Conducting effective investigations training for public and private sector investigators

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Two-day online training course for public and private sector investigators

• A practically based online training course that covers the fundamental skills that are required to conduct effective investigations

 

• Our training uses police investigative principles as the framework and considers how the Investigative Mindset should underpin all investigations to ensure a structured and professional investigation

 

• It is aimed at all investigators working in either the public or private sector who are new to, or who have limited experience of conducting investigations. It is also a good refresher course for more experienced investigators who want to develop and enhance existing skills

 

• It will be run by The Investigator, a tried and tested provider of training, conferences and workshops to police forces, wider law enforcement and public and private sector in the UK and internationally. We have run more than 500 events over the past 15 years to support the continuous professional development of those working in an investigative role

 

• Our trainers for the course will be investigative experts from the University of Sunderland led by Professor Gary Shaw, MBE, who is a former investigator with 40 years’ experience. He was a pioneer of the PEACE interview system that transformed the way investigators interview suspects and witnesses in the UK

 

• He was also the former national police lead for Investigative Interviewing and has played an integral role in many of the major investigators of the past four decades as well as conducting lectures and training across the world. He is now Professor of Professional Practice at the University of Sunderland where he oversees the BA in Applied Investigation and the MA course in Investigative Management as well as the programme of Diplomas and Advanced Diplomas in specialist areas of criminal investigation

 

• On completion of our course in Conducting Investigations in a Work-based setting, delegates can study for a Diploma at the University of Sunderland if they wish to pursue further study in investigations and interviewing

 

• Held online via Teams. Certificates of CPD available.

 

• Please email us at info@the-investigator.co.uk to register your interest for this course. It can be run for individuals or a single organisation who wants to ensure all of its investigators are trained to a professional standard

 

• The training can also be tailored to your individual organisation to ensure it is even more relevant to your work. Email us at info@the-investigator.co.uk for details.

 

Course Outline

Session One: An introduction to the principles of an effective investigation.

A look at the definition of the Investigative Mindset and how it be practically applied to an investigation

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Session Two: Key considerations around legalisation, official guidance and definitions of key terms that should underpin an effective investigation

These include:

• Considerations under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984

 

• Necessity to Arrest

 

• Points to prove and possible defences

 

• What is meant by ‘reasonable lines of inquiry’?

 

Session Three: Phases of an Investigation and Conducting initial inquiries:

• Considers all the key phases on an investigation which underpin a successful investigation

 

• Considers issues around suspect management, investigation and evidential evaluation, evidence gathering to include digital evidence

 

• Best practice around your arrest strategy

 

Session Four: Devising an investigation plan

• Considers issues around how to make effective decisions and ensure you are clear about the rationale of your actions. An overview of the National Decision Model and how this can be applied practically to your investigation

 

• Provide practical guidance around how to plan out your investigation and the investigative activity you should plan and conduct. Here we will also consider issues around managing risk, vulnerability and victim care

 

Session Five: Conducting effectives witness and suspect interviews: An introduction to the PEACE model of interviewing

• The importance of interview planning

 

• Best practice around lines of questioning and how to effectively engage with witnesses and suspects

 

• Issues around vulnerability and managing risk.

 

Session Six: Recording your decisions

• How to record your decisions, challenges and pitfalls around confirmation bias and how to address these

 

• Issues around disclosure and preparing an effective case file

 

• Next steps – will the investigation lead to criminal justice outcomes? Will there be subsequent investigations?

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Conducting investigations in a work-based setting one day training course

 

• An online training course aimed at professionals who have been tasked with investigating allegations in the workplace and conducing a subsequent interview

 

• The emphasis of the course is to apply police investigative principles and the Investigative Mindset to your initial inquiries and subsequent investigation to ensure a structured and professional investigation that protects the integrity of the organisation as well as ensure justice and fairness for all those employees who are involved in the allegation.

 

• It is aimed at professionals working in non-police settings in either the public or private sector who haven’t received investigative training.

 

• It is also a valuable refresher for investigators and professionals with some knowledge and experience of the investigation process.

