Custody Sergeant
City of London Police
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Job summary
City of London Police is seeking substantive Sergeants or Temporary Sergeants to serve as Custody Sergeant at Bishopsgate. The role includes managing the 15-cell custody suite within a 24/7 shift pattern and ensuring adherence to PACE requirements.
You will safeguard detainee welfare, maintain custody records and supervise staff to uphold high standards of security and safety. Applicants will be considered under National Police Scales with related vetting, and internal progression processes;
Qualifications
- Integrity, professionalism and compassion are core values.
- Ability to adapt language and message for different audiences.
- Ability to manage new processes and drive team improvements.
- Ability to assess risk, plan workload and mitigate delivery risks.
- Knowledge of Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) basics.
Responsibilities
- Manage the custody suite within a 24/7 shift pattern.
- Ensure custody records are accurate and complete.
- Supervise custody staff and welfare of detainees and visitors.
- Ensure compliance with PACE Codes of Practice and legal processes.
- Coordinate biometric sampling, searches and detention decisions.
- Oversee safety, security and facility maintenance of the custody unit.
Job description
Internal officers may be required to undertake a vetting check before moving to the role.
Custody Sergeant
Full Time
This role operates on a rotating shift pattern to meet operational requirements which may include early, late and weekend working. Full shift pattern details will be shared at the appropriate stage of the recruitment process.
Police Sergeant or Temporary Sergeant (as defined below)
Specialist Operations / Criminal Justice / Custody
Bishopsgate
National Police Scales
2 years
MV/SC
Internal officers may be required to undertake a vetting check before moving to the role.
Regulations state that an officer can only be Temporarily Promoted to the ranks of Sergeant and Inspector if they are suitably qualified.
- Having passed the necessary examination; and
- Having commenced, or completed, the Work-Based Assessment (WBA
As City of London Police, we protect the people, businesses and infrastructure of the City of London, one of the most important and dynamic environments in the UK and globally.
City of London Police is the smallest Home Office force area in the country. However, that does not make our role any less challenging, because there is so much happening within the City.
City of London Police plays a vital role in keeping the City of London's diverse community safe. As a Police Officer, you will help make the City safer and deliver a valued service for those who live, work and visit the City.
The City of London Police is keen to promote flexible working and will, subject to operational policing requirements, proactively consider all applications to work flexibly.
The City of London Police is committed to equal opportunities and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.
Applications are invited from substantive Sergeants or Temporary Sergeants (as defined above) to undertake the role of Custody Officer within our Custody Cadre in Specialist Operations, Criminal Justice Services.
City of London Police is proud to provide an exceptional service and, within this role, the successful candidate will make a tangible contribution to the Force.
The successful applicant will be required to perform the role of a Custody Sergeant within the dedicated Custody Cadre, working a 24/7 shift pattern.
The postholder will form part of the wider Criminal Justice Services team, which includes Custody and Administration of Justice, reporting to the DCI and Superintendent, Criminal Justice Services.
Working within our 15-cell custody suite at Bishopsgate Police Station, your role will be to manage the custody suite as part of our 24/7 Custody Cadre.
This will include ensuring that the custody suite is fit for purpose, fully stocked, and that all equipment and cells are in a good state of repair and fully serviced.
Your primary responsibility will be for the care and welfare of staff, detainees and visitors to the custody suite.
In relation to an arrested person, you will be responsible for deciding whether you have sufficient grounds to authorise or refuse the detention of any person presented before you.
In compliance with PACE, you must ensure that all actions regarding the care and welfare of a detainee, including any legal processes, are fully documented on the individual's custody record.
You will also be responsible for ensuring that police officers and police staff adhere to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) Codes of Practice regarding the rights and treatment of persons arrested while in custody.
- Implement all relevant legislation and apply policies and procedures to ensure high standards of security and safety are maintained within the Custody Suite.
- Assist in the accurate and prompt maintenance of manual and computerised custody records, including undertaking quality assurance as required, to ensure the integrity of data held and compliance with the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE), the PACE Codes of Practice and other applicable legislation and local/national guidance.
- Recognise and review all factors relating to the dignity and wellbeing of detainees to ensure these issues are given due consideration at all stages of detention, release or transfer.
- Oversee/manage the process of completing antecedent forms, obtaining fingerprints, photographs, DNA and other biometric samples.
- Oversee/manage the completion of mandatory drug testing procedures from detained persons, including all associated paperwork, whilst ensuring compliance with all relevant legislation and local/national guidance.
- Oversee/manage the process of searching each cell before and after use to detect and arrange the repair of any damage caused, reporting and following correct procedures to maintain a safe custody facility.
- Oversee/manage the process of physically searching detainees, retaining and recording personal possessions, and ensuring compliance with legislation and national and local policies and procedures.
- Undertake reviews of detention, monitor the progress of investigations, and report information to the PACE Inspector to ensure detainees are being detained in line with legislation, including accurately recording all appropriate Release Under Investigation (RUI), bail and disposal decisions on the custody record.
- Supervise visits by official representatives/agencies.
