Introduction

You do not have to be a police officer to work for the police force.

The first contact you make at a police station, in person or over the phone, is likely to be a civilian member of staff. Civilians provide a range of scientific, management, administrative and technical services which allow officers to concentrate on their primary policing role. There are scene-of crime officers, administrative and training staff as well as those who buy supplies and maintain equipment.

It is the job of the duties planner – who is a civilian – to prepare and update the roster of duties of police and civilian personnel.

The post is likely to be found in county, metropolitan and unitary authorities.

Work Environment

This is the police station. The working week is 37 hours. Normal, but smart dress is expected. There is usually no need for anti-social hours or shift working.

Daily Activities

Every day, duties planners:

• draft duties using Duty Management IT System (DMS) and publish weekly duties for all staff
• co-ordinate resourcing levels to maintain minimum manning and manage Bank Holiday manning levels for all staff
• update DMS with time off, leave, postings/transfers and so on for everybody
• liaise with headquarters concerning requirements for Police Support Units or Mutual Aid
• maintain an accurate list of specially trained officers, manage their training in collaboration with headquarters and make sure that there is sufficient personnel always available
• liaise with human resource and training departments, updating and co-ordinating DMS with course details
• liaise with operations department providing information about resources available for operations and events – current and proposed – for example, numbers of officers required for special soccer matches or royal events
• maintain ‘time-off in lieu’ records for officers and assist with daily duty sheets
• prepare manning for court appearances, entering commitments on DMS.

Skills & Interests

It is essential to have:

• a logical and orderly mind
• administrative ability
• understanding which allows you to treat allocation of duties fairly
• ability and confidence to communicate verbally and in written form with all levels of police and civilian staff
• computer literacy.
• a concern for accuracy

Entry Requirements

A good general education is essential, especially in English and Maths. You would be expected to have:

• a good working knowledge of Police Regulations and Civilian Conditions of Service
• the ability to work with the Duty Management System (DMS) and Force Intranet
• the ability to use a variety of ICT software systems such as Microsoft Windows, Excel and Outlook.

Training may be given for these requirements.

Estimated salary range

£14,811 – £16,341

Please note that salary information is a guide only and there may be local agreements in place. For further information about salaries for particular positions, please contact your local council directly.

Future prospects & opportunities

Civilian staff are usually recruited on an ‘as required’ basis, but duties planners are always needed. There will be opportunities for advancement to more senior management and supervisory roles with further experience and training. As the skills are transferable,
work outside the Police force in a number of administrative jobs in local government or the private sector is possible.

Related Occupations

Follow this link to view a list of all related occuptions in Protecting Your Community.
Alternatively, follow this link to view all career profiles placed in the same job area.

Further Information & Services

Your local police station.

Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development www.cipd.co.uk

Institute for Leadership and Management http://www.i-l-m.com

What should I do next?

Look for current local government Duties Planner vacancies in the following places:

• LGjobs.com - the official recruitment website for local government.
• Weekly, bi-weekly or monthly jobs bulletins produced by local councils themselves, available from libraries, community centres, town halls/main civic buildings and central council personnel departments.
• Local council websites.
• Local newspapers
• National newspapers – The Guardian is particularly well known for its public sector job advertisements on a Wednesday.

Find out about the council and get some work experience if possible by:

• Making the most of work experience placements arranged through your school, college or university.
• Contacting councils close to your home to find out about the work experience opportunities they offer.
• Talking to someone who does the job you are interested in – ring your local council to see if someone can spare some time.
• Making an appointment to see a careers adviser for more specific information about jobs and training.