Detective rejoiners

If you were an accredited detective prior to leaving a Home Office force we'd like to hear from you.

We are looking for officers who see themselves as risk managers and can make difficult decisions that stand up to scrutiny. For this, officers will need to be comfortable in using tools such as the National Decision Model and THRIVE, which help you to understand the problem, assess the risk and tackle the issues.

The problem solvers, the curious and the tenacious. People who have the desire to follow every lead, discover the truth and seek results. Emotionally resilient and compassionate, you will need to stay calm in the face of adversity and build relationships with those who may be the victim or witness of a serious or violent crime. You will have to critically analyse the evidence, establishing the facts which will be used to obtain justice in court.

When you join Sussex Police you can expect a career full of variety and diversity in a job that challenges you but is also highly rewarding. It offers you the opportunity to progress through the ranks or specialise in certain business areas while playing a vital role in helping us to achieve our priorities and serve the communities of Sussex.

Sussex is one of the largest counties in the UK and is divided into three divisions; Brighton & Hove, East Sussex and West Sussex. The vibrant City of Brighton & Hove is lively, diverse and rapidly expanding, which boasts good transport links to the capital. The county also has a varied mix of smaller coastal towns and different rural communities, with some of England's most attractive countryside. Towards the north of Sussex the UK's second largest airport, Gatwick, can be found, which sees millions of passengers each year travelling to around 200 destinations worldwide.

Our CID teams carry out proactive investigations into complex and serious crimes across the county. These are located in Brighton, Chichester, Crawley, Eastbourne, Hastings and Worthing.

The Safeguarding Investigations Units sit within our Public Protection Department and conduct specialist investigations which pursue those who target and exploit the most vulnerable within our society. They undertake specialist safeguarding and work with our partners to protect those who are at the greatest risk. These teams are based in Brighton, Crawley, Eastbourne, Hastings and Littlehampton.

We are only accepting applications from experienced Detective Constables from Home Office forces who have completed their probationary period prior to leaving the force and achieved independent patrol status.

To apply you must:

• Have served in a Home Office Force or British Transport Police (BTP).
• Have completed your probation period prior to leaving the force and achieved independent patrol status.
• Have had no disciplinary, integrity or performance issues.
• Pass the necessary vetting, occupational health and fitness checks. Such checks will not be carried out until after a successful interview.
• Be able to show commitment to achieving high levels of attendance.
• Demonstrate a passion and commitment to Sussex Police.
• Not have made an application to join any other force at the same time.
• 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.
• 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 (see below for full details).
• 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.
• Be an accredited detective at PIP 2, having completed NIE and all the assessment criteria.
• Have a full UK manual driving licence (by time of appointment).

Applications from re-joiners who have been out of the role for more than five years, will be considered on a case by case basis dependent on skills and experience. Please complete and upload the Re-Joiner Learning Needs Questionnaire to your application before submitting. The document can be found at the bottom of the advert.

To join Sussex Police in any role you will need to prove your right to work in the UK.

Do I have right to work in the UK?

Your right to work in the UK depends on your immigration status - this is also called your ‘leave’. If you don’t have the right to work, you might be able to apply for it.

You automatically have the right to work in the UK if:

• you’re a British or Irish citizen.
• you have pre-settled or settled status from the EU Settlement Scheme - or you’ve applied and you’re waiting for a decision.
• you have a family permit from the EU Settlement Scheme.
• you have indefinite leave to enter or remain in the UK.
• you have right of abode in the UK.

You might have a right to work in the UK if you have a visa with a time limit. This is called having 'limited leave to enter or remain’. 

If you entered the UK illegally or your leave has ended, you don’t have the right to work in the UK.

Proving your right to work in the UK

You might be able to prove your right to work online or by showing your employer certain documents. Any document you show your employer must be:

• valid - you can’t use a document that’s expired unless it’s a British or Irish passport.
• the original document - you can’t use a copy, however you can use a replacement birth certificate if you have lost the original.
• If your document is expiring soon and you’ve applied to extend your leave, you can still prove your right to work. You might need to use a different document or ask your employer to contact the Home Office Employer Checking Service (ECS) - it depends what kind of leave you have.

For further information about Right to work in the UK, please refer to the gov.uk website.

When you join Sussex Police, you can expect a career with variety, diversity, challenges and rewards. You’ll be a key figure on the front line - a vital job that matters to the public but also matters to us.

