Volunteers

Police Support Volunteers are individuals who give their free time to perform tasks which complement the duties performed by police officers and staff, helping to free up officers and staff to perform key operational duties.

Police Support Volunteers will not be used to replace an existing staff member, including during periods of sickness or maternity/paternity leave, or prevent the employment of a new member of staff. Police Support Volunteers do not enter into an employment contract and are therefore not obliged to carry out specific hours of working.

Police Support Volunteers perform these tasks without pay, except for the reimbursement of agreed out-of-pocket expenses.

Police Support volunteers bring a wide range of skills, knowledge and experience to the teams that they support that add value to the work of paid staff. They can also act as advocates for Gloucestershire Constabulary by increasing understanding and building relationships in the communities where they live, study or work.

Police Support Volunteers are given full training, advice, guidance and support. You will be provided with an introduction to the force and appropriate training will be provided to allow you to carry out your tasks.

As a police support volunteer you are given the opportunity to:

• volunteer in a safe, friendly and interesting environment
• make a valuable contribution to your community
• develop and enhance your skills and experience
• gain an insight into what the police do
• gain an understanding of how your local community is policed

Age

You must be aged 16 years-old or over. There is no upper age limit for volunteers.

Vetting procedures

All volunteer applicants are to be subject to vetting and security checks in line with the Gloucestershire Constabulary Vetting Policy. Any applicants unsuccessful at this stage of the process have no legal right to appeal against the decision.

Residency criteria

The need for the residency rule arises from the requirement to vet all applicants in an equitable manner. This is because the UK police service does not currently have any means of facilitating vetting enquiries overseas to the extent required for those who are resident in the UK.

The purpose of the residency criteria is to ensure that applicants have a checkable history in the UK, so that meaningful vetting enquiries can be undertaken. The criteria provide reassurance when considering the health and safety of police personnel and the public. Effective vetting cannot be conducted if there is no way to assess the honesty, integrity, reliability and overall suitability for clearance of appointees against the information available.

The residency requirements refer to the period immediately before an application is made, and not any other three-, five-, or ten-year period, or any other accumulation of time spent in the UK.

Application of the residency criteria

If an individual resides permanently in the UK, they are considered to be a UK resident.

An individual who has moved overseas and severed major ties to the UK (e.g., closed bank accounts and sold property) is considered to have surrendered their residency in the UK. This would also apply to people who maintain bank accounts purely for the purpose of receiving regular payments, e.g., a UK pension.

An individual is considered to be on an extended holiday if they have

spent a significant period of time overseas without returning to the UK, but intend to return in the future

taken a gap year before or following university

travelled for a year

spent time overseas visiting family

This is not an exhaustive list.

Individuals who meet the above criteria maintain their UK residency and may therefore be considered for vetting clearance.

Serving with the government or armed forces

An individual who has been posted overseas as part of their service with HMG or the armed forces is considered to have been resident in the UK for the period that they were abroad.

Where an individual has been overseas as the spouse, partner or dependent of a member of the armed forces posted overseas, they can be considered to have been resident in the UK if their place of residence was within the confines of the establishment, e.g., a military base. If they were residing outside this, they are considered to have been resident overseas.

Membership of British National Party (BNP) or similar organisations

Police Support Volunteers should abstain from any activity which is likely to interfere with impartial discharge of their duties or which is likely to give rise to the impression amongst members of the

public that it may so interfere. If a prospective volunteer is a member of the BNP or a similar organisation, their application will result in rejection.

These groups include:

• British National Party (BNP);
• Combat 18;
• National Front.

Conflict of interest

Applications will not be accepted from individuals where there is a significant possibility that this could lead to a conflict of interest in your professional life or another volunteering role. You must therefore give full details of your current employment or other voluntary work you undertake as part of your application.

Occupations that are considered incompatible with becoming a volunteer:

• Magistrates, clerks to justices and clerks to court
• Members of county and district councils
• Probation officers
• Bailiffs, warrant officers
• Holders of liquor licences and managers of licensed houses
• Licensees of betting/gaming premises.
• Private detectives and inquiry agents
• Security officers, guards and door people
• Members of employer’s police forces and private constabularies
• Civilian detention officers
• Custody officers and custody escort officers
• Parking enforcement officers
• Neighbourhood wardens
• Members of the full-time fire service
• Members of the Armed Forces

The following occupations may also be considered incompatible for particular volunteer roles

• Members of medical and health professions
• Occupations with client privilege
• Youth workers and social workers
• Employees of security organisations

Tattoos, jewellery and facial/body piercing

Jewellery must be discreet and inoffensive. Language or images displayed must not be inappropriate or offensive. Excessive or unconventional jewellery is inappropriate. Jewellery is a potential risk in certain situations, as it can cause an injury if caught in machinery, or pulled by an opponent. Individuals are responsible for minimising this risk.

