CDO Selection Testing Briefing

CDO Selection Testing

The Custody Detention Officer's (CDO) primary purpose is to assist the Custody Sergeant in the effective and efficient detention and administration of pre and post charge detained persons in police custody. The CDO will assist in ensuring the welfare and safety of detained persons and Custody staff. In doing so, the role holder will often be required to exercise reasonable force and restraint, in what is a physically demanding environment.  

The selection and assessment process for the role of CDO is being managed by Deloitte. You will be assessed to determine your suitability and to get an insight into whether or not you are likely to excel in the role. You will be assessed using the Competency and Values Framework (CVF), which sets out nationally recognised behaviours and values to support all policing professionals. For this assessment process the following CVF elements will be considered in the main. To ensure you get the most well-rounded view of the expected behaviours and values you will be expected to display in the role, you are encouraged to familiarise yourself with the CVF in totality. 

Values:

  • Impartiality
  • Integrity
  • Transparency

Competencies - Level 1:

  • We are emotionally aware
  • We analyse critically
  • We are collaborative 

The remaining planned selection and assessment stages for the role of CDO are; 

  • Online Video Interview Phase 
  • Education Criteria and Right To Work eligibility evidence review 

Online Video Interview

Applicants who have been successful in online testing and who have been deemed to have met the essential criteria during the application form review are being asked to participate in a live interview, which will be conducted using the Zoom video conferencing platform.  

Interviews will be assessed by trained Deloitte and PSNI assessors, against clear criteria set. Two assessors will consider your responses independent of each other and allocate an initial mark per question. Subsequently the assessors will come together to check scoring and align to provide an agreed score. (N.B. the assessor team may be observed by PSNI HR representatives so as to ensure quality standards). 

Preparation

The interview stage is important to assess applicants against the Competency Values Framework for Policing Professionals (CVF). The values and behaviours set out in the CVF underpin everything Police Officers and Police Staff within the PSNI do. So as to score well and succeed at the interview, it is essential that you prepare by familiarising yourself with the CVF. Having a general familiarity with the values and behaviours set out in the CVF will be useful, however specific interview questions that will be posed to you will focus on specific elements of the CVF. (Further specific detail is provided below).   

As well as considering the CVF, in advance of the interview, it is recommended that you think about both your own previous life / work experience and the job of a Custody Detention Officer and the expectations of the role. Take note that of particular significance in the role of CDO will be your capacity to maintain high standards, deliver good customer / client service and display strong personal resilience while working in what can be a challenging and dynamic environment. 

For the interview you will participate in, a number of specific elements of the CVF will be under priority scrutiny. Various questions will be posed to you; a number looking forward to you in the role of CDO, and a number that will allow you the opportunity to look back and reflect on your prior experience. Be prepared to talk about what you can bring to the role, based on your personal experience and also based on your understanding of what is expected of a CDO. In giving your answers to our questions you are encouraged to go into as much detail as you feel appropriate. It will be important to provide a structured answer in which you elaborate in reasonable detail on what you are referring to. The assessors can only consider the evidence presented to them, so it is on you to put forward the information / detail you would like considered. In answering our questions, you should consider how you might "weave in" indicators of your understanding of the CVF element under particular scrutiny. Bear in mind that the CVF provides detail on the expected values and behaviours of policing professionals and offers a list of model indicators (per CVF element), that you should aspire to.  

Interview Questions / CVF themes

We strongly recommend that you consider the following to help focus your preparations for interview:

  • Question 1 - Future facing (i.e. what might be expected of someone in the role) - CVF Element: Competency "We are emotionally aware" - Study Pages 7-8 of the CVF primarily
  • Question 2 - Future facing (i.e. what might be expected of someone in the role) - CVF Element: Value "Transparency"  - Study Page 6 of the CVF primarily
  • Question 3 - Backward facing (i.e. you'll be asked to frame your answer based on your prior personal experience) - CVF Element: Competency "We analyse critically" - Study Pages 15-16 of the CVF primarily
  • Question 4 - Backward facing (i.e. you'll be asked to frame your answer based on your prior personal experience) - CVF Element: Competency "We are collaborative" - Study Pages 11-12 of the CVF primarily

For obvious reasons we cannot give you specific forewarning of the actual questions we will pose to you, however if you use the above information to prepare, we would expect you to be able to handle the interview effectively. We would anticipate that the strongest performing candidates at interview will be those who answer our questions by blending an understanding of the CVF as a whole, with strong focus on the specific elements in view per interview question.

