Information about the role of a PIP 2 investigator, including the role purpose, key responsibilities and the skills required.
About the role
A PIP 2 investigator sits within the investigation sector of policing. It's a service deliverer role in the policing professional profiles.
Role purpose
The PIP 2 investigator uses a range of appropriate investigative approaches to gather material, placing the victim at the centre of all actions and decisions, to investigate serious and complex crimes safely and effectively with a view to achieving an appropriate outcome for that investigation.
Key responsibilities
Key responsibility statements show the accountabilities for someone in this role. They focus on what is done, not how it is done.
- Identifying and planning investigative actions, considering resources at force, regional or national levels including other agencies, priorities, and proportionality to achieve investigative objectives.
- Assessing and managing threat, harm and risk, developing plans and strategies to keep self, and others safe.
- Liaising and working with other investigators, specialists and supervisors to support investigative process, identifying appropriate methods to gather material and identify and develop lines of enquiry to support criminal justice process.
- Collecting and gathering material, intelligence and evidence from a range of sources maintaining continuity and integrity. Recording and retaining evidence in a format that is evidentially admissible to support the investigative process.
- Interviewing victims, witnesses and suspects and gathering all required material, intelligence and evidence, identifying additional lines of enquiry.
- Using relevant powers to identify and arrest suspects as appropriate, considering the necessity test and other options such as voluntary interviews.
- Undertaking associated search and custody procedures to protect and safeguard the public in accordance with legislation and policy.
- Providing appropriate support for victims during an investigation according to their diverse needs, completing risk assessments and victim needs assessments. Formulating victim strategies where required, and working with victim care units, to ensure the safety and wellbeing of victims.
- Carrying out analysis, assessing evidence, and evaluating material generated by the investigation to identify offenders.
- Ensuring all material, including exhibits generated by the investigation are seized, examined, and retained where necessary, to ensure compliance with legislation and policy.
- Responding to safeguarding concerns and managing risk in cases, including but not limited to; offences against children, offences against vulnerable adults, domestic abuse and sexual offences to protect the most vulnerable people in society.
- Preparing and submitting investigative outcome reports, building case files and managing the disclosure of material to ensure compliance with best practice.
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 1: practitioner
- We take ownership – Level 1: practitioner
- We collaborate – Level 1: practitioner
- We support and inspire – Level 1: practitioner
- We analyse critically – Level 1: practitioner
- We are innovative and open-minded – Level 1: practitioner
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 1
- Problem solving – Level 1
- Performance management – Level 1
- Relationship management – Level 1
- Change management – Level 1
- Managing people – Level 1
- Managing resources – Level 1
- Planning – Level 1
- Use of IT – Level 1
Education, qualifications and experience
To achieve effective performance in the role, the following training, registration and learning should be met.
Previous education, qualifications and experience
- Successful completion of applicable entry route and training to achieve PIP 1 registration.
- Demonstrable experience of complex information gathering and problem solving.
- A detailed understanding of the criminal justice system.
- Knowledge and understanding of applicable College of Policing guidance.
In-role education, qualifications and experience
- Pass national investigator's exam.
- Successfully obtain PIP 2 registration by undertaking PIP 2 investigator learning, development and portfolio submission to evidence competence against relevant assessment criteria.
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 investigator 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’s guidance.
- Complete all core training and learning as required by the force.
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
- maintaining an up to date understanding of police regulations and College of Policing guidance, best practice and any local policy applicable to the operational police context
- maintaining and updating key knowledge, understanding and skills relating to criminology, legislation, policy and practice across all functional policing areas of operational policing
- maintaining knowledge and understanding of new approaches identified by evidence-based policing research and problem solving, testing and synthesising these into working practice, championing innovation and changes to practice
- maintaining a working knowledge and understanding of new and evolving crime threats and priorities and current best practice to tackle these to enable a pro-active and preventative approach
- understanding the impact of the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) Learning the Lessons reports relating to investigation, e.g. 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
- reading the CPS (Crown Prosecution Service) guidance on investigative practices, relations with the police and apply
- regularly sharing best practice for investigations with colleagues, for example, contribute to relevant knowledge hub communities or deliver informal briefings
- maintaining a working knowledge of how other government agencies, such as the National Crime Agency (NCA) and His Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC), can assist in the investigation of cases
- understanding and developing knowledge of other roles within policing e.g. work alongside other colleagues in another department to further operational knowledge of one another’s roles
- coaching and/or mentoring less experienced colleagues (for example, PIP1 investigators) and deliver training sessions to support learning and development
- where appropriate, keeping up to date with guidance on conducting the performance development review (PDR) process and applying this to own work
- where appropriate, ensuring knowledge of any line-manager responsibilities in relation to assessment and recognition of competence (ARC) procedures and apply to own work
- where appropriate, maintaining knowledge and skills relating to work-based assessments to conduct these when necessary
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