Information about the role of an interview adviser, including the role purpose, key responsibilities and the skills required.
About the role
An interview adviser sits within the investigation sector of policing. It's a team leader role in the policing professional profiles.
Role purpose
The interview adviser advises on and co-ordinates investigative interviews for a range of investigations including major crimes, serious and organised crime and public protection in conjunction with the lead investigator. They assist in the development of interview strategies for interviews involving victims, witnesses and suspects.
They provide advice and support to assist the development of others in the field of investigative interviewing techniques.
Key responsibilities
Key responsibility statements show the accountabilities for someone in this role. They focus on what is done, not how it is done.
- Providing advice to lead investigators, at all levels, on matters of interview law, guidance, policy, tactics and options to inform decision-making relating to the investigation.
- Consulting with other personnel involved in the investigation to develop effective and informed advice and guidance.
- Identifying and responding to potential matters relating to the vulnerability of those being interviewed and briefing lead investigators to ensure effective safeguarding steps are put in place.
- Providing investigative officers with the available tactical interviewing options to meet the strategic policy objectives of an investigation.
- Monitoring ongoing investigative situations and responding to developments to provide updated and relevant strategic policy and tactical advice to lead investigators.
- Maintaining a record of all tactical advice given to lead investigators to ensure that there is an effective audit trail of the decision-making process.
- Contributing to the preparation of case files by evaluating investigative material(s) relating specifically to investigative interviews to maximise evidential outcomes.
- Providing advice and support for other personnel in approaches to investigative interviewing to assist with their continuing professional development.
- Ensuring maintenance and currency of tactics, options and approaches to ensure that any and all advice given to lead investigators is reliable and valid.
Competencies, values and core skills
The competency and values framework (CVF) provides clear expectations for everyone working in policing. It describes the behaviours required by police officers and staff to be effective in their roles and uphold the Code of Ethics for policing.
Competencies
The CVF has six competencies, which are split into levels. These levels can be used flexibly to allow for a better fit with frontline and non-frontline policing roles, and at different levels of seniority. This ensures that there is consistency throughout all the policing professional profiles. Some roles may contain different CVF levels due to the specialist nature of the role. Those working at higher levels should also fulfil the requirements of the lower levels.
This role should be operating at or working towards the following competencies.
- We are emotionally aware – Level 2: supervisor or middle manager
- We take ownership – Level 2: supervisor or middle manager
- We collaborate – Level 2: supervisor or middle manager
- We support and inspire – Level 2: supervisor or middle manager
- We analyse critically – Level 2: supervisor or middle manager
- We are innovative and open-minded – Level 2: supervisor or middle manager
Values
The CVF has three values that apply to everyone in policing, regardless of their role or seniority.
Core skills
All roles in policing have nine core skills in common. These are split into levels that represent the different levels of policing. This role should be operating at or working towards the following core skills.
Education, qualifications and experience
To achieve effective performance in the role, the following registration, training, registration and learning should be met.
Previous education, qualifications and experience
- Successful completion of applicable entry training and professionalising investigation programme (PIP) 2 registration.
- Successful completion of the specialist Investigative interviewer programme and portfolio – suspect and/or victim and witness.
- Specialist knowledge and operational experience, including interviewing knowledge, in at least one area of major crime, serious and organised crime (SOC), child sexual exploitation (CSE) and/or public protection interviewing and investigations.
- Extensive knowledge of relevant law, guidance, policy and process for interviews with witnesses and suspects, including achieving best evidence (ABE).
- Detailed knowledge of the criminal justice system.
In-role education, qualifications and experience
- Successful completion of the Interview adviser learning programme and portfolio.
Continuing professional development
Continuing professional development (CPD) enables everyone in policing to develop and gain recognition for their professional skills, knowledge and competence. CPD ensures that we continue to provide high-quality policing to keep the public safe and help to drive career aspirations. Discussion of CPD is usually included as part of professional development review (PDR) conversations.
To achieve effective performance in the role, the following registration, training and learning should be met.
Learning and accreditation
- Assessed competence against relevant assessment criteria for this role is required to achieve PIP 2 specialist registration. Maintenance of this registration requires the demonstration of continued competence against assessment criteria as well as evidence of CPD, in line with the College of Policing guidance.
- Complete all core training and learning as required by the force.
- Any exemptions to learning and registration requirements are at chief constable discretion, in line with the local force policy.
Professional development
This role should consider the following CPD:
- maintaining PIP 2 registration by keeping a record of recent experience of conducting different types of serious and complex investigations which evidences the knowledge and skills gained
- keeping up to date with new and developing legislation (including current guidance on disclosure) and current national policing priorities, for example, vulnerability, that may impact on investigations and interview advice provided
- ensuring that case file management follows current best practice
- keeping up to date with new approaches to evidence-based policing, including engagement with academics and others to support research if requested, and applying these to own work
- maintaining knowledge of offenders’ methods of committing crime using technology
- understanding the impact of the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) Learning the Lessons reports relating to investigation, for example, importance of case file management
- familiarising self with other relevant IOPC reports and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) reports
- reading and applying the Crown Prosecution Service guidance on investigative practices, relations with the police
- regularly sharing best practice for investigations with colleagues, for example, contributing to relevant Knowledge Hub you will need to log in) communities or delivering informal briefings
- maintaining 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
- understanding and developing knowledge of other roles within policing to further operational knowledge of one other’s roles
- coaching and/or mentoring less experienced colleagues, for example, PIP 1 investigators and delivering training sessions to support learning and development
- keeping up to date with guidance on conducting the performance development review (PDR) process and apply this to your work
- ensuring knowledge and application of ABE is maintained and developed
- maintaining and updating knowledge of law, practice and procedure relating to investigative interviewing
- maintaining and updating knowledge of police training relating to investigative interviewing
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