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Detention Officer - Dorset Police

Please Note: The application deadline for this job has now passed.

Job Introduction

Detention Officer

We are welcoming applications for the role of Detention Officer with Dorset Police based at the following location(s): Bournemouth Police Station (OC), Weymouth Police Station (MJ)  

Salary: Scale D - Starts at £24,921 rising by yearly increments to a maximum of £27,351 per annum 
Please note that the above salary is based on working 37 hours per week. If this role is part-time or you are appointed on a part-time basis your salary will be prorated to reflect this. Exceptions to starting salary may apply if you are an existing Devon & Cornwall or Dorset Police Staff employee substantively posted to a role at the same Scale.

Type of employment: 
Permanent 

Type of working arrangement: Static-Worker - A Static-Worker has little or no opportunity to work remotely as they need to carry out their work at a specific force premises, this could be for a number of reasons including the location of equipment. 
Hours per week: this role is 37 hours per week. However, we welcome applications from individuals wishing to work on a part-time basis and we are willing to consider flexible working patterns subject to business need.
Allowances: This role attracts Shift Allowance, Weekend Working payment . For additional information on allowances please see our "allowances" page
About the role:  

You will be responsible for the safety and welfare of detained persons, male and  female, from arrest to conclusion of investigation and subsequent appearance at court or release from custody in accordance with legislative requirements, Force policies and orders.

For further information please see the attached Job Description.

KEY RECRUITMENT DATES:

AWARENESS EVENTS: the Resourcing team will be holding two virtual awareness events via Eventbrite in order to provide further information about the role and the recruitment process. These aren't mandatory but attending one of the events is recommended if you'd like to hear more before applying or have any questions about the role and recruitment process.

The events are on the following dates:

  • Thursday 22nd August 2024 - 6-7pm
  • Tuesday 3rd September 2024 - 6-7pm

To sign up for either event click HERE.

INTERVIEW: Interviews will be undertaken within the weeks commencing 23 September 2024. If you are unable to attend any dates within this time please let the recruitment team know when submitting your application. The selection stage will consist of a structured interview.

FITNESS TEST: The police Job Related Fitness Test (JRFT) is a critical component of the recruitment and appointment of Detention Officers. The core rational for the test is to ensure that prospective employees have a minimum level of fitness to be able to undertake Personal Safety Training once appointed. The JRFT test is benchmarked against the aerobic demands of Personal Safety Training (PST) and comprises of an aerobic shuttle run test (15m Multistage Fitness Test – 15m MSFT at level 5:4).

Please refer to the linked job-related fitness test information guide. LINK

The fitness test is scheduled to take place on Monday 7 October 2024. 

CUSTODY TRAINING COURSE: Candidates who are successful through the recruitment process will be required to undertake a mandatory 5-week custody course which is to commence Monday 3rd February 2025 and will be based at Winfrith Police Headquarters, Dorset, DT2 8DZ. Some course modules will be held at other sites (Bournemouth, Ferndown), in these cases you will be eligible for travel expenses to the training venue.

If you are unable to attend any dates within this 5 week training course please contact the Alliance Resourcing team who will confirm if you are eligible to apply at this time

Please note: If you are wishing to work on a part-time or ad hoc basis you will be required to attend the training course on a full time basis.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: 

As part of our duty of care and in line with the Equality Act 2010, we need to establish whether you will be able to carry out functions that are essential to the role for which you are applying (with reasonable adjustments where appropriate). This role has been identified as one that requires the enhanced medical check. Candidates who successfully clear pre-employment checks will, as part of a conditional offer of employment, be sent the required form for completion.

Want to know more about this role?

Further detail regarding this role and the essential requirements can be found within the job description attached below.

If you think this may be the role for you and would like further information, please contact: 

Hiring Line Manager: Chelsie Cullen - Custody Development Officer 

Email Address: detentionofficerrecruitment@dorset.pnn.police.uk 

Telephone Number: N/A 

What you get if you join us:

If you work for us, you will get access to:

  • A competitive salary with yearly increments.
  • Access to heavily subsidised gym membership that will provide you access to police site gyms throughout the counties.
  • Access to the Blue Light Card Scheme for discounts and services (requires a one-off payment of £5).
  • Company sick pay.
  • Competitive local government pension scheme.
  • Job related equipment, as required.
  • Free onsite parking at many police sites throughout the counties.
  • Access to Group insurance scheme (via salary sacrifice scheme).
  • Support networks, free Employees' Assistance Programme, Occupational Health and wellbeing services.
  • Development and training opportunities.
  • Supportive and flexible training plan, including regular check-ins throughout your initial period of joining us to ensure you are up to speed with the role and getting the support you need.

Annual Leave Entitlement:

25 days a year leave entitlement, with an increase to 30 days after 5 years continuous employment, plus bank holidays (pro-rata for part time employees).

Additional Information

Dual working: This role will require the post holder to travel to alternative locations on an ad hoc basis to undertake the role, travel expenses will be reimbursed in accordance with force policy.
Political Restrictions: None apply to this role.

Recruitment Process

Application Stage:

To apply for this role, please use this link Detention Officer - Devon & Cornwall Police and Dorset Police (tal.net), you will then be taken to a registration page. Please complete this registration form to create an account, once created you will be taken to the application. 

Already have an account? If you have previously created an account, please click 'login' at the bottom of the page next to the 'submit registration' button. Once logged in, you will be taken to the application. 

Once registered, you will have to complete an eligibility form to apply. If eligible, you will move to the application form stage where you will evidence your suitability for this post. The closing date for applications is 09/09/2024, 12:00.

Selection Stage: 

The selection for this role will consist of Shortlisting, Interview, Fitness Test.

Applications will be anonymised and then shortlisted by the shortlisting panel.  Following the shortlisting you will be notified of the recruitment decision via email along with feedback on your application. 

If successful, you will then be invited to an interview. This will be based on the essential criteria outlined within the job description. The interview process is due to take place week commencing 23 September 2024.

Some roles may also require an assessment and / or fitness test. Further information on this will be provided following the shortlisting process. 

Pre-requisites:

If you are successful through the selection stage of the recruitment process, we will make a conditional offer of appointment and commence pre-requisite checks. These checks can include: 

  • Vetting checks,
  • Reference checks,
  • Medical assessment,
  • Qualification review,
  • Right to Work checks.

A formal offer of appointment and start date will not be agreed until all checks are satisfactorily completed. If you are successful at the selection stage your conditional offer will outline which of these checks are applicable to you. 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

The application system only remains active on a single page for a period of 60 minutes.

Please ensure you allow time to complete your application fully as part complete pages do not save.  

If the role has evidence questions you are required to complete in the application form, you may wish to complete these remotely and then paste your answers into the boxes at time of submission. Please note, each evidence criterion is set to a maximum of 2000 characters. 

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