Police Staff Investigator Rape and Serious Sexual Offences (PIP2)

Salary: Band 8, £25,344 - £28,830 per annum (0.72 FTE, pro rata of £36,066 - £41,028)

Location: Ashington Police Station, Northumberland

Hours/Contract: 26 hours per week (0.72 FTE), fixed term until 31 March 2028.

Working for #TeamNP

Our purpose at Team NP is simple: to keep people safe and to fight crime. But it takes more than officers alone to do the job – and that’s where our 2,000-strong team of police staff and 200 volunteers come in.

As one of the largest police forces in England we have a huge variety of departments and specialisms offering you endless opportunities. From mentoring and coaching schemes and online soft skills courses to leadership development programmes; we’ll give you the support, training and time to carve out the career you always wanted.

As one of the top 50 UK inclusive employers and a disability confident employer, we promote a culture of respect in the workplace so everyone can feel seen, heard and valued.

Whether you’re a member of staff or a volunteer, you can also expect first-rate support to manage your health and wellbeing. With year-round events, a 24/7 welfare support hotline and a leading approach to neurodiversity, our initiatives enable you to be at your best.

Above all else, here at Team NP, we can offer you a career that is so much more than just a job, it’s a chance to be part of something that really matters.

The role

Here at Northumbria Police, we think our region is amazing! It takes a great deal of people from different backgrounds, with diverse skills and experience to serve our force area effectively. This could be the perfect time for you to join us in our Crime Department (Rape and Serious Sexual Offence Cold Case Review Team) as a Police Staff Investigator (RASSO).

This vacancy is open to PIP 2 qualified Police Staff investigators and PIP 2 qualified Police officers who are nearing retirement and wish to return to the organisation. An exciting opportunity has arisen to be part of a new unit within the expanding MIT review team in Crime department. The RASSO cold case review team is being created to review, categorise and re-investigate undetected rapes and serious sexual offences, primarily by utilising advances in forensic science to reconsider forensic opportunities, identify those which present the best opportunities to identify possible suspects.

Playing an integral part in complex investigations, you will deliver a high quality of investigative service to victims of Serious sexual offences. Building high quality evidential files that will withstand scrutiny at court you will progress those investigations through to a criminal justice conclusion delivering successful criminal justice outcomes, protecting the public and preventing further violence by identifying and pursuing criminal justice outcomes against high-risk offenders.

What you’ll do

• Conducting in depth reviews of historic sexual offences using archived Police material together with information held by the National Forensic Archives to enable you to produce detailed reports for review by the Detective Sergeant.
• Carrying out victim and suspect research.
• Making initial approaches to victims where new forensic work has identified a suspect, establishing if they support an investigation, ensuring appropriate safeguarding and support is provided.
• Conducting interviews and obtaining accounts from victims, witnesses, and suspects, gathering information, intelligence and evidence, identifying further lines of enquiry.
• Ensuring all material is examined, and retained in accordance with legislation, policy, and procedure.
• Be responsible for building RASSO files for CPS charging decisions of the unit in delivering successful outcomes to vulnerable victims of previously undetected serious crime.
• Identify opportunities to disrupt criminal activity and work with internal and external partners to put these opportunities to use and problem solve.
• Form relationships through regular liaison with forensic science providers as well as partners and colleagues from across law enforcement that are involved in similar work.

What you’ll bring

• Professionalising Investigations Programme (College of Policing).
• Post holders undertaking this role will be required to be accredited to PIP Level 2.
• Good ability to organise and plan workload according to priorities and deadlines.
• A detailed understanding of the criminal justice system and a thorough and meticulous approach to undertaking tasks including report writing, maintaining victim contact logs and file building.
• Strong communication skills, both verbally and written.
• Applicants should be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of relevant legislation, policies, procedures and the Code of Ethics, criminal and common law and CPIA.
• A proven ability to deliver within tight timescales and experience of interviewing suspects, victims and witnesses.

• Completion of Serious Sexual Assault Investigator’s Development programme (SSAIDP).
• Willingness to obtain this qualification if not already held is essential to the role.
• Experience in investigating RASSO offences.
• Experience of Achieving Best Evidence (ABE), video Interviewing of Children and Vulnerable Adults.
• Experience of working in partnership both internally and externally.
• The role will include occasional travel outside of the Force area therefore a flexible approach is desirable.

We know it's important for you to feel that you're not only part of a great team, but part of a community. We welcome applications from suitably qualified people from all sections of the community, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.

Harnessing these differences creates a productive environment in which everyone feels valued, and their talents are fully utilised. Appointments are based on merit alone.

What we offer

• 26 days’ leave (increasing to 30 days for 5 years+ service) plus 8 bank holidays.
• NHS Fleet Solutions Car Lease Scheme.
• Enhanced maternity, shared parental and adoption leave.
• Flexi time - allowing you to fit your working hours around your individual needs.
• Flexible working (we are happy to discuss options such as compressed hours).
• Fantastic market-leading public sector pension scheme with up to 16% employer contribution.
• Corporate travel schemes – local rail, bus services and metro discounts.
• Access to private healthcare and eye test vouchers.
• Discounts on shopping and eating out thanks to the Blue Light Card and Blue Light Tickets.
• Extensive paid sick leave, trained mental health first aiders on-site, an employee advice service for additional support.
• Access to gyms in some stations.
• Sports & Social Club – join our thriving sports scene at Team NP and enjoy further exclusive discounts on days out and travel.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Opportunity to volunteer in local community.

Just so you know Candidates with priority status will be given precedence for this role over other applicants. Our application form will help us understand how your work, education and life experience has prepared you for the role of a Police Staff Investigator (RASSO) with #TeamNP.

The recruitment process will consist of the initial application form followed by an interview.

Please note it is expected that interviews will take place w/c 31 August.

We are proud members of the Business Disability Forum, with whom we collaborate to improve the lives of disabled employees. We are also a Disability Confident Employer, therefore if you demonstrate that you meet the minimum criteria for this role as stated in the advert, we will progress your application and offer you an interview.

If you tell us that you have a disability, we can make adjustments to support you through the recruitment process (for example we can arrange extra time for tests or provide a sign language interpreter).

You can get in touch with us via careers@northumbria.police.uk for any support regarding the application process. Please provide us with plenty of notice so we can ensure your visit goes smoothly.

Terms of appointment

This is a fixed term role subject to a six-month probationary period. If you are successful in your application, you will have a six-month probation period with us where you will be unable to apply for any other post advertised internally or externally.

Please note if you are interested in applying for this secondment opportunity, please discuss this with your Line Manager and gain agreement prior to applying.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.