Information about the role of a PIP 3 senior investigative officer, including the role purpose, key responsibilities and the skills required.
About the role
A PIP 3 senior investigative officer sits within the investigative sector of policing. It's a manager role in the policing professional profiles.
Role purpose
The PIP 3 senior investigative officer (SIO) leads on specified serious, complex, organised and major crime investigations. They are accountable to chief officers for the conduct of the investigation.
They direct and manage the investigative response and all resources associated with the investigation. They develop and implement strategies, procedures and systems that underpin the investigation and ensure the management and assessment of threat, risk and harm.
Key responsibilities
Key responsibility statements show the accountabilities for someone in this role. They focus on what is done, not how it is done.
- Developing and implementing short, medium and long-term objectives within each investigation as part of the overall investigative strategy. Engaging with other force departments, units and agencies to enable a collaborative approach to managing investigative strategies, evidence gathering and building community confidence and managing concerns.
- Supervising and evaluating investigations for reactive, proactive, and crimes in action to ensure the investigation is carried out thoroughly and expeditiously in accordance with investigation policy, ethics and relevant legislation, and best practice.
- Managing budgets and resources and taking corrective action where required to ensure investigations are completed in a cost-effective manner.
- Leading, inspiring, and developing a team of investigators, providing coaching, support, and feedback where required to deliver team objectives and ensure the welfare of staff.
- Developing and maintaining strong relationships, partnerships and community relations to provide a service that is responsive to the needs of all communities in accordance with partnership agreements.
- Developing plans for operations and coordinating activities and initiatives, including management of covert assets and implementing change plans where required, to contribute to reducing, detecting and preventing major and serious crime.
- Developing and implementing plans for witnesses and victims to ensure they are offered support and care during the investigative process, adhering to applicable guidance and legislation.
- Undertaking comprehensive risk assessments for planned operational events to ensure adequate safety procedures are in place and that an appropriate contingency plan has been developed.
- Enabling information and evidence sharing with due consideration to the need for information security to ensure the secure handling, dissemination and management of intelligence to progress the investigation.
- Supervising the secure handling and dissemination of intelligence to enable information and evidence sharing with due consideration to the need for information security.
- Conducting intelligence-led briefing, tasking and debriefing, ensuring that intelligence is used ethically and is appropriate to the duties being performed and in accordance with force policy to support the achievement of community safety and crime reduction objectives.
- Supporting the briefing of and liaison with the media when necessary, acting in accordance with media policy guidelines to reassure the public and keep them informed of developments in a particular investigation and as an investigative strategy for appeals.
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
- Significant experience in conducting serious and complex investigations as investigative manager.
- Successfully completed the investigative supervisors and managers development programme (ISMDP) or previous equivalent programme.
- Experience of making challenging decisions using appropriate decision-making models.
- 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 SIO development programme, including core, relevant specialist elective and hydra, and portfolio.
- Awareness of home office large major enquiry system (HOLMES 2) and major incident room standardised administrative procedures (MIRSAP).
- Experience or understanding of managing covert operations, including evidence of risk management and the deployment of assets, such as conventional surveillance, directed surveillance and lawful intercept.
- Successfully completed the management of major counter terrorism investigations (MMCTI) (PIP 3 counter terrorism SIOs only).
- Completed the kidnap and extortion course (PIP 3 kidnap and extortion SIO’s only)
- Knowledge of investigations of serious organised crime such as organised crime group (OCG) target operations, counter terrorism, or corruption.
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 PIP 3 registration. Successful completion of the SIO programme will result in entry onto the national high-risk investigations register.
- Maintenance of this registration requires the demonstration of continued competence against assessment criteria, as well as evidence of continuing professional development, in line with the College’s CPD model.
- Complete all core training 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:
- 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
- maintaining a record of operational experience of conducting different types of major or serious and organised crime investigations (for example, homicide, child sexual exploitation/abuse, complex public protection, human trafficking, modern slavery or other serious offences) and evidencing the knowledge and skills gained. This can be used to contribute to maintaining PIP 3 registration
- offering own skills, knowledge and expertise as a critical friend to SIOs 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), Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC), regional organised crime units (ROCUs) and 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 the effective management of 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 managers) 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, 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
- 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 in order to conduct these when necessary
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