Detention Officer

Division / Department - See Advert
Grade - Grade 8
Status - Full Time
Contract Type - Permanent
Salary Grade Range - £23,331 - £25,062
Working Hours - 37.0 Hours per Week

The starting salary for this role will usually be at the bottom of the salary range and will be pro-rata if the working hours are less than full time.

The Role
- Sussex Police are excited to open recruitment for the role of Detention Officer working within our custody facility at Crawley.
- As a Detention Officer you will be part of a team responsible for ensuring the smooth running of the custody suite, ensuring the safety and comfort of detainees whilst facilitating access for visitors and contractors when required.
- You will receive training in relevant aspects of the law, conflict management, food preparation and first aid as well as also being trained to take fingerprints, footwear impressions and DNA samples.
- You need to be competent at using computers and will receive IT training enabling you to enter detainee data into secure police systems. These positions will appeal to applicants who are reliable, enthusiastic, and self-disciplined with good people skills and a cool head.
- In this role you will see and meet people from all aspects of society, at times dealing with people who are upset, angry and or violent. You will be required to use not only verbal communication skills to process detainees but may also be expected to physically restrain detainees if required. You need to be prepared that you will not always be spoken to or treated with respect by detainees.
- Sussex Police have five operational custody centres located at- Brighton
- Crawley
- Eastbourne
- Hastings
- Worthing

Key Responsibilities

Upon completion of training, you will be responsible as part of a team, for all aspects of detainee care including security, supervising exercise, facilitating legal visits and providing food. You will work with custody medical teams for both physical and mental health and oversee other entitlements as required under legislation.

Skills & Experience

You will need to be a good communicator and team player. Working with a team under the supervision of a police Sergeant and Inspector, you will have dealings with persons from all walks of life. Being firm but fair, observant, compassionate, and having a sense of humour are all qualities which are vital to this role.

Further Information

It is essential that you hold a full current and valid driving licence and have access to a personal vehicle so that you can travel between centres if required. You may at times be required to work at other custody centres across Sussex to cover shortfalls in staffing through absence and sickness, if this is the case travelling expenses will be paid.

The shift Pattern
Please note, that although over the course of 12 months your average working weekly hours equates to 37 hours per week, in reality you will be working six shifts on and four shifts off on a ten-week rotational pattern.

Shifts may vary but will be made up of 8, 9 and 10hr shifts, predominantly working two early shifts (0700 x 1600hrs), two late shifts (1400 x 0000hrs) and two-night shifts (2300 x 0700hrs). Twice every ten weeks a training day will be provided reducing days off from four to three.

Upon completion of initial training, you will receive an unsocial hour’s allowance equivalent to 34.46% of your salary.

Initial training will Monday to Friday and last 5 weeks, during this time you will be unable to take annual leave. This is to ensure that you have the correct skills to perform the role and have an appropriate amount of time to reinforce learning and develop these within the custody centre.

Additional Information
- This post is being advertised in parallel with Force redeployment processes. Any redeployees who are identified will be given preference. This may result in the post being withdrawn at any point during the recruitment process.
- vacancies in collaborated units are available to all officers and staff across both Forces
- vacancies in non-collaborated units are only available to officers and staff within the Force with the vacancy unless it is advertised externally. If the vacancy is advertised externally and an officer or member of staff from the other Force is success it will result in a transfer of employment.

Diversity Statement

We are only as good as our people. It's really important that our officers and staff can be themselves in the workplace and we know that as an organisation we'll grow from the variety of thinking, approach and skills that diversity brings; all of which help us deliver a better policing service. We strive to ensure how we deliver our services, provide information and how we recruit is open and accessible to all.

We have multiple staff support groups who help to improve our understanding of minority issues and ensure they are reflected in our work. We are proud members of the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index and Disability C