Information about the role of a review officer, including the role purpose, key responsibilities and the skills required.
About the role
A review officer is an investigation position within the investigation sector of policing. It's a service deliverer role in the policing professional profiles.
Role purpose
The review officer conducts or assists in conducting reviews of the management, coordination and conduct of specific investigations, namely:
- 28-day homicide reviews
- other major crime reviews (for example, rape)
- cold case (historic case) reviews
- safeguarding reviews (including domestic homicide reviews)
- child serious case reviews (child practice reviews in Wales)
- safeguarding adult reviews
- multi-agency public protection arrangement reviews (MAPPA)
- critical incident reviews
- thematic or other reviews as directed by chief officers.
Key responsibilities
Key responsibility statements show the accountabilities for someone in this role. They focus on what is done, not how it is done.
- Acting as an officer in the case to conduct or assist in an allocated review.
- Identifying and completing relevant enquiries within a review in line with agreed terms of reference to support the criminal justice system and assure the safeguarding of individuals by learning lessons and identifying any changes in practice that may be required for crime prevention.
- Researching, analysing and evaluating documentation to prepare accurate and impartial reports that are constructive, identify good practice and capture organisational learning, including assessing and identifying areas for improvement.
- Analysing and assessing the evidence and evaluating the material generated by an investigation to identify offenders and assess whether preventative opportunities were maximised.
- Conducting quality assurance checks on investigations to assess if all appropriate lines of enquiry have been properly pursued in accordance with relevant authorised professional practice (APP), policy and legislation to provide conclusions and recommendations for consideration by the lead review officer and setting out findings for senior management.
- Interviewing staff (including senior management and subject matter experts) on the relevant enquiry to constructively explore their investigative decision-making.
- Assisting the maintenance of the relevant force archives of serious crime, both detected and undetected, to assist ongoing and future investigations.
- Working in partnership with multi-agency partners and representing the host force when required at relevant multi- or inter-agency meetings.
- Managing information and intelligence, ensuring that during the conduct of the review, material is seized, examined and retained in accordance with legislation and policy.
Competencies, values and core skills
The competency and values framework (CVF) provides clear expectations for everyone working in policing. It describes the behaviours required by police officers and staff to be effective in their roles and uphold the Code of Ethics for policing.
Competencies
The CVF has six competencies, which are split into levels. These levels can be used flexibly to allow for a better fit with frontline and non-frontline policing roles, and at different levels of seniority. This ensures that there is consistency throughout all the policing professional profiles. Some roles may contain different CVF levels due to the specialist nature of the role. Those working at higher levels should also fulfil the requirements of the lower levels.
This role should be operating at or working towards the following competencies.
- We are emotionally aware – Level 2: supervisor or middle manager
- We take ownership – Level 1: practitioner
- We collaborate – Level 1: practitioner
- We support and inspire – Level 1: practitioner
- We analyse critically – Level 1: practitioner
- We are innovative and open-minded – Level 1: practitioner
Values
The CVF has three values that apply to everyone in policing, regardless of their role or seniority.
Core skills
All roles in policing have nine core skills in common. These are split into levels that represent the different levels of policing. This role should be operating at or working towards the following core skills.
- Communicating and influencing – Level 1
- Problem solving – Level 1
- Performance management – Level 1
- Relationship management – Level 1
- Change management – Level 1
- Managing people – Level 1
- Managing resources – Level 1
- Planning – Level 1
- Use of IT – Level 1
Education, qualifications and experience
Previous education, qualifications and experience
- Experience of making challenging decisions using appropriate decision-making models.
- Knowledge and understanding of relevant legislation, policies, procedures and the Code of Ethics, criminal and common law.
- Conversant with Home Office large major enquiry system (HOLMES), major incident room standardised administrative processes (MIRSAP) and murder investigation manual (MIM) for effective case management.
- To be PIP registered or prepared to work towards registration.
- Successfully completed the national review officers course or prepared to work towards accreditation.
- Demonstrable experience of complex information gathering and problem solving.
- Previous experience in the conduct and investigation of serious and complex crime.
- Understanding of the criminal justice system and awareness of and conversant with disclosure guidelines within the context of Criminal Procedures and Investigations Act 1996 (CPIA).
- Demonstrate an awareness of forensic opportunities in the investigation and review of major crime.
- Experience of working within a public protection multi-agency arena where the review relates to public protection matters.
- Wales specific – Welsh language Level 1: greet, introduce and open and close conversations, open and close meetings and write simple requests.
In-role education, qualifications and experience
- Achieve PIP registration if not previously completed.
- Successfully complete the national review officers course.
Continuing professional development
Continuing professional development (CPD) enables everyone in policing to develop and gain recognition for their professional skills, knowledge and competence.
CPD ensures that we continue to provide high-quality policing to keep the public safe and help to drive career aspirations. Discussion of CPD is usually included as part of professional development review (PDR) conversations.
Learning and accreditation
- Complete all core training and learning as required by the force.
- Any exemptions to learning and accreditation requirements are at chief constable discretion, in line with the local force policy.
Professional development
This role should consider the following CPD:
- maintaining and updating key knowledge, understanding and skills relating to criminology, legislation, policy, practice and College of Policing guidance across all functional policing areas of operational policing
- understanding the impact of the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), Learning the Lessons reports relating to investigation, for example, the importance of case file management
- regularly sharing best practice in investigations with colleagues, for example, contributing to relevant online communities/delivering informal briefings/contributing to internal newsletters
- attending the national review officers conference, regional review forum, or other related CPD event
- maintaining a record of recent experience of conducting different types of reviews effectively and ensuring it evidences the knowledge and skills gained as part of maintaining CPD
- understanding and developing knowledge of other roles within policing, for example, shadow a colleague within the public protection environment
Related roles
You can find other service deliverer roles in the: