Community Advocate

Role

Community Advocates are members of diverse communities from across the Force area who provide advice and make recommendations to the Police on how policy and services affect different groups. The role of an adviser is to:

• Assist the police in shaping service delivery to meet the needs of diverse communities, and create an anti-discriminatory police service
• Provide guidance and feedback about the potential and actual impact of policing on different groups
• Act as a critical friend, challenging conventional thinking and offering an independent perspective on issues

Vacancy Information

The Role — Community Advocates are members of diverse communities from across the Force area who provide advice and make recommendations to the Police on how policy and services affect different groups. The role of an adviser is to:

• Assist the police in shaping service delivery to meet the needs of diverse communities, and create an anti-discriminatory police service
• Provide guidance and feedback about the potential and actual impact of policing on different groups
• Act as a critical friend, challenging conventional thinking and offering an independent perspective on issues

The role is a volunteering role. Community Advocates are committed to improving relationships between the police and communities by using their expertise and life experiences to objectively appraise policies, procedures and operational activities. Advocates are individuals who live in Sussex and who are able to draw on their knowledge and experience of the county when providing advice.

Members are able to communicate the culture and practices of their communities to the police force and make unemotional assessments of situations on which they are asked to provide an independent perspective and act as a critical friend.

When you apply please answer the below questions in your application:

• Do you have lived experience as a diverse member of society in Sussex?
• Do you work within the community or any organisation supporting local communities, and what does your work involve?
• Why do you want to volunteer for Sussex police as an Advocate?
• Do you work with any Diverse communities?
• How will you deliver any messages to the local community?

We really welcome your interest in joining our Police Force. It is a privilege to lead the teams in Surrey Police and Sussex Police who continuously work selflessly and tirelessly in order to keep people in our counties safe. We are looking for talented and inspirational people who put the needs of the public at the heart of everything that they do and who want to make a difference.

If you feel you are that person then we want to hear from you. We wish you all the very best with your application.

Chief Constable Tim De Meyer & Chief Constable Jo Shiner

Your key responsibilities in this role will be:

• Attend regular meetings and provide feedback. These meetings may be held in a police station or online on Microsoft Teams
• To consider and advise on issues affecting the whole organisation including policy and procedure, operational practice and planning
• To advocate on issues of concerns or community tensions
• Provide critical analysis of policing policy and practice, such as stop and search
• Share feedback with the communities we serve
• You may review Body Worn Video footage and other documents to share feedback on how incidents went, what went well, and what could be improved
• You might also be involved in reviewing data such as use of force data and stop and search statistics. If necessary we will provide support to help you understand the data and terms used in reports

We have a range of groups across Sussex which you could be involved in, such as:

Divisional/Departmental Race Advocate and Community Advocate Groups
:
There are three policing divisions in Sussex — East Sussex, Brighton and West Sussex. Each division holds its own groups.

External Reference Groups based on protected characteristics
:
These groups aim to address specific issues raised and assist Sussex Police in shaping practices and policies.

• LGBT+
• Disability
• Religion and Belief
• Gypsy Roma Traveller

Scrutiny Panels
:
Use of Force and Stop and Search panels that review policing work to gain a better understanding of patterns and behaviours. The panel reviews Body Worn Video footage to provide feedback and advice.

Ethics Committee
:
The Ethics Committee is responsible for enhancing external and internal trust and confidence in ethical governance and actions. It identifies improvement opportunities to promote the core values of integrity, impartiality, public service and transparency.

• You do not need prior experience of police or community panels; personal experience is valuable
• Ability to commit to regular active discussions with Sussex Police
• We want advisors to represent local communities, particularly those most affected by police powers. We are interested in recruiting from Black and Global Majority communities and young people,…