Information about the role of an initial missing person search adviser, including the role purpose, key responsibilities and the skills required.
About the role
An initial missing person search adviser is a specialist operations position within the operational support sector of policing. It's a service deliverer role in the policing professional profiles.
Role purpose
An initial missing person search adviser (IMPSA) is responsible for the planning, organisation, management, and control of the initial phase (first 10 hours after deployment) of the search response to a report of a high-risk missing person.
They provide initial search advice to strategic, tactical and operational commanders, senior investigating officers and other officers and agencies on search related matters.
Key responsibilities
Key responsibility statements show the accountabilities for someone in this role. They focus on what is done, not how it is done.
- Providing initial advice and guidance on missing person search-related matters to locate the missing person in a timely manner.
- Obtaining all information, data and intelligence needed to plan searches to provide an effective search.
- Establishing and agreeing on the parameters of the search to ensure alignment with investigator’s expectations.
- Providing advice on APP about search to comply with legislation, national standards and authorised professional practice (APP).
- Planning, organising, managing, and controlling missing person search operations to ensure effective use of personnel and equipment.
- Liaising with relevant stakeholders and partner agencies (for example, mountain rescue) to ensure effective partnership working.
- Maintaining accurate search documentation to ensure appropriate and auditable record keeping.
- Assessing and maintaining the quality of search operations to ensure effective use of resources and to find missing persons in a timely manner.
- Conducting appropriate health and safety risk assessments specific to each search to ensure the safety of search operatives, the missing person and the public.
- Providing advice in relation to community impact assessment production when search activity is taking place to ensure public safety and community cohesion.
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 1: practitioner
- 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
- None specified.
In-role education, qualifications and experience
- Successful completion of all standard search College of Policing e-learning modules within 12 months before attending the College of Policing initial missing person search adviser (IMPSA) course.
- Successful completion of College of Policing accredited IMPSA course delivered by the police national search centre (PSNC).
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
Once registered, an IMPSA must comply with the NPCC directive regarding maintenance of operational competence. Failure to do so will result in removal from the register.
- Maintenance of operational competence in the role is required through compliance with the IMPSA operational competence assessment and portfolio.
- To remain in licence an IMPSA must:
- conduct a minimum of four searches in a twelve-month period, such period starts from the IMPSA course completion date
- have no period of inactivity greater than six months
- maintain a search logbook or portfolio that is reviewed and counter-signed by a supervisor or police search adviser (PolSA)
- conduct eight hours of mandatory annual CPD which should be delivered by the force police search coordinator (PolSC)
- Successfully complete the College of Policing accredited IMPSA re-licensing course delivered by the PNSC every three to five years.
- 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 legislation, policy and practice across all functional policing areas of operational responsibility
- maintaining knowledge and understanding of new approaches identified by evidence-based policing research, problem solving and teamwork and synthesising these into working practice
- maintaining a working knowledge and understanding of new and evolving missing person threats and priorities, and current good practice to tackle these to enable a proactive and preventative approach
Related roles
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