Individuals who wear uniforms/protective clothing, or who meet the public as part of their role, must not wear jewellery which is loose, or dangles. Long earrings, jewellery for facial piercings, large rings, bracelets, or necklaces must not be worn. Individuals who work with machinery must not wear any jewellery, other than a wedding ring.

Piercings must be kept to a minimum and must be discreet.

Tattoos are not a barrier to volunteering in the constabulary; however, some tattoos could offend members of the public and colleagues, or could bring discredit to the police service.

If you need any clarification regarding your tattoos or piercings, then please email us at [email protected].

It depends on the size, nature, location, extent and whether the images or language are appropriate to be displayed. Tattoos are not acceptable if they:

• Cause offence to members of the public or colleagues
• Invite provocation
• Undermine the dignity or authority of the Constabulary
• Are garish or numerous or particularly prominent
• Indicate unacceptable attitudes to any section of the community
• Indicate alignment with a particular group which could be offensive to the public, or colleagues
• Are considered to be rude, lewd, crude, racist, sexist, sectarian, homophobic, violent or intimidating

Individuals should cover their tattoos. They may be expected to take action to rectify the tattoos, if these fail to meet the standard of non-visibility, or appropriateness.

Individuals with a tattoo on their head are expected to take steps to minimise visibility, either by growing their hair, or by the use of headwear. Headwear may not always be appropriate, so must be approved by the manager of the department in which the volunteer is deployed.

These are the current volunteering roles we are looking for. If there's nothing listed, it means we don't currently have any volunteer roles available.

Vacancies for Volunteer Cyber Champions

A number of vacancies have arisen for volunteers who really want to make a difference and assist the Constabulary in promoting the Safer Cyber message.

‘Volunteer Cyber Safety Champions’ will support and enhance the Constabulary’s effort to deliver the Safer Cyber message to community groups, businesses, schools and at events around the county.

For full details of this role, please download the Volunteer Cyber Champion role description.

If you are interested in becoming a Volunteer Cyber Champion, please complete the volunteers application form. Please send your completed application to [email protected].

Police Cadet - leader

Do you have an interest in working with young people across the county? We're looking for new cadet leaders to join our team.

Becoming a leader is richly rewarding as you will get to see the cadets develop into confident, outstanding young members of the community. As a leader you will work with our cadets aged between 13-18-years-old who are from all backgrounds and abilities. Cadet meetings take place every Wednesday evening from 7pm to 9pm during term time, with the occasional deployment on weekends. Don't worry if you can't attend every session, we simply ask you to attend when you can.

If you are interested in becoming a cadet leader, please complete the volunteer cadet leader application form.

To find out more about the role before applying, please email [email protected]. 

Police Cadet - driver 

We need support in transporting young people taking part in our Police Cadet activities. We're looking for someone to drive a mini-bus and transport our cadets throughout the county. To do this, you will need D1 on your driving licence. Transport will be provided.  

Our Police Cadet programme takes place every Wednesday and Thursday evening. Ideally, we would like to have a pool of drivers so you may not need to be available every week. The role does not involve the running of or participation of cadet activities.

If you'd like to play an active role as a cadet leader, please visit our Cadets information page to apply. 

To find out more about the role before applying, please email [email protected]. 

Force Archive - volunteer

An exciting volunteer opportunity has arisen in the Gloucestershire Constabulary Archives.

The role would suit someone who is interested in the history of the constabulary, (history generally), sociology, or art and photography; with a few hours a week to spare in support of the local police to preserve it’s legacy.

This role is to assist with the cataloguing and transcription of materials relating to Gloucestershire Constabulary. Volunteering within this role will support current staff and volunteers to enhance the capacity to provide a quality service for members of the public and police family members with genealogical and historical enquiries.

Good communication skills are required, with an eye for detail and ability to accurately record data. Knowledge of working with databases and basic IT applications is desirable; however, there is scope for creativity, through the building of display boards for functions and presentations representing Gloucestershire Constabulary.

This function is located at the Heritage Hub at the Gloucestershire Archives in Alvin Street, Gloucester. Working times are flexible and will be agreed between the Volunteer and the Force Archivist, (Police Staff). Assistance at occasional events, (including the annual Force Open Day) is encouraged.  

The role is managed by the Constabulary’s Communications and Engagement Department at Police Headquarters in Quedgeley.

To apply, please complete the volunteer application form and send the completed application form to [email protected].

If you require more information before applying, send an email to [email protected] and the Volunteers Coordinator will come back to you.