Special Constable Briefing Pack
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Special Constable Briefing Pack Special Constable – The Role Special Constables are volunteers who work closely with regular officers to help police their communities. They have the same powers and wear the same uniform as a regular police officer; they are given proper training for the role and gain thorough grounding in many aspects of police work before they are expected to carry out any police duties. Being a Special Constable is a challenging and rewarding role. We’re looking for people who can empathise with others and listen to their needs. You need to be willing to commit a minimum of 16 hours per month to Hampshire Constabulary in order to help protect our communities. Special Constables take part in frontline police work as either response & patrol or neighbourhood policing team officers. This could mean anything from keeping town centres safe at night to conducting house-to-house enquiries or helping prevent vulnerable members of the community from becoming victims of crime as well as patrolling in crime hotspots or taking part in crime-prevention initiatives. The duties of a Special Constable include. • Neighbourhood policing • Response policing • Foot patrol • Helping to tackle anti-social behaviour • Road safety initiatives • Helping safeguard public safety and security at local or major events The work you carry out on duty can be varied from one shift to another, the below sets out some of the types of tasks you may be involved in. Ensuring public safety • Assisting at the scene of accidents, fires or incidents - helping control situations, ensuring people are safe. • Providing security and crowd control at major public events - preventing injuries and disorder. Preventing crime • Carrying out high-visibility foot patrols to deter and detect criminals. • Educating businesses and the community about crime and how to avoid it to reduce crime and people's fear of it happening. • Talking to schoolchildren about crime reduction and community safety to help them stay safe and make the right choices. Tackling crime • Confronting anti-social behaviour on the streets such as intimidating behaviour or gangs. • Managing alcohol-related incidents such as public drunkenness or violence. • Enforcing road safety laws in local communities. Investigating crime • Conducting house-to-house enquiries to gather information and support larger enquiries. • Taking part in police operations to disrupt and arrest offenders. Securing convictions • Presenting evidence in court to support the justice system in prosecuting offenders. Being a Special Constable provides the chance to learn more about your community by seeing it from an entirely new perspective. It gives you the opportunity to give something back to your local area, making it safer and enhancing relationships between the public and the police. This is demanding work however you will see the impact you are having on your community giving reassurance to members of the public and ensuring public safety. Why become a Special Constable? It is true that there are no financial rewards for being one of Hampshire's Special Constables, but we can promise you that if you're the type of person we're looking for you'll get a real sense of satisfaction from making your community a better place to live whilst making new friends and developing skills in the following areas. • Communicating and negotiating effectively • Staying calm under pressure • Problem solving • Swift and effective decision making • Teamwork • Leadership and management • Responsibility • Self confidence • Time management These skills can better equip you for challenges in other areas of life We'll train you to be confident to deal with any situation you are likely to come across and you'll also learn a whole new range of skills. Whilst you are on duty you will see how the job is done at the sharp end of policing. You will make your contribution and gain confidence and experience to the extent that dealing with certain situations become second nature. You will be working as one team and the experiences you share in working closely together can lead to lasting friendships. You will learn more about life and human nature than most people will ever see. As a Special you’ll discover a lot you did not know about yourself and just how much you are really capable of; you’ll develop self-respect and self-confidence. As a Special Constable you might find going out on patrol a welcome change from your usual working day. The Commitment Those committed to taking on this challenging, exciting and rewarding role will need to complete a minimum of 192 hours annually, equating to 16 hours per month. Taking part in frontline police work as either response & patrol or neighbourhood policing team officers. Initial Training The initial training course is currently under review so we are not able to provide details at this time, we will of course share the relevant information with you as soon as we can. It is likely that the initial training phase will take place over several months and will involve both weekend and evening classes; you must be able to commit to attend all of the training course dates you are given. You will need to be able to travel to our Southern Training & Support Headquarters in Hamble as some, if not all the training sessions will be held at this location (we will confirm training locations prior to joining). There will be things that you will be asked to learn/ prepare at home prior to the training sessions. There will also be exams and practical assessments to pass so we can sure that you are ready to begin operational policing. Towards the end of the initial training phase trainee Special Constables will receive your uniform and once all training has been attended and passed you will receive your warrant card and be sworn in as a Special Constable at an Attestation ceremony. Tutoring On Attestation you will be assigned to a policing team who will look after you during the next stage of your development. You will be working with an experienced officer at all times until you have achieved Independent Patrol Status; to achieve this you will need to demonstrate your practical abilities in a number of set areas. We will support you in your development to achieve this. Refresher Training You will be required to complete refresher training on an annual basis, this currently comprises of 1 day personal safety training and 1 day of Emergency first aid. E-Learning Throughout your Specials career there will be mandatory online learning modules that you will need to complete. These modules will form part of your initial training and tutor phase as well as being an ongoing requirement as and when we need to provide you with new/ updated knowledge. You will be given timescales within which the e-learning modules will need to be completed. You will be able to complete most of the e-learning modules at home should you wish to do so. Continuing Professional Development There will be mandatory training that you will need to attend during your service, this could arise as a result of a change in the law, practice or processes or to provide you with further knowledge, skills and understanding not provided in your initial training phase. You will always be provided with notice of the required training and will be given a number of dates for attendance. There will also be opportunities for you to complete non-mandatory continuing professional development should you wish to develop further. Looking After Our People As a Special Constable you will be part of the policing Family and a valued member of Hampshire Constabulary, an organisation that is committed to the wellbeing of all its officers, staff and volunteers. Hampshire Constabulary have a wide range of wellbeing services available to all police officers, staff and volunteers, these services will support you in your policing role whenever you might need them. The below are areas where we provide support, guidance and assistance • General wellbeing • Mental and emotional wellbeing • Physical wellbeing • Financial well being • Life events • Wellbeing opportunities • Operational wellbeing Employer Supported Policing Employer Supported Policing (ESP) is a partnership scheme in which employers in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight allow their staff to train and patrol as Special Constables. Employers provide paid leave for some or all of the minimum 16 hours that Special Constables are require to contribute. Allowing staff to become Special Constables offers huge benefits to the organisations in terms of staff development – benefits that cannot be bought commercially. Transferable skills include communicating and negotiating effectively, staying calm under pressure, problem solving, decision making, team building, leadership and management and responsibility. More information about ESP can be found on the national Citizens in Policing website. Eligibility Standards for Hampshire Special Constabulary are high and the recruitment and selection process is thorough. We can only select applicants who reach the standard set by Hampshire Special Constabulary. Before progressing an application with us you should check to see if you are eligible for the role. The questions below are here to help you decide whether you are eligible. You should answer honestly. The questionnaire will only take a few minutes. If any of your answers fall outside the shaded boxes, you may not be eligible to join Hampshire Special Constabulary. You should refer to the relevant notes for more information. Eligibility criteria Yes No Further guidance Age: See note 1. Are you over 18 years old? Nationality: See note 2. You need to be a British citizen or a member of the EC/EEA and have lived in the UK for at least 3 years. Commonwealth citizens and foreign nationals who are resident in the UK free of restrictions can also apply.