C2200 Policy - Detective Career Pathway

Number: C2200
Date Published: 14 May 2020
Version 2 – May 2020

1.0 Summary of Changes

This policy was first introduced in 2016 and applies to police officers only.

Following review in April 2020 the following changes have been introduced:

• The Investigations Improvement Board is now chaired at ACC level (previously DCS);
• The Detective Career Pathway Board has been renamed the Investigative Careers Pathway Board.

2.0 What this Policy is About

The aim of this policy is to outline how Essex Police seeks to develop and maintain the highest level of investigative capability.

This policy outlines:

• The definition of a Detective and a Detective Post;
• The entitlement to the use of the Detective title;
• How Essex Police will select, support and develop officers through the Detective Career Pathway;
• The training requirements at each rank, including the requirement to maintain accreditation through Continuous Professional Development (CPD).

Compliance with this policy and any linked procedures is mandatory.

3.0 Statement of Policy

3.1 Principles

The need to recruit and develop officers into competent Detectives is critical to the success of the force and its responsibility towards supporting victims and witnesses, reducing harm and detecting crime.

Recent changes to the terms and conditions for officers will lead to individuals potentially having longer careers. This leads to the prospect of officers remaining in the same role or rank for substantial periods of time. To maintain the experience, skills and motivation of detectives it will be important for individuals and Essex Police, to acknowledge this and ensure that opportunities to develop within the detective arena are recognised and available.

Having clear career pathways for potential candidates, coupled with the correct control and quality assurance mechanisms, will assist in maintaining consistency in terms of the numbers seeking to embark upon a detective career and the standard of those who go on to do so.

Essex Police has adopted a career pathway structure that seeks to ensure:

• All Detectives, irrespective of rank, are appropriately trained and qualified for their role, developing through a pathway that facilitates the attainment of investigative skills;
• All Detectives are professional and have the knowledge, understanding, skills, attitudes and behaviour required to undertake investigative roles;
• That appropriate training is provided to develop critical thinking to equip Detectives to identify and manage vulnerability and risk;
• That Detectives develop empathy with victims and witnesses, understand victim’s needs and the impact of crime and offending;
• The qualifications and experience required to demonstrate full competence at each rank are made clear;
• There is consistency of investigative skills across the force;
• That new Detectives are appropriately supported and the work allocated to them is subject of risk assessment;
• That all Senior Investigating Officers (SIOs) are experienced investigators;
• Continuous Professional Development (CPD) is supported by Essex Police and demonstrated by the individual, to ensure the maintenance of skills and accreditations, plus a positive expectation of onward development;
• The force can meet future requirements for professional investigators by managing progression through the identified pathway.

3.2 Governance

The Investigative Career Pathway Board (ICPB) meets to discuss strategic organisational issues relating to Detective disciplines. It is a joint Essex and Kent meeting which is chaired by Assistant Chief Constable (ACC) Serious Crime Directorate (SCD) and attended by the Detective Chief Superintendent from each force and representatives from key support departments. Terms of Reference, including membership, of the ICPB are shown in Appendix 4.

The Investigations Improvement Board (IIB) chaired by the Assistant Chief Constable (ACC) Local Policing and Crime & Public Protection reports to the ICPB. The board is attended by LPA Commanders and the Head of Crime & Public Protection along with senior representatives from support departments.

The purpose of this board is to drive successful workforce planning in order to achieve the overall aim of this policy. Terms of Reference, including membership, of the IIB is shown in Appendix 5.

3.3 Definitions

The term Detective is a descriptive title demonstrating an officer’s current role and the individual’s skills, knowledge, training and experience.

For the purposes of this policy and linked procedure, Detective is defined as:

1. An Accredited Officer whose core function is within a Designated Detective role or who is operating within a Detective Rota;
2. Accredited Officer means an officer holding the appropriate investigator qualification for the rank/role and the annual maintenance of that through CPD;
3. Designated Detective Role is a role which is responsible for investigating, managing, training and/or reviewing cases which meet the definition of serious, complex or organised crime. Designated Detective Roles are agreed by the IIB in response to the needs of the force;
4. Detective Rota refers primarily to the requirement to fulfil an out of hours provision of a specialist nature e.g. the night duty crime team. This may be carried out by an officer who is accredited, but not currently in a Designated Detective role.

In response to operational need, temporary posts may be designated that are not included on the list of Designated Detective Roles.

The Accredited Officer status and the Designated Detective Roles are recorded on the Essex Police HR database.

Essex Police will define the ‘Detective’ strength as the number of Accredited Officers working within a Designated Detective Role.

The use of the Detective title will be reserved for those who are an Accredited Officer operating in a Designated Detective Role or those carrying out a duty in line with a Detective Rota.

4.0 Implications of the Policy

4.1 Finance / Staffing / Training / Other

Implementation of the policy will not incur additional cost or staffing as it formalises the approach to selection, recruitment, development and accreditation of officers to ‘Detective’ status and the governance of the process.

The Detective Career Pathway process will ensure the force maintains sufficient levels of accredited detectives. This will result in the improved management of the overall training requirement, which is likely to place variable demands on training capacity. Essex Police recognises the commitment necessary to maintain these levels and will provide training to the required standard as defined by the College of Policing.

4.2 Risk Assessment(s)

There is a risk to victims of crime, the community as a whole and the force reputation where serious and complex crime is not investigated to a high standard by fully trained and accredited detectives. This procedure mitigates this risk by ensuring appropriate training and development of staff engaged in the investigation, training and review of serious and complex crime.

4.3 Equality Impact Assessment

An Equality Impact Assessment has been carried out and shows the proposals in this procedure/SOP would have no potential or actual differential impact on grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.

All selection processes fall under a separate force policy to ensure they are compliant with equal opportunities.

Essex Police aims to increase the diversity of our workforce by promoting career opportunities to all members of the eligible police officer community regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation. Where under-representation exists, we will take positive action to attract the widest pool of qualified applicants as allowed by law.

5.0 Consultation

The following have been consulted during the formulation of this document:

• Unison
• Essex Police Federation
• Equality and Diversity Co-ordinator
• Health & Safety
• Strategic Change Team
• PSD
• Policy/Risk
• LPA
• SCD
• Learning & Development

6.0 Monitoring and Review

This procedure will be monitored monthly and reviewed annually through the IIB chaired by ACC (LPA and Partnerships).

7.0 Related force policies or related procedures

• C 2201 Procedure - Detective Career Pathway

7.1 Data Security

Essex Police have measures in place to protect the security of your data in accordance with our Information Management Policy – W 1000 Policy – Information Management.

7.2 Retention & Disposal of Records

Essex Police will hold data in accordance with our Records Review, Retention & Disposal Policy – W 1012 Procedure/SOP - Records Review, Retention and Disposal.

We will only hold data for as long as necessary for the purposes for which we collected. Victims/public should be reminded that Essex Police take the protection of personal data seriously as described in the privacy notice.

8.0 Other source documents, e.g. Legislation, APP, partnership agreements (if applicable)

• Appendix 2 – Essex Police Detective Roles
• Appendix 4 – Terms of Reference for DCPB
• Appendix 5 – Terms of Reference for DCPOG