Jobs in security and protective services are mainly uniformed careers such as the police, prison service, fire service, etc. Application for these jobs is often very competitive and there may be many more applicants than there are jobs. In some uniformed jobs staff may have to deal with difficult or unpleasant situations so need to be able to cope and stay calm under pressure. Skills required are physical fitness, people skills, team work and organisation.
Jobs within this section
| ► Police Work | ► Security Work |
| ► Police Community Support Officers | ► Investigator |
| ► Working in Prisons | ► Coastguard and Coatal Services |
| ► The Fire and Rescue Service | ► Disaster Management |
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The police service is responsible for maintaining law and order. All officers join as Police Constables and undergo basic training; however there is a fast track scheme (the High Potential Development scheme) for exceptional candidates. To join you must be from an eligible nationality group, over 18, pass an entrance test and be physically fit. Police officers have to be able to stay calm in stressful situations, record their work accurately and deal with people from all walks of life without prejudice.
For more information visit:
Police Recruitment: www.policecouldyou.co.uk
British Transport Police: www.btprecruitment.com
Ministry of Defence Police and Guarding Agency: www.modpoliceofficers.co.uk
Metropolitan Police Service Recruitment: www.metpolicecareers.co.uk
► Police Community Support Officers
Community Support Officers assist police officers by carrying out visible patrols in the community. This is a civilian rather than a police role, which involves patrolling an area, dealing directly with the public, carrying out routine enquiries and dealing with low-level crime like traffic offences. They cannot arrest anyone or investigate serious crime.
For more information visit:
Police Recruitment: www.policecouldyou.co.uk
Working for the prison service may involve working with people who have committed very serious offences. Prison officers supervise prisoners, ensuring they are securely in their cells and whilst they are in communal areas. They may work evenings and weekends. Prisons may hold male or female offenders; there may also be jobs with young offenders. Specialist roles include instructional officers who teach work related skills, medical staff, pscyhologists and managers. There are support level jobs in the prison service called Operational Support Grades who carry out duties such as patrolling, supervising visitors and administration.
For more information visit:
HM Prison Service: www.whatsontheinside.co.uk
Details of privately managed prisons: www.hmprisons.gov.uk/prisoninformation/privateprison
The fire and rescue service main role is still tackling fires, the work in a team known as a ‘watch’. Each watch is responsible for maintaining and preparing the fire engine to be ready to tackle fires. Fire fighters are often called out to road accidents where cutting equipment is required of if there is a danger of fire. They also provide advice on fire safety such as prevention, fitting smoke alarms and visiting schools to teach children about fire safety. Other roles in the fire and rescue service include control room jobs dispatcher who takes emergency calls.
For more information visit:
Department for Communities and Local Government: www.communities.gov.uk/fire
The Government’s Fire Gateway Website: www.fire.gov.uk/careers
UK Fire Service Resources: www.fireservice.co.uk
Defence Fire and Rescue Services: www.mod.uk
MOD Defence Fire Training and Development Centre: www.dftdc.org
Jobs in security involve protecting against crime:
Protecting Money: working on security vans carrying cash
Protecting People: bodyguard,
Protecting Goods: store detectives
Protecting Property: door supervisors, CCTV operators, patrolling security guards, hospital security, airport security.
For more information visit:
Skills for Security: www.skillsforsecurity.org.uk
Security Industry Authority: www.sia.homeoffice.gov.uk
British Security Industry Association: www.bsia.co.uk
International Professional Security Association: www.ipsa.org.uk
An investigator may work on behalf of a person or organisation, their role is to gather information which they do by searching records, observation, using the internet, etc. A private investigator may seek out missing people; gather evidence on a business or person for a legal case. Many private investigators have a background in the police.
The role of a benefits fraud investigator is to gather evidence against someone who may be claiming benefit fraudulently.
For more information visit:
Association of British Investigators: www.theabi.org.uk
Institute of Professional Investigators: www.ipi.org.uk
Security Industry Authority: www.sia.homeoffice.gov.uk
► Coastguard and Coatal Services
The coastguard is responsible for the safety of the British coastline; they coordinate rescues at sea. They work with the services of the Royal Navy, and Royal Air Force, Royal National Lifeboats Institute, and civil rescue organisation such as air ambulance. Coastguard: Watch Officers provide 24 hour radio watch on the coastline listening for distress signals and coordinating the emergency response. There is an assistant level job in the Coastguard service.
For more information visit:
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency: www.mcga.gov.uk
Port Skills and Safety Ltd: www.portskillsandsafety.co.uk
Disaster management bring together a number of different employment roles in relief and reconstruction work. Disasters can be anything from an earthquake, tidal wave or cyclone but may also include terrorist attack or plane crash. The sort of roles involve people who are trained in their own specialist role but may have experience of previous relief work, they include:
Emergency planners to identify and prioritise the work.
Relief work teams such as medics, search and rescue and emergency engineering who restore power and water.
Development engineers who can make safe damaged buildings bridges and restore or out in new power and water supplies.
For more information visit:
The Emergency Planning Society: www.the-eps.org
RedR UK (international disaster relief training and recruitment charity): www.redr.org.uk
UK Resilience Website: www.ukresilience.gov.uk
Emergency Planning College: www.epcollege.gov.uk