 

• It will be run by The Investigator, a tried and tested provider of training, conferences and workshops to police forces, wider law enforcement and public and private sector in the UK and internationally. We have run more than 500 events over the past 15 years to support the continuous professional development of those working in an investigative role.

 

• Our trainers for the course will be investigative experts from the University of Sunderland led by Professor Gary Shaw, MBE, who is a former investigator with 40 years’ experience. He was a pioneer of the PEACE interview system that transformed the way investigators interview suspects and witnesses in the UK.

 

• He was also the former national police lead for Investigative Interviewing and has played an integral role in many of the major investigators of the past four decades as well as conducting lectures and training across the world. He is now Professor of Professional Practice at the University of Sunderland where he oversees the BA in Applied Investigation and the MA course in Investigative Management as well as the programme of Diplomas and Advanced Diplomas in specialist areas of criminal investigation.

 

• On completion of our course in Conducting Investigations in a Work-based setting, delegates can study for a Diploma at the University of Sunderland if they wish to pursue further study in investigations and interviewing.

 

• Held online via Teams. Certificates of CPD available.

 

• Please email info@the-investigator.co.uk to register your interest for the course and receive dates of the next course.

 

• We can also run this course exclusively for your organisation and make it entirely bespoke for your organisation. Minimum number apply. Please contact us to discuss further.

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The one-day course will include:

Session One: The pre-investigation phase

• Best practice around conducting initial inquiries, ensuring the confidentiality of those who are making the allegations and ensuring that your HR practices and processes are being adhered to in case of future challenge.

 

• Considerations around establishing the integrity of the person making the allegations and any possible motivations.

 

• Establishing the nature of the investigation as to whether it is an allegation of criminal conduct or a breach of your organisation’s internal codes of conduct. If a criminal allegation is made, then we’ll look at the importance of involving the police at the earliest opportunity and how to present your findings to the police.

 

• The importance of recording your decisions and any recommendations for further action.

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Session Two: Preparing your Investigation Plan

• Best practice around preparing your investigation plan and setting out clearly your activities and recording the rationale behind your activities/decision making

 

• A look at the principles of an investigation; a consideration of any factors that might influence your decision making such as confirmation bias/unsubstantiated assumptions and how to address these potential challenges and pitfalls

 

Session Three: Conducting your Investigation

• What is the Investigative Mindset and how you can apply it practically to your investigations? How to use critical investigation skills

 

• Best practice around conducting interviews with complainants and the accused including a look at questioning styles, aims and objectives of the interview and how to conduct interviews that preserve the integrity of the investigation.

 

• How to record your findings from any interviews

 

• Considerations around other evidence which could include CCTV footage, exhibits and digital evidence.

 

• Case management: how to prepare your case for further action.

 

Session Four: Presenting the findings of your Investigation to key personnel in your organisation.

• Considerations around presenting your findings in a professional manner to relevant personnel and to your human resources department

 

• A look at potential next steps and how to conclude your investigation in a professional manner.

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Investigating Organised Immigration Crime Training – new programme

 

The Investigator has launched an exclusive new programme of Organised Immigration Crime Training that provides investigators with contemporary best practice and skills needed to conduct effective investigations in an increasingly complex environment.

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It enables organisations to upskill or provide refresher training for its staff so that their knowledge base is the same and to ensure a professional approach to investigations.

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It comprises of TEN modules that can be run over ten days and are run online via Teams to ensure abstractions are kept to a minimum.

 

The training in delivered online via Teams and can be watched by groups so that they can discuss and share the learning as a team.

We award a Certificate of CPD for each session.

 

Course Outline 

Session One: The Current Threat landscape

• An outline of the current threat landscape of Organised Immigration Crime

 

• An insight into the current threat actors, how organised crime groups are structured and the types of criminality they are involved in

 

• A look at how criminal networks are recruited and tasked through social media

 

• A look at key enablers such as false identity documents

 

• An insight into the victims that they target.

 

Session Two: Current Legislation and Guidance

• An outline of the current legislation and guidance that underpins OIC investigations

 

• An overview of the Modern Slavery Act, the Section 45 defence and the National Referral Mechanism (NRM)

 

• An overview of the Illegal Migration Act and how it underpins investigations

 

• Relevant police powers and criminal and civil orders.

