eastbourne
• Hastings
• Worthing
As part of the application process, you will be asked for your location preference.
Upon completion of training, you will be responsible as part of a team, for all aspects of detainee care including security, supervising exercise, facilitating legal visits and providing food. You will work with custody medical teams for both physical and mental health and oversee other entitlements as required under legislation.
Skills & Experience
You will need to be a good communicator and team player. Working with a team under the supervision of a police Sergeant and Inspector, you will have dealings with persons from all walks of life. Being firm but fair, observant, compassionate, and having a sense of humour are all qualities which are vital to this role.
It is essential that you hold a full current and valid driving licence and have access to a personal vehicle so that you can travel between centres if required. You may at times be required to work at other custody centres across Sussex to cover shortfalls in staffing through absence and sickness, if this is the case travelling expenses will be paid.
All successful applicants will need to undertake a written health assessment, and where appropriate, participate in a health interview and/or medical assessment as deemed necessary by the Occupational Health Department. This will apply to new recruits and all internal transfers to the role.
Further Information
Please note, that although over the course of 12 months your average working weekly hours equates to 37 hours per week, in reality you will be working six shifts on and four shifts off on a ten-week rotational pattern. Shifts may vary but will be made up of 8, 9 and 10hr shifts, predominantly working two early shifts (0700 x 1600hrs), two late shifts (1400 x 0000hrs) and two-night shifts (2300 x 0700hrs). Twice every ten weeks a training day will be provided reducing days off from four to three.
Upon completion of initial training, you will receive an unsocial hour’s allowance equivalent to 34.46% of your salary.
Initial training will Monday to Friday and last 5 weeks, during this time you will be unable to take annual leave. This is to ensure that you have the correct skills to perform the role and have an appropriate amount of time to reinforce learning and develop these within the custody centre.
Due to the training and investment the role is subject to a two-year tenure. During this time, you will be unable to apply for other roles within Sussex Police. This includes applying for the role of Police Officer and Police Community Support Officer.
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.
If you think you have what it takes to and want to help us deliver a progressive, safe, effective, and efficient custody service then apply using the link below. If you have any questions about the role, then please email custody.training@sussex.police.uk
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.