- Ensure that all cell visits for detainees in custody are completed to the level identified during the initial or subsequent risk assessment and carried out in accordance with APP, undertaking spot checks to ensure compliance.
- Support representatives from other areas such as legal advisors, healthcare or liaison and diversion services to ensure the movement and care of detainees complies with legislative, national and local procedures.
- Undertake ongoing risk assessments of all detainees entering the custody suite to mitigate threat, risk and harm to detainees and custody staff.
- Undertake a risk assessment prior to the release of all detainees to mitigate threat, risk and harm to detainees and members of the public.
- Identify and mitigate against any potential organisational risks relating to the custody suite to minimise the impact on both the Force and the custody suite.
- Monitor health and safety risks within the custody suite, acting as appropriate to mitigate potential health and safety risks.
- Supervise the custody suite team, managing wellbeing, welfare and development, and ensuring high levels of motivation to support the effective running of the custody suite.
- Supervise or lead the briefing of staff at shift changeovers and other appropriate times to ensure key information relating to the custody suite is communicated and that handovers are carried out appropriately.
- Supervise case files to ensure that they meet the required evidential standards.
- Undertake Evidential Review Officer (ERO) duties to ensure that case disposal is proportionate and the rationale for decision making is clearly recorded.
- Manage the Released Under Investigation (RUI) process to ensure investigations following release from custody are conducted within reasonable and justifiable timescales.
- Maintain oversight of the demographics of persons passing through custody to ensure any disproportionality is scrutinised.
- Review custody data and undertake quality assurance of records.
- Undertake Reporting Sergeant duties for Dedicated Detention Officers (DDOs).
The following criteria, including the behaviours below, will be assessed at application and interview:
- Actively demonstrates the City of London Police's core values of Integrity, Professionalism and Compassion.
- Able to set out logical arguments clearly, adapting language, form and message to meet the needs of different people/audiences.
- Able to manage the introduction of new business processes or ways of working at team level.
- Able to identify cause and effect and develop a course of action designed to target root causes and mitigate risks.
- Able to develop and motivate a team and create strong engagement of individuals with their personal and team objectives, Force values, behaviours and strategic priorities.
- Able to review and assess individual and team performance against expected standards, providing objective and effective feedback and ensuring corrective actions are taken where necessary.
- Able to plan, allocate work appropriately within the team and identify and mitigate risks to delivery.
- Applicants must demonstrate the highest standards of integrity, discretion and confidentiality and have a good understanding of the Code of Ethics.
- Good IT skills.
- Knowledge of the Force organisation and structure.
- Previous custody training/experience is beneficial (although training will be provided where required).
- An understanding of and commitment to the Force Diversity and Equal Opportunities Policy.
- Good understanding of Code C of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984.
The successful candidate will report directly to the Custody Manager, Criminal Justice Services.
The application and interview will be tested under Level 2 of the College of Policing Competency and Values Framework.
Applicants who fail to address the skills, knowledge and experience requirements of the role will not be considered.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, such as ChatGPT and Copilot, is permitted to review and edit application responses for spelling, grammar and clarity.
However, all responses must accurately reflect your own skills, knowledge and experience and must not be generated by AI or contain plagiarised content. Applications found to include plagiarism or AI-generated content will be withdrawn.
If you would like to discuss the post in more detail, please contact:
Inspector BRADY 0207 6012058 or email Deborah.brady@cityoflondon.police.uk
The closing date for applications is 6th November @11:59pm
This vacancy is open only to those who have the right to work in the UK.
Please note that your application will not be considered without a completed endorsement form. Please ensure you leave enough time for your verifiers and senior leaders to complete their support of your application before the closing date.
Please note officers who are not within three months of completing their tenure period will not be eligible to apply for internal roles. This applies only to officers who are not currently working within this Directorate.
We strive to ensure all our information and services are accessible and useable by everyone.
If you would like to receive information in a different way or would like us to do anything differently to help you apply for our roles, please get in touch with HR via: HRServices@city-of-london.pnn.police.uk
In return, we offer a number of benefits including a generous pension scheme, a free Oyster card for London (TfL) travel and subsidised National Rail travel, which allows you to travel within a 70-mile radius.
https://careers.cityoflondon.police.uk/working
The ATOC Rail Travel Concession allows regular serving police officers to travel on National Rail services within a 70-mile radius of London for a small monthly cost. This is a taxable benefit that the City of London Police negotiates and officers contribute towards the cost of the scheme.
If you wish to confirm whether your journey would be covered under this scheme, please contact HR Services directly, as the 70 miles is an approximation.
A diverse workforce improves the service we provide to our public by making us more approachable and relevant within our communities. This is why it is vitally important that we recruit people from a wide range of communities and backgrounds with an understanding of cultural issues and a broad range of skills.
We therefore particularly encourage women and people from Black, Asian and other Minority Ethnic communities to join us.
The way we work is changing. With a few exceptions, most roles will be able to accommodate part-time, job share and flexible working patterns.
We can also offer hybrid working patterns of home and office-based working. Feel free to speak to us about any flexible working requirements.
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