 

Session Three: Principles of Conducting Professional Investigations

• An introduction to the principles of conducting an effective investigation and the role of the Investigative mindset in underpinning all actions and activity

 

• An outline of the different phases of an investigation

• Devising an investigation plan

 

• Conducting initial inquiries including suspect management, investigation and evidential evaluation, evidence gathering to include digital evidence

 

• Best practice around the arrest strategy

 

• Investigative active that should be planned and conducted

 

• Issues around managing risk, vulnerability and victim care

 

• Importance of recording decisions.

 

Session Four: The role of Intelligence and the National Intelligence Model

• Best practice around the National Intelligence Model as a decision-making tool that helps investigators collect, analyse, and use intelligence to inform strategic and tactical operations and intelligence-led policing

 

• A look at the Intelligence Cycle, the various sources of intelligence and their value to the intelligence process.

 

• Intelligence Evaluation and Protection: a look at the 3x5x2 intelligence evaluation process to understand the system and how it is used in practice.

 

• The Sterile Corridor and how the ‘need to know’ principle should be used in relation to the protection of sources.

 

Session Five: On-scene Considerations

• Managing risk, vulnerability and safeguarding

 

• Conducting urgent interviews

 

• Understanding powers of arrest

 

• Understanding the caution

 

• Making Dynamic decision in an operational environment/Using the National Decision Model

 

• Working with other relevant organisations and agencies.

 

Sessions Six and Seven: Investigative Interviews of Vulnerable Suspects and Witnesses

• Key principles of the PEACE interview model

 

• Planning and carrying out effective suspect and witness interviews

 

• Recognising vulnerability and safeguarding issues

 

• A consideration of the Achieving Best Evidence guidance in relation to interviewing vulnerable witnesses

 

• How to take a proactive approach to No Comment interviews

 

• Pre-interview briefings with solicitors

 

• The role of Registered Intermediaries, Appropriate Adults and Interpreters

 

• Best practice around lines of questioning and how to effectively engage with witnesses and suspects.

 

Session Eight: Conducting Social Media Investigations

• An introduction to conducting social media investigations and a look at what intelligence can be gleaned from the different sites

 

• Golden rules for conducting legal and ethical searches and protecting your digital footprint

 

• Web browsing and tools for social media monitoring: using the most current tools to extract data and intelligence social media sites

 

• Basic searching tips and techniques: opportunities, problems and pitfalls. Researching known associates

 

• A look at the different social media sites you can search including Facebook, Instagram, X, Bluesky, TikTok, YouTube as well as OnlyFans

 

• Setting up fake accounts including the problems and pitfalls to avoid

 

• Researching images through reverse image searching

 

• Methodology to capture the intelligence and evidence.

 

Session Nine: Digital Evidence opportunities

• An overview of the digital evidence opportunities that exist from mobile devices

 

• Building up a digital profile to determine the location, associations and actions of a person of interest

 

• On-scene digital hygiene/triage

 

• Legislation around extraction of data from digital device

 

• The role of communications data including call data records (CDRs); vehicle data, CCTV and ANPR.

 

Session Ten:  Court room skills: key learning and guidance around the issues associated with giving evidence in court

• An overview of the difference between fact and opinion

 

• Advice on presenting complex material to a jury

 

• Advice on how to prepare for cross-examination

 

• How to pre-empt difficult questions and take a proactive approach

 

• An outline of the aims of cross-examination and how to positively and proactively undergo cross-examination by the defence.

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Other Modules Available 

• Disclosure, Digital Disclosure, management of unused material and responsibilities under CPIA

 

• Covert Powers and opportunities

 

• Conducting internet investigations – covert and overt

 

• An introduction to cryptocurrency

 

• Conducting Dark Web investigations

 

• Analytical techniques

 

• Investigating Serious and Organised Crime

 

• Forensic opportunities Technology case management and investigation software

• Giving effective media interviews.

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• Held online via Teams. Certificates of CPD available.

 

• Please email info@the-investigator.co.uk to register your interest for the course and receive dates of the next course.

 

• We can also run this course exclusively for your organisation and make it entirely bespoke for your organisation. Minimum number apply. Please contact us to discuss further.

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