Strategic Investigator PIP4

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The Strategic Investigator (PIP4) provides independent advice, support and review for high profile, complex, serious and organised or major crime investigations

• Provide advice and support for the overall strategic management of investigations to ensure that they are conducted within the level of quality and strategic oversight required by chief officers.
• Provide advice and support to the Senior Investigating Officer (SIO), acting as a critical friend to ensure that the SIO can test, check and take advice on their decision making during the investigation.
• Identify, monitor and escalate risks where the complexity or profile of an investigation may impact upon the resilience of the SIO and/or the forces reputation.
• Review operational and strategic aspects of investigations to provide additional capacity and expertise to investigative teams.
• Act as link between the SIO and Gold Command to ensure that all issues relating to strategic, operational and resource requirements of the investigation are presented to Gold Command.
• Report to Gold Commander on the quality of investigations to enable chief officers to maintain visible oversight on how investigations are being conducted.
• Develop and implement a communications strategy for investigations, acting as a public face of the investigation to support the SIO in achieving the aims of the investigation.
• Co-ordinate and manage partners and external stakeholders to support the aims of the investigation.
• Develop and share best practice with other organisations on investigation techniques and management, in order to enhance practice, and to assist in the development of policy.

Conduct peer reviews into investigations and analyse trends in resource requirements, to assist chief officers in resource planning and workforce planning and strategy

Prior education and experience:

• Successfully complete the SIO Development Programme Core and Major Crime or Serious and Organised Crime modules and portfolio

• Possess ‘active’ status on the SIO Register

• Completion of the PIP4 Development Programme

• Significant experience of managing linked high-profile complex serious organised crime or major crime investigations

• Experience and knowledge of managing high profile media strategies

• Knowledge and understanding of College of Policing guidance relating to role

• Ordinarily be a minimum rank of Superintendent, Police Staff equivalent or similar grades within the NCA or other UK law enforcement agency unless determined otherwise by their chief officers

• Demonstrable experience of safeguarding vulnerable victims, witnesses and suspects during Major or Serious and Organised crime investigations

Skills:

• Able to use a wide range of high impact communication and influencing techniques and methods to successfully collaborate and effect change at senior levels and across a diverse range of stakeholders

• Able to scan the horizon, identifying likely future needs of Policing and using these to inform strategic advice provided to effectively influence planning

• Skilled in building and maintaining stakeholder relationships at the most senior levels; drawing upon these to enable collaborative working, to resolve issues and to reconcile conflicts of interest to meet the complex needs of ensuring public safety

• Continually seek to maintain and enhance the knowledge and skills of both the team and individuals to ensure competence in role. This should include identifying individual needs and opportunities for development and using a variety of activities to improve performance, including the promotion of CPD activities, where necessary

• Offer your skills, knowledge and expertise as a ‘critical friend’ to SIOs leading on different investigations, where relevant

• Regularly share best practice for investigations with colleagues e.g. contribute to relevant online communities or deliver informal briefings in force

• Maintain a working knowledge of how other government agencies, such as the National Crime Agency (NCA) and Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC), can assist in the investigation of cases and work to develop networking skills

• Ensure representation at relevant partnership and/or multi-agency meetings where necessary, and contribute where appropriate

• Work closely with colleagues in Intelligence, in order to develop strong procedures relating to turning intelligence into evidence

• Where appropriate, develop relevant knowledge and experience of covert policing tactics and how these can support an investigation

• Coach and/or mentor less experienced colleagues e.g. PIP2/3 Investigators and Supervisors and deliver training sessions to support learning and development

• Keep up-to-date with new and developing legislation (including current guidance on disclosure) and current national policing priorities e.g. vulnerability, that may impact on investigations

• Keep up-to-date with all technological advances that might facilitate offenders in committing crimes

• Understand the impact of the IOPC (Independent Office for Police Conduct) Learning the Lessons reports relating to investigation, e.g. importance of case file management

• Familiarise yourself with other relevant IOPC reports, e.g. Police use of force: evidence from complaints, investigations and public perception and relevant HMICFRS (Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services) reports e.g. PEEL Assessments

• Keep up-to-date with guidance on conducting the Performance Development Review (PDR) process and apply this to your work

• Ensure knowledge of any line-manager responsibilities in relation to Assessment and Recognition of Competence (ARC) procedures and apply to your work

• Maintain knowledge and skills relating to work-based assessments in order to conduct these when necessary

PIP Accreditation

• Assessed competence against relevant professional standards for this role is required to achieve PIP accreditation

• Maintenance of this accreditation requires the demonstration of continued competence against PIP3 and/or PIP 4 professional standards as well as evidence of CPD in line with the guidance from the College of Policing

• Investigator PIP1
• Investigative Manager PIP2
• Investigative Supervisor PIP1 and PIP2
• Senior Investigator PIP3
• Specialist interviewer: Victims and witnesses
• Specialist interviewer: Suspects
• Interview Advisor
• Head of Crime
• Investigation Support Officer