Information about the role of PIP 4 strategic investigator, including the role purpose, key responsibilities and the skills required.
About the role
PIP 4 strategic investigator sits within the investigative sector of policing. It's a service function leader role in the policing professional profiles.
Role purpose
The PIP 4 strategic investigator provides independent advice, support and review for high profile, complex, serious and organised or major crime investigations.
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 and support for the overall strategic management of investigations to ensure that they are conducted within the level of quality and strategic oversight required by chief officers.
- Providing advice and support to the senior investigating officer (SIO), acting as a critical friend to ensure that the SIO can test, check and take advice on their decision making during the investigation.
- Identifying, monitoring and escalating risks where the complexity or profile of an investigation may impact upon the resilience of the SIO and/or the force's reputation.
- Reviewing operational and strategic aspects of investigations to provide additional capacity and expertise to investigative teams.
- Acting as link between the SIO and gold command to ensure that all issues relating to strategic, operational and resource requirements of the investigation are presented to gold command.
- Reporting to gold commander on the quality of investigations to enable chief officers to maintain visible oversight on how investigations are being conducted.
- Developing and implementing a communications strategy for investigations, acting as a public face of the investigation to support the SIO in achieving the aims of the investigation.
- Co-ordinating and managing partners and external stakeholders to support the aims of the investigation.
- Developing and sharing best practice with other organisations on investigation techniques and management to enhance practice and assist in the development of policy.
- Conducting peer reviews into investigations and analysing trends in resource requirements.
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 3: senior manager or executive
- We take ownership – Level 3: senior manager or executive
- We collaborate – Level 3: senior manager or executive
- We support and inspire – Level 3: senior manager or executive
- We analyse critically – Level 3: senior manager or executive
- We are innovative and open-minded – Level 3: senior manager or executive
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 4
- Problem solving – Level 4
- Performance management – Level 4
- Relationship management – Level 4
- Change management – Level 4
- Managing people – Level 4
- Managing resources – Level 4
- Planning – Level 4
- Use of IT – Level 4
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
- Successfully complete the SIO development programme core and major crime or serious and organised crime modules and portfolio.
- Possess active status on the national high-risk investigations register.
- Completion of the professionalising investigations programme (PIP) 4 development programme.
- Significant experience of managing linked high-profile complex serious organised crime or major crime investigations.
- Experience and knowledge of managing high profile media strategies.
- Knowledge and understanding of College of Policing guidance relating to role.
- Ordinarily be a minimum rank of superintendent, police staff equivalent or similar grades within the National Crime Agency (NCA) or other UK law enforcement agency unless determined otherwise by their chief officers.
- Demonstrable experience of safeguarding vulnerable victims, witnesses and suspects during major or serious and organised crime 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 assessment criteria for this role is required to achieve PIP registration.
- Maintenance of this registration requires the demonstration of continued competence against PIP 3 and/or PIP 4 assessment criteria as well as evidence of CPD in line with the guidance from the College of Policing.
- 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:
- 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 SIOs leading on different investigations, where relevant
- regularly sharing best practice for investigations with colleagues, for example, contribute to relevant online 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 and deliver training sessions to support learning and development
- keeping up to date with new and developing legislation (including current guidance on disclosure) and current national policing priorities e.g. 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
- 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 applying to own work
- maintaining knowledge and skills relating to work-based assessments to conduct these when necessary
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