Senior Investigating Manager / Senior Investigating Officer Course
Senior Investigation Management for Serious or Complex Investigations
Managing a serious or complex investigation requires more than investigative experience.
Those responsible for the overall direction of an investigation must be able to develop an effective strategy, set priorities, manage resources, assess risk and make decisions that can withstand scrutiny.
Our Senior Investigating Manager / Senior Investigating Officer (SIO) course is a comprehensive three-day senior investigation management training programme for experienced investigators who are moving into, or already undertaking, a senior investigation management role.
The course provides practical SIO training for investigators responsible for managing serious, complex and high-risk investigations, giving delegates a structured approach to managing an investigation from its initial development through to review and conclusion.
This is an in-house investigation management course, allowing the content to be adapted to reflect the investigative environment, policies and procedures of the organisation.
Who is the course for?
The programme is designed for:
- Senior Investigating Officers (SIOs) and Senior Investigating Managers
- Investigation managers and team leaders
- Experienced investigators progressing into a senior management role
- Managers responsible for serious, complex or high-risk investigations
- Those overseeing serious, complex or other significant investigations
The course is particularly suited to organisations looking to develop the capability of experienced investigators taking on greater responsibility for the strategic management of investigations.
Course content
The programme covers the key responsibilities involved in managing serious and complex investigations, including:
Investigation strategy and objectives
Developing a clear investigative strategy, establishing objectives, identifying lines of enquiry and setting priorities as the investigation develops.
Decision making and recording
Making structured and defensible decisions, considering relevant information and ensuring that significant decisions and their rationale are properly recorded.
Resource management
Identifying the skills, expertise and resources required, allocating investigative responsibilities and managing competing demands.
Risk management
Identifying, assessing and continually reviewing risks arising from investigative activity, individuals, evidence, operational decisions and legal or regulatory requirements.
Managing investigative teams
Providing effective direction, briefing investigators, setting expectations, monitoring progress and challenging investigative thinking where necessary.
Legal and procedural considerations
Considering the practical implications of relevant legislation and guidance, including the Human Rights Act, PACE, CPIA, RIPA, the Investigatory Powers Act, Public Interest Immunity and data protection requirements.
Investigation review
Assessing whether the investigation remains focused on its objectives, whether appropriate lines of enquiry have been pursued, whether resources and risks remain properly managed and whether further action is required.
Optional fourth-day practical exercise
The three-day SIO training programme can be extended with an additional practical day, providing delegates with the opportunity to apply the principles covered during the course to a realistic investigation scenario.
Working as a senior investigation management team, delegates will be required to assess information as it develops, establish priorities, manage risk and resources, make significant decisions and determine appropriate investigative action.
Where appropriate, the scenario can be developed around the types of investigation undertaken by the organisation.
This additional day is particularly valuable for organisations wanting delegates to demonstrate the practical application of senior investigation management principles rather than simply understand the theory.
Optional Level 3 Qualification
For organisations wishing to provide delegates with formal recognition of their learning, the course can be combined with our accredited Level 3 qualification in Gathering and Using Information in Investigations.
Delegates undertaking the course can choose to work towards the qualification alongside their training. It provides an opportunity to formally evidence their knowledge and understanding of the principles involved in gathering, assessing and using information effectively within an investigative context.
The qualification is an optional addition and can be undertaken by individual delegates who wish to gain an accredited qualification alongside the training.
Course duration
Core course: 3 days
Optional practical exercise: additional 1 day
Optional Level 3 qualification: available as an additional element
The three-day programme provides comprehensive coverage of the knowledge and skills required to manage serious and complex investigations. The optional fourth day provides dedicated time for practical application.
Delivery
The course is delivered as an in-house SIO training programme, either face-to-face or online via Microsoft Teams where appropriate.
The content can be tailored to the organisation's investigative environment, policies and procedures, making it suitable for a range of investigative settings including enforcement, regulatory, fraud, disciplinary and other significant investigations.
We normally recommend a maximum of 12 delegates.
Why choose this course?
Senior investigation management requires sound judgement, strategic thinking and the ability to maintain oversight of an investigation while dealing with changing information, competing priorities and risk.
Our approach combines extensive investigative experience with legal, procedural and management expertise, providing experienced investigators and senior managers with a practical framework for managing serious and complex investigations effectively and defensibly.
The course is designed for organisations that want to develop their senior investigators and SIOs, strengthen their approach to investigation management and provide a consistent framework for managing significant investigations.
Bespoke in-house training
No two organisations manage investigations in exactly the same way.
Our in-house senior investigator training can therefore be adapted to reflect your organisation's investigative responsibilities, policies, procedures and risk environment.
Before delivery, we can discuss the types of investigation undertaken by your organisation and, where the optional practical day is selected, develop a scenario around those circumstances.
This ensures that delegates are not simply learning generic investigation management principles, but are considering how those principles apply within their own professional environment.