Wickham & Knowle Parish Council - Community Safety Officer
Name of recruiting organisation
Wickham & Knowle Parish Council
Employed role/Volunteer role
Employed role
Permanent role/Fixed term role
Initially 6 months role, with a potential for the role to become permanent should the trial prove successful and anti-social behaviour in the Parish reduces.
Location:
The role will be based in the Parish of Wickham and Knowle, with some office working for report writing etc. but will mainly involve patrolling the villages.
Salary:
LC1 SCP 13-17 £29,064 - £31,022 pro-rata so £15.06 - £16.08 per hour
Hours:
20 hours a week, flexible working pattern, with some weekend and evening working on a rota to be mutually agreed
Our council and the role:
Wickham & Knowle Parish Council is a large Parish Council, delivering a variety of services to its residents, including Recreation Grounds, sports pitches, play areas, a Village Hall, Village Green and various open spaces including a small cemetery and meadows.
Job Purpose:
The Community Safety Officer will provide a patrolling presence in the villages to improve the wellbeing of local residents to make people feel safer.
The Parish experiences a variety of anti-social behaviour including littering, shoplifting, and vandalism of play equipment, skateparks and street furniture.
Duties will include:
1. To patrol areas of Wickham and Knowle by foot, bicycle or vehicle for the purpose of deterring crime and anti-social behaviour, or enforcement against such activities.
2. To gather evidence and investigate reported incidents or complaints of crime, suspicious behaviour, anti-social behaviour and environmental problems.
3. To contribute to community safety issues as part of wider Community Services activity and on environmental and crime reduction initiatives.
4. To establish trusted relationships with individuals who might have the potential for anti-social behaviour, and with individuals who might feel vulnerable in their homes.
5. To develop links with youth and other community groups and work with them to cut down on disorder.
6. To undertake traffic control measures including management and education in certain areas i.e. outside the School, Wickham Square and Parish Council car parks (Wickham Recreation Ground; Knowle Village Hall)
Special features and/or equipment:
- Regular unsocial hours, including at weekends and Bank Holidays (except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day) and between Christmas and New Year, as and when required on a rota basis.
- Regular patrolling on foot.
- Must wear body armour and other appropriate personal protective equipment.
- Full driving licence
- Disclosure and Barring Service check
- Must be willing to achieve and maintain Police accreditation standards
- Willingness to respond flexibly outside of normal shift hours by prior arrangement to meet community safety needs
- Local knowledge of Wickham, Knowle and the wider Winchester District
Key tasks:
1. Carry out patrolling duties in accordance with priorities and tasking instructions identified for the shift.
2. Obtain knowledge and develop an understanding of the communities in designated patrol areas including community leaders, community groups, partner agencies, plus crime/ASB hot spots and prolific or developing offenders.
3. Establish and maintain close liaison with representatives from partner agencies in order to promote effective partnership working and enable time and effective service response to problems and residents’ concerns.
4. Ensure compliance with standard operating procedures for the Community Safety Patrol service and be aware of the need to report any work-related activity that gives rise to personal, staff or public safety concerns. Work towards and eventually maintain training accreditation by attendance on courses as required.
5. Maintain a high level of knowledge of relevant enforcement powers and related legislation e.g. Human Rights Act and Data Protection Act.
6. Maintain accurate records of all work, both written and electronic, and provide reports on community safety activities for service delivery and service plan development.
7. Encourage the involvement of residents in environmental and crime reduction initiatives.
8. Engage in problem solving activity with partner agencies and residents to deal with low level crime and anti-social behaviour.
9. Support the work of the District Council’s Dog Warden service.
10. Undertake any other duties commensurate with the level and expectation of this post (including helping with the Council’s response to civil emergency, illegal encampments, environmental health concerns or licensing concerns).
11. Ensure that service delivery complies with current regulations, accepted professional standards, the Council's policies and procedures and appropriate legislation (including legislation on data protection, equalities, health and safety and safeguarding children and vulnerable adults).
12. Contribute to Council working groups and initiatives which lead to the implementation of corporate priorities.
13. Be aware of corporate human resource policies, including health and safety at work, and the need to report any work-related activity that gives rise to personal, staff or public safety concerns.
14. Undertake regular training and updating.
15. Consider the progression for accreditation to ACSO
16. Undertake such tasks and duties from time to time which will be necessary to assist Wickham and Knowle Parish Council in providing a full and complete service to the local population.
The ideal candidate will have/be:
1. A calm and assertive manner with the ability to deal professionally and diplomatically with people from all backgrounds.
2. A resilient character, as some interaction with the offenders, can occasionally be confrontational.
3. Ability to defuse hostile situations professionally.
4. Good observational and organisational skills with excellent attention to detail.
5. Effective verbal and written communication skills for report writing and speaking with members of the public.
6. Self-motivated with the ability to work under pressure and on your own; or as part of the team.
7. Capable of being on your feet and walking for long periods and in varying weather patterns.
What we offer you in return:
Uniform, shoes, and equipment provided – personal safety equipment, mobile phone, tablet.
NEST Pension Scheme with matched employer contributions
23 days holiday plus bank holidays, pro-rata
How to find out more details:
Please email clerk@wickhamknowleparish.gov.uk for the recruitment pack
Closing date:
21st September 2025
How to apply:
Please email the Clerk for the recruitment pack, which contains an application form