How your interview will be run

You are asked to attend on-time for your video call appointment. (Please dial in no earlier than five minutes early). At the specified appointment time the assessors will join the call and bring you through the session. If for any unforeseen reason the interview timetable is running behind, you will be informed. We would ask for your flexibility and patience to hold on the call for a short time. Your co-operation is appreciated. The interview will start by you being given a short introduction. We will then move into formal interview questioning. There will be four main questions. The questions will be posed verbally and in addition the question will be presented on-screen via screen share. Once the question is posed, you will be given up to one minute thinking / preparation time. (You do not have to use this one minute and are welcome to start your answer immediately). After your prep time, you will then given a maximum of five minutes (pre question) to provide an answer. At the discretion of the assessors, you may be posed some supplementary / probing / guiding questions in addition to the overall / main questions (to help the assessors gain an understanding of what you are explaining). Once the five minute answering time has elapsed you will be asked to stop. (Candidates are expected to self-manage their time when providing interview question responses). In total each interview session will last approximately 30-60 minutes, including the formally timed portion. We would ask you to make yourself available for the full period of your interview slot.   

Candidate responsibilities during interview

Candidates are expected to locate themselves in a private / quiet area in which to complete the interview, so that there will be no interruptions.

Candidates should ensure they have access to a stable internet connection of a suitable bandwidth to facilitate video conferencing.

Candidates must provided their own access to the Zoom platform and ensure they are familiar with the basic functionality so that they can be seen and heard clearly during the interview. 

In addition to our standard Police Staff Privacy Policy, to facilitate participation you are asked to consider and accept any relevant Privacy / Data Management stipulations required by Zoom in accessing and using that platform.  

The applicant must complete the video interview unassisted. The person who applied must be the person interviewed. For test security and to uphold the integrity of the recruitment process, Deloitte/PSNI may compare the image of the person captured during video interviewing with photo identity documents presented later in the recruitment process. In addition, during interview, security questions may be posed to help us verify your identity. For verification purposes a supplementary interview may be required.

Equipment suggested to facilitate participation:

  • Zoom webservice / app 
  • Compatible device (while mobile phones / tablets should work, applicants are encouraged to use a laptop / desktop set-up in order to get the best experience)
  • Webcam
  • Audio speaker
  • Microphone
  • Mouse
  • It is also suggested that you have to hand a glass of water or soft drink. (You are welcome to have a sip during your interview).

Issues during the interview

The plan for interviewing has been tested and it is anticipated that plans will proceed without issue. You are asked to do your best to overcome any basic technology teething problems and endeavour to gain access to your interview call on-time. To that end, you may wish to complete a "dry-run" test to gain access to the Zoom platform ahead of your planned interview slot. In the event of a technical issue, you are asked to consult and follow the standard troubleshooting guidance offered by Zoom and to ensure your own internet connection is stable. 

If you have any issues at the time that you cannot overcome you are welcome to email info@joinpsni.co.uk and we will get back to you as soon as possible (N.B. you may not receive a response until a number of days after your planned interview session). If you do encounter any issue we would encourage you to take a screenshot of any error messages presented on-screen. Issues must be declared immediately, so that a possible solution can be put forward at the time. 

At the time of your interview appointment you are asked to have to hand your mobile phone (on silent mode) in case Deloitte staff need to telephone you in relation to your interview. 

Interview scheduling

Given that we offered all candidates the opportunity to declare any restrictions they had across the planned interview period, we would expect all candidates to attend as scheduled. Where possible, in the case that a restriction was declared, we have done our best to take that into account during scheduling. 

If you now find the interview appointment offered may not work for you, we would ask that in the first instance you do your best to rearrange your own schedule so that it is possible for you to fulfil your interview appointment. If it is impossible for you to attend when scheduled please email info@joinpsni.co.uk to discuss options ASAP. 

In rare instances, Deloitte may need to contact candidates to request that they rearrange their interview time (e.g. due to unforeseen circumstances). If it is the case that we do need to contact you in this regard, your flexibility in accepting an alternative appointment would be most appreciated. 

If you no longer intend to proceed with your involvement in this recruitment process, we would ask you to get in touch to formally withdraw, so that your booked interview slot can be freed up to allow someone else to attend. Your co-operation is appreciated.