We will give you:

• National salary plus £2,000 per annum South East Allowance.
• A detective payment of £850 per annum (for all detectives in agreed detective posts, up to detective chief inspector rank).
• For qualified detective constables up to detective chief inspectors (inclusive) who work in our Safeguarding Investigating Units (SIU), Paedophile Online Investigation Team (POLIT) and Complex Abuse Unit (CAU), an additional payment of £500 per annum.
• 22 days per year annual leave, rising to 30 days (based on a working day of 8) a year depending on your length of service.
• Opportunity to progress through the ranks and/or specialise in an area of policing that interests you most.
• Highly competitive pension scheme.
• An employee assistance programme for advice and counselling.
• Access to discounts, savings and cash back rewards.
• Flexible benefits.
• Progressive approach to flexible working, enhanced maternity and paternity leave and potential for a career break (after two years’ service).
• Opportunities to join various support networks, staff associations and sports clubs.
• Access to subsidised gyms (depending on location).

To support your health and wellbeing we have excellent welfare services including employee assistance program, chaplaincy support and mental health first aiders who offer in-house service to support you mental health and wellbeing when you need it. Diffusers also offer post incident trauma support.

Sussex police has a number of staff support networks, Unison support and advice for members, Sussex Police Federation and Sussex Police Charitable Trust who offer a helping hand to Sussex Police officers, staff, special constables, pensioners and dependent family members in their hour of need. We have on-site gyms and a range of sports clubs, all of which aim to promote health, friendship and fun amongst police officers and staff. With 30-plus activities to choose from there’s something for everyone, irrespective of age, rank, experience or sporting ability.

Bespoke training will be provided taking into account your experience and time away from policing. A Training Needs Analysis is carried out as part of the application process to establish what training is required.

Upon joining Sussex Police you will complete our week long induction training which will signpost and familiarise you with the workings of Sussex Police, equipping you to help us achieve our force priorities.

As well as providing an overview of Sussex Police you will receive the following:

• Niche training
• Inputs from Driver Training, Personal Safety Training, Police Federation, Sussex Police Charitable Trust, Police Mutual and an address from a Chief Officer
• Sessions on Mobile Data Terminals, Airwaves, National Decision Model, Code of Ethics and Professional Standards, Investigation Framework and a re-attestation.

You will be supported by a mentor once you are assigned a specific role in a team.

After your initial training, we support the continuous professional development of our officers.

The recruitment process consists of the following stages and you will be notified at the end of each stage whether or not you have been successful and therefore eligible to proceed to the next stage.

Stage One: Application form

You will be advised at the end of the application form if you have met all the requirements and are able to progress to the next stage. It is very important that you follow the instructions as incomplete forms will not be accepted. The eligibility assessments within the form checks your eligibility in line with the national recruitment standards.

Stage Two: Online force interview

An interview will be conducted by a panel of Sussex Police representatives. This interview will be based upon the competency and values framework. 

Stage Three: Pre-employment checks

This is when we begin our pre-employment checks which consist of a medical, vetting, biometric vetting, substance misuse and a fitness test.

• Fitness test: you will need to obtain level 5.4 in the bleep test.
• Medical: you will be required to complete a questionnaire with your medical history which will be reviewed by our Occupational Health Team.
• Biometric Vetting: we will take your fingerprints and DNA and check them against the appropriate database.
• Substance misuse: we will also collect a sample of hair to test for the presence of inappropriate substances.
• Vetting: this will assess you and your families’ criminal record, financial status and business interests.

How long does the process take?

It can take approximately six months from applying to appointment.

What will my salary be?

We use the national pay scale and will put you on the same pay scale you left on. You’ll also receive £2,000 South East Allowance per annum.

What happens with my pension?

This depends on which pension scheme you are a member of and whether the gap in service is more or less than five years. Generally, an officer has the option to combine any previous pension benefits, however we would recommend you contact your previous force pension administrator to discuss your personal circumstances.

Can I choose where I will be stationed?

During the selection process you will be asked to identify which division of Sussex Police you would prefer. Your preference will be accommodated where we can but this may not always be possible and you could be posted to anywhere within the county. We review preferences, home address and current vacancies to determine a posting.

What shift patterns do you operate?

Sussex Police operates a number of different shift patterns designed to meet force and local policing operational requirements. If you are successful through the recruitment process, you will be notified of your posting and details of your exact station in your ‘Offer of Appointment’ letter.. Once you receive this you can view your shift pattern at http://www.sectionshifts.co.uk/.

 

If you have any further questions about the process, please contact our recruitment team at [email protected].