Senior Policy Advisor - Vetting

College of Policing

United Kingdom

Remote

Expires: Expiring in less than 4 weeks

Policy

Flexible

£35,074 per year

Job summary

This role is available as a designated homeworking role. Please note, some travel will be required.

Applications for this role are restricted to existing officers or staff of a UK police force or UK policing organisation.

About us:

Our mission is: Leadership, Standards, Performance. This guides our work with individuals, forces, and policing partners towards our vision. We exist to support police officers, police staff and volunteers to deliver the best service to the public. Only through high quality leadership, consistent standards and continual performance improvement can everyone in policing reach their full potential. Our mission guides our work with individual, forces and partners towards our vision.

Although we are a relatively small organisation, our work has a big reach. We are uniquely placed to work both with national policing organisations and local forces to support frontline officers, staff and volunteers in their day-to-day roles.

We offer a supportive and inclusive environment for people to thrive. Our extensive flexible-working policy, employee wellbeing support, family friendly policies, employers’ network for equality and inclusion membership (ENEI silver award winners), and status as a disability confident leader means everyone can bring their whole self to work.

Additional Information:

Although we are Public Servants, we are accredited by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) and recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in CSC’s recruitment principles.

Due to our status as Public Servants, we are not eligible to participate in the Civil Service transfer process. Therefore, while successful candidates can transfer in on their existing terms and conditions, any subsequent transfer out of the College to the Civil Service will follow the standard Cabinet Office policy and new starter/modernised terms will apply.

The College embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we comply with the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) and apply the minimum selection criteria at sift stage of the recruitment process.

Our vetting

If you are successful at interview and apply on a Fixed Term Contract, you will be required to undertake pre-employment security checks. You will be sent a security questionnaire which must be accessed within 24 hours.

Please note, these checks can take up to 10 weeks. You will only be offered a start date after the checks have been completed. If the outcome of these checks is not satisfactory, your recommendation for employment will be withdrawn.

Job description

Police vetting is going through a period of significant change. As part of the College of Policing’s Ethics, Integrity & Professional Standards Team, the Senior Policy Advisor – Vetting will have the opportunity to work nationally and shape the future of police vetting.

The duties of this role will be broad, but will include supporting development of policy documents, such as the Vetting APP and a national vetting curriculum, leading and working as part of cross functional teams to drive standardisation and offer vetting advice to both internal and external colleagues. The role will also support the wider work of the Ethics, Integrity & Professional Standards portfolio.

We need an individual with recent experience working within a police vetting unit, with strong subject matter knowledge, excellent communication skills and the ability to work independently in a busy, varied portfolio.

Person specification

Some of your responsibilities will include:

Working as part of a team to develop products to improve professionalism and standardisation across police vetting, including Vetting APP and curriculum development

Working with police forces to identify, share and drive promising practice

Acting as police vetting subject matter expert, supporting internal and external stakeholders

To be successful in this role you’ll need:

Recent experience working in police vetting, including as a vetting decision maker

Knowledge and understanding of Core-vet, Vetting APP and Police (Vetting) Regulations 2025

Ability to work independently and prioritise and adapt to conflicting priorities in a pressurised environment.

Please see the attached job description which contains full details of the role.

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

Recent experience working in police vetting, including as a vetting decision maker
Experience of problem-solving and taking an evidence-based approach to developing and influencing professional practice, standards and guidance.
Ability to write and present clear, coherent, concise and timely reports and papers
Ability to work independently and prioritise and adapt to conflicting priorities in a pressurised environment.
Knowledge and understanding of Core-vet, Vetting APP and Police (Vetting) Regulations 2025 Excellent standard of planning and organisational ability

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £35,074, College of Policing contributes £10,160 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

College staff have Public Servant status. As a Public Servant, you are eligible to join the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension Scheme.

The College is a great place to work. We're passionate about our people and offer a wide range of benefits, including (but not limited to):

Defined benefit pension scheme with an average employer contribution of 28.97%

Up to 31.5 days holiday (this is in addition to 8 public holidays and 1 privilege day)

Continued professional development and structured career paths

Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave

Flexi-time (for certain grades)

Benenden Healthcare

National Dental Plan

Discounts for on-line shopping

Free employee support line

Interest free season ticket loans

Rewards and recognition scheme

Learning and development tailored to your role.

An environment with flexible working options.

A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.

We also have a number of thriving staff networks that provide the opportunity for advice, support and to drive change. A place to get your voice heard, share experiences and challenge our working practices to ensure equality of opportunity for all.

For more information about our benefits and staff networks, visit What we offer as an employer , College of Policing

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Experience and Technical skills.

Applications for this role are restricted to existing officers or staff of a UK police force or UK policing organisation.

Vacancy reference: 7078

Anticipated interview dates:

Week commencing 13th April and/or Week Commencing 20th April 2026

This role is available for 23 months as a fixed term appointment or as a 2 year secondment opportunity to:

colleagues employed directly by the College or the Civil Service. Please note you will be required to obtain the written support of your line manager prior to submitting your application.

serving police officers substantive in the rank of Sergeant or Inspector. All applicants must have the support of their Chief Officer which must be of NPCC rank, i.e., CC, ACC or DCC and this must accompany an application.

serving police staff at the equivalent rank who have their chief officer's approval. Chief Officer’s approval must be of NPCC rank, i.e., CC, ACC or DCC.

If applying on secondment, please submit your completed Secondment Approval Form.

Central service conditions may apply.

Please ensure you return the attached secondment approval form either as an attachment when submitting your application or via email to recruitment@college.police.uk.

For further information on applying for a secondment please visit the “Secondments into the College” page.

Internal applicants who are at risk of redundancy or in need of redeployment and pass the recruitment process, will be given priority over other applicants.

An initial sift based on the lead technical skill – ‘Recent experience working in police vetting, including as a vetting decision maker’ may be held if a large number of applications are received. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

How to apply and contact information:

For further information visit our ‘Work for us’ page.

What it's like working at the College of Policing

If you would like to discuss the role in more detail, please contact Sarah-Jane Aston sarah-jane.aston@college.police.uk, (Vetting Assurance Manager)

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

Open to UK nationals only.

Working for the Civil Service

Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Salary range

£35,074 per year