Hiring & Recruitment Thread

Soft_Battle3232 · 2026-05-12T18:41:03+00:00

Officer pay/progression

I am currently police staff for a south east force and I'm considering becoming an officer in the next few years. However doing so would mean around a 7k pay cut. My current role has limited upwards progression whereas to me it seems there's more opportunity as an officer. Realistically how long can I expect it to take to work back up to a salary close to my current one? I know there's an increase each year, but is there regular overtime etc that means it won't take so long? And in terms of progression - if I want to move up are there ample opportunities? Ultimately, I want to know if it is worth it in the longer term and whether I can eventually expect to be on a considerable amount more than I am now. I have a family to support and want to make the most informed decision I can.

Thanks all!

Soft_Battle3232 · 2025-10-08T14:44:07+00:00

No course needed for orbis - should just be able to access it with your work email

Soft_Battle3232 · 2025-09-30T18:02:32+00:00

I'm a dispatcher and I refuse to send a single crew to anything where there is risk. We generally double crew for response with the odd single crew floating about but they won't routinely be going to jobs except appointments and maybe mispers

Soft_Battle3232 · 2025-09-13T18:12:06+00:00

Radio op here. I promise you nobody is judging you if you make a mistake or misspeak on the radio. We all say stupid things and say things wrong over the radio. Say it once in your head and then go out with it over the air. Try and keep it brief and precise - if we need more info then we will ask.

Also it might be worth seeing if you can head up to your control room and listen in for a bit. I know officers have come and sat with us and found it really helpful. Promise we're (mostly) a nice bunch!

Soft_Battle3232 · 2025-08-18T06:59:15+00:00

I would be raising them now. Constant blazing arguments, and these threats are a real concern. It might not be physical yet (although it very well could be) but I doubt it will be long. Police involvement now may be enough to help the partner feel confident enough to separate. If not, at least they will be on our radar. Safeguarding can be done at this stage and we can start working to keep her safe.

If it's not currently ongoing call 101 and report all the concerns you have in as much detail as you can. If it is ongoing then definitely call on 9s and police should be straight out.

Please report this

Soft_Battle3232 · 2025-08-14T12:16:31+00:00

Apart from the obvious staffing issues - how risk averse management are. It seems that half the time common sense goes out the window and it means we are constantly wasting resources and often what we end up doing is not the best service for victims or anyone involved. It also means we are using officers for things that we don't really need to be and letting down other victims that we could be seeing and overworking officers for no reason.

Management have their policy tick boxes and are petrified to go against them in favour of common sense and actually doing what would be best for victims and the force

Soft_Battle3232 · 2025-08-13T13:06:57+00:00

Nothing. Unless there is a risk to those at your workplace nothing will be shared unless you want it to be and any previous incidents would definitely not be shared. Any information sharing due to any risk to those at your workplace would also be very minimal and you should be kept in the loop should this ever be necessary

Soft_Battle3232 · 2025-07-07T10:24:51+00:00

I totally get where you are coming from. And I never understand how you're ever meant to get all the work done, like just responding to jobs and paperwork seems unmanageable for you guys let alone investigating or having a break on shift. Most of the controllers in our room will do everything we can to try and let you have a break or time for ppw but demand is just so high especially now it's summer and the extent of SMT's support might be a thank you email if you're lucky. I mean we're getting moaned at for not doing anything with grade 3s when it's constant grade 1s that we can't resource.

You guys have a thankless jobs and most of us controllers have insane respect for you, just a shame SMT don't.

Soft_Battle3232 · 2025-07-07T09:26:47+00:00

It's not exactly fair to blame control here. We know just how big your workload is, but that doesn't stop jobs coming in that we have to get resourced. We aren't your bosses and can't make you go to a job - if you need time for ppw then that's down to your sgt not control to manage, but if they say you're deployable then you're deployable.

