Information about the role of a PIP 2 investigative manager, including the role purpose, key responsibilities and the skills required.
About the role
A PIP 2 investigative manager is an investigation position within the investigation sector of policing. It's a manager role in the policing professional profiles.
Role purpose
The PIP 2 investigative manager leads and co-ordinates multiple teams of investigators working on serious and complex criminal investigations. They plan, monitor and manage serious and complex investigations, including the issues surrounding threat, risk and harm and directing the deployment of resources in an effective and efficient manner.
The PIP 2 investigative manager will also lead on the most serious and complex investigations that fall within the remit of their area, utilising their own specialist knowledge, skills and experience base to ensure an effective outcome for the investigation(s).
Key responsibilities
Key responsibility statements show the accountabilities for someone in this role. They focus on what is done, not how it is done.
- Managing a team of investigators to ensure that investigations are carried out thoroughly, expeditiously, and ethically in accordance with relevant legal requirements and investigation, diversity, inclusion and partnership policies.
- Planning for, delivering and managing change to effectively and efficiently embed improvements and contribute to the organisational development of the force.
- Assessing and analysing investigations to set parameters for how they should be conducted, and to ensure that investigations are referred to the correct team.
- Driving developments, improvements, and professional standards and maintaining a detailed awareness of serious and complex crime investigations to ensure efficiency and consistency and effective use of resources.
- Identifying and allocating resources, and negotiating additional resources, to ensure that serious and complex crimes are investigated effectively.
- Assessing threat, harm and risk to develop and implement plans and strategies to investigate serious and complex crime.
- Providing leadership and direction to staff, providing mentoring/coaching, empowerment, guidance and support to maximise their development, efficiency, and morale.
- Developing and building partnerships across other agencies to improve safeguarding and the application of legislation at relevant proceedings.
- Overseeing and guiding comprehensive risk assessments for planned operational events to ensure adequate safety procedures are in place and that an appropriate contingency plan has been developed.
- Gathering, managing, and analysing intelligence within policy and legislation to facilitate the achievement of crime and disorder reduction objectives and support operational policing.
- Managing the appropriate use of covert tactics to proportionately investigate offences to ensure a successful outcome is achieved whilst adhering to legislation.
- Holding oversight and making decisions where appropriate for all serious and complex crimes to drive consistency in investigations.
- Working with appropriate organisational expertise in the development and implementation of strategies to use the media, to share information with the public and aid investigations.
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.
- Communicating and influencing – Level 3
- Problem solving – Level 3
- Performance management – Level 3
- Relationship management – Level 3
- Change management – Level 3
- Managing people – Level 3
- Managing resources – Level 3
- Planning – Level 3
- Use of IT – Level 3
Education, qualifications and experience
To achieve effective performance in the role, the following standards, training, registration, accreditation and qualifications should be met.
Previous education, qualifications and experience
- Achieve rank of inspector in temporary, acting or substantive capacity.
- Successfully completed the professionalising investigations programme (PIP) 2 investigator programme and PIP 2 supervisor programme including relevant portfolios or completed the lateral entry route for a PIP 2 manager.
- Experience of making challenging decisions using the national decision model (NDM).
- Knowledge and understanding of relevant legislation, policies, procedures and the Code of Ethics criminal and common law.
- Experience of managing parallel proceedings.
- Knowledge and understanding of College of Policing guidance.
In-role education, qualifications and experience
- Successfully complete the investigative supervisor and manager development programme (ISMDP) or previous equivalent.
- Knowledge of serious and complex crime investigations, including safeguarding and vulnerability.
- Knowledge of the use of covert tactics in criminal investigations.
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 standards, training, registration, accreditation and qualifications should be met.
Learning and accreditation
- Assessed competence against relevant professional standards for this role is required to achieve registration as a PIP 2 investigative manager. Maintenance of this registration requires the demonstration of continued competence against professional standards as well as evidence of CPD, in line with the College of Policing’s requirement.
- Complete all core training as required by the force.
- Any exemptions to learning and accreditation requirements are at chief constable discretion, in line with the local force policy.
Professional development
This role should consider the following CPD:
- ensuring a record of recent experience of conducting different types of investigations (for example, sexual offences and/or serious fraud) effectively is maintained and evidences the knowledge and skills gained as part of maintaining PIP accreditation
- continually seeking 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
- offering own skills, knowledge and expertise as a critical friend to investigators leading on different investigations, where relevant
- regularly sharing best practice for investigations with colleagues e.g. contribute to relevant knowledge hub communities or deliver informal briefings in force
- maintaining a working knowledge of how other government agencies, such as the National Crime Agency (NCA), His Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC) and the government agency intelligence network (GAIN) can assist in the investigation of cases and working to develop networking skills
- ensuring representation at relevant partnership and/or multi-agency meetings where necessary and contributing where appropriate
- working closely with colleagues in intelligence to develop strong procedures relating to managing intelligence within investigations
- where appropriate, developing relevant knowledge and experience of covert policing tactics and how these can support an investigation
- coaching and/or mentoring less experienced colleagues (for example, PIP 2 investigators and PIP 2 supervisors) and deliver training sessions and CPD to support learning and development
- 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
- keeping up to date with all technological advances that might facilitate offenders in committing crimes
- 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 and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) reports
- keeping up to date with guidance on conducting the performance development review (PDR) process and applying this to own work
- ensuring knowledge of any line-manager responsibilities in relation to assessment and recognition of competence (ARC) procedures and apply to own work
- maintaining knowledge and skills relating to work-based assessments to conduct these when necessary
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