Vacancy Information
Division / Department - Forcewide
Status - Full Time
Contract Type - Permanent
Rank - Police Constable
Location - Forcewide
In line with the published Posting and Tenure guidance, operational requirements will always be considered prior to confirming posting dates to successful applicants.
The Role
Do you have what it takes to develop new recruits and coach them up to independent patrol? If you do, your Force needs you! Research shows that the time a new recruit spends with their tutor, is often the most significant influence and memory of their career.
The way in which tutoring is now delivered in Surrey and Sussex has changed to reflect a more coaching style. However, the influence a coach has on early development is as significant as it has ever been, as they guide new recruits through this crucial stage to ensure our new police officers are the best they can be. With patience, perseverance, coaching and assessing skills, you can be a part of a team that delivers safe, lawful and independent recruits to our frontline operational policing.
As part of the new Police Constable Entry Routes, our need to recruit Coaching and Development Officers to help guide and assess the next generation of police officers continues. The role of the Coaching and Development Officer is crucial in the development of the skills and understanding of the student officer, which will help them to meet the milestone of Independent Patrol Status (IPS).
In order to achieve our goals, the CDO will be working in a number of protected Dedicated Coaching Units (DCU) with dedicated supervision, estate and fleet. These units will form part of the broader Learning and Professional Development Department. The DCU locations across Surrey are Caterham, Guildford and Staines.
Your role will be to develop, support, evaluate and assess students during this critical stage in their development. You will receive excellent support and training for this new role which includes a module in coaching and mentoring, along with access to all the learning materials provided to the students. You will receive training in order for you to assess competence at the national standard. In addition you will also receive more detailed input into the overall programme aims and design.
Surrey Police and Sussex Police have been working closely with our university partners, to revolutionise our approach to developing new officers, providing successful applicants with the opportunity to experience collaborative, multi-agency working whilst demonstrating development and supervisory skills in relation to the new officers with the support of your sergeants. This is an amazing opportunity to not only develop the police officers of the future, but to also invest in and develop yourself. Applications are invited from all substantive police constables who have current operational skills (or are prepared to refresh) with the motivation and commitment to develop the next generation of police officers. As the new units will grow with increased demand, not all successful applicants will be invited to join the team immediately. Recruitment is currently flexible to meet the demands of the organisation, both in terms of the cohorts of new officers joining and the progression of existing CDOs.
Coaching Units work dedicated shift patterns which allow for both divisional support during the times of greatest demand but also support a protected learning environment and work life balance. The pattern is generally six days on followed by four rest days. • Flexible Working Patterns will be considered as will job shares so long as we are able to meet the operational demand of the department. Applications will consist of a written reasoned argument, found by clicking ‘apply now’, followed by an informal professional discussion with DCU supervision.
Key Responsibilities
- Able to make decisions based upon your own initiative and with minimal supervision.
- To work as part of a team, being flexible to the needs of learners and colleagues.
- Liaising with other departments to maximise learning opportunities.
- Display a high level of interpersonal skills and project confidence in the handling of situations.
- Be a role model to new police officers, upholding the Code of Ethics through your own behaviour and appropriate challenging.
- To develop, support, evaluate and assess students for the achievement of Independent Patrol Status (IPS).
Skills & Experience
- You must have at least two years’ experience as a police constable and have completed your probationary period.
- High level of competence in the skill or area of work in which you are providing coaching (specific, skills-based coaching).
- To attend and complete Coaching and Assessing course (to be provided on commencement of role).
- Hold or be willing to be trained to the national standard in assessing within the police sector (PSAS).
- HEI Induction to be completed upon commencement of role.
- Must hold or be prepared to obtain standard response driver authorisation.
- Skilled in developing rapport, trust and credibility.
- Skilled in using questioning, listening and non-verbal communication techniques to give, elicit and receive feedback and to overcome communication barriers.
- Able to apply assessment techniques in observing and assessing performance, and recording progress.
- Able to give effective developmental feedback.
- Able to apply an understanding of human behaviour to the identification of barriers to performance and learning, and to identifying appropriate developmental actions.
- A strong understanding of law, practice, procedures and policies. Able to demonstrate the ‘gold standard’, display sound judgement and the ability to gather ‘best evidence’.
- Resilience and the ability to manage both personal time and workload alongside that of the learner is essential. Particularly the selection and management of policing opportunities to develop and enhance the leaner’s operational competence.
- Hold a valid JRFT and be operationally deployable.
Contact Details
Insp 4884 Tim Pulleyn - DCU Inspector
Sgt 40622 Annette Boss/Sgt 3694 Rich Hart - DCU East Sergeants
Sgt 40887 Clare Leggett and A/Sgt 41254 Ian Blanshard - DCU North Sergeants
Sgt 1829 Jon Castell and A/Sgt 41514 Iona McMillan - DCU West Sergeants
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
It is really important that you inform and seek support from your line manager of your intention to submit an application for this role as this allows for sufficient resource planning. Failure to inform your line manager may result in a delay in a release dates being agreed.
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@policejobssurreyandsussex.as.recruitmail.com to your address/contact list to ensure you receive all communications.
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
To apply to transfer to Surrey Police, you must:
- Be a substantive officer (at appropriate rank) and not subject to a probationary period - Be a serving police officer in a Home Office Force
- Pass the necessary vetting, occupational health and fitness checks; such checks will not be carried out until after a successful interview
- Have no outstanding discipline, integrity or performance issues
- Have resided in the UK for three years immediately prior to submitting your application, or be able to provide a certificate of good conduct from the relevant country
- Have a full UK manual driving licence, with less than 6 penalty points
- Not be a current or previous member of a proscribed terrorist organisation or group
- Declare any business interest
- Declare any membership or involvement with the reserve Forces
- Not have tattoos which could cause offence
- Not have any existing County Court Judgements (CCJs) outstanding against you or have registered bankrupt and not have been discharged for at least three years