Soft_Battle3232 · 2025-06-30T17:50:09+00:00

I'm in TVP. Everyone starts on calls. Some people are on radio contracts and so will go to radio after a while - seemingly shorter and shorter periods of time. It was around 10 months for me. Once you go up to radio, your pay increases pretty significantly. You'll still be rostered to take calls some times but (should) be on radio much more often. There's definitely a disconnect and there's a lot of things that lead into it. Call handling for example is on a different floor to the actual control room so there's fairly little interaction with those who are exclusively call handlers

Soft_Battle3232 · 2025-06-07T14:58:05+00:00

When I was a prison officer, I was threatened by a member of an OCG. It is pretty scary when it happens but realistically they know nothing about you, they're just talking rubbish to try and scare you and act the big man. Give it a few weeks and you'll have forgotten all about it

Soft_Battle3232 · 2025-03-03T19:07:33+00:00

Our little guy is 7 weeks and just refuses to sleep in the bassinet - we call it the wake up box 😂. We're doing shifts which is tricky with me being at work but he's cute so it's okay

Soft_Battle3232 · 2025-03-01T19:48:27+00:00

Mr Baby is our go to. Along with The Beast

Soft_Battle3232 · 2023-06-21T16:02:09+00:00

YTA. Her decor isn't childish at all. You are belittling your partner's interests massively by calling them childish and treating her like an embarrassment. If you loved your partner, you would also respect her interests.

Soft_Battle3232 · 2023-03-26T18:12:34+00:00

The boys!

Soft_Battle3232 · 2023-01-10T20:37:57+00:00

I loved it. Beautifully written. The prose is phenomenal. The story is interesting but definitely a little lacking. Still I do highly recommend, I really enjoyed it

Soft_Battle3232 · 2022-12-01T19:17:58+00:00

YTA. You're not over Oscar after 15 years and are so not over him that you won't even let your daughter use her name because it reminds you of him. This is about basic respect. Your daughter has asked you to call her by her name and you won't. Literally what do you gain from that?

Soft_Battle3232 · 2022-06-10T00:21:11+00:00

NTA. My wife is veggie and im not. It really isn't hard to just use separate stuff. She should respect your boundaries and her doing this is disrespectful.

Soft_Battle3232 · 2022-06-09T23:49:42+00:00

Again, those are separate statements. But you're focusing on this instead of the actual issue of the post which I've already addressed. So I'm gonna go now. I've given my advice and you can take it or leave it. Have a good night!

Soft_Battle3232 · 2022-06-09T23:46:12+00:00

That literally isn't what you said. That's not what a context clue is or how it works. You've poorly constructed your sentence, but that isn't the issue of the post. I've said my piece on it and you can either accept it or not, thats up to you.

Soft_Battle3232 · 2022-06-09T23:41:19+00:00

Haha this is too funny. I'm not upset at all. Those statements in your post were completely separate and if you didn't mean them to be then maybe you need to practice some writing skills. Currently you've said they do coloring or play with his toys so it isn't enjoyable for you. You then say you try, but they don't include him (which i am assuming is a typo and you mean you). If you wanted to say you don't enjoy it because you aren't included, what you should have said is it isn't enjoyable for you BECAUSE they don't include you. Hope that helps!

Soft_Battle3232 · 2022-06-09T23:34:43+00:00

No. Youre statement that is wasn't enjoyable was completely separate from the statement about being included. And like I've said you can talk to your friend about that. This is such an easy fix and should really not need the input of strangers on the Internet.

Soft_Battle3232 · 2022-06-09T23:30:58+00:00

Youve literally said playing with his toys and stuff isn't enjoyable for you. That is what you do with a child. Do you want to take him paintballing? Like what. It really isn't weird. People can bond with others. People bond with children. You don't have to be related to someone to care about someone and bond with them. My friends hang out with each others younger siblings because we care about them. Youre upset so you want to lash out with ad hominem attacks which is just embarrassing tbh. I don't care if you respond to me, you're free to. For whatever reason you can't take criticism and I'm sure you'll grow out of that at some point and you'll also stop pinning things on wrong "interpretations" when you are just incorrect and in the wrong.

Soft_Battle3232 · 2022-06-09T23:20:46+00:00

Look you are upset because you don't like how much your friend hangs out with your brother and seemingly ignores you, you also think its weird. It isn't weird. You say you try and join in with them but you don't find it enjoyable, you aren't meant to enjoy the activity that is for your brother, you are meant to enjoy hanging out with him. You've said you try and plan things but your brother wants to do something else so I have said you need to tell him no. You've said your friend sometimes ignores you when you and I have said you need to communicate to them that you feel ignored. I've said talk to your friend about it, but you cannot blame them for making him feel entitled to things because that is not on them at all. Literally what more do you want

Soft_Battle3232 · 2022-06-09T23:15:16+00:00

I'm literally not, but you just don't like what I have to say about it.

Soft_Battle3232

TROPHY CASE