Sergeant Board Questions
With Example Answers

Example answer (invented details)

Situation: while acting up on response last winter, I noticed one of the more experienced constables on my shift was regularly closing domestic incidents without completing the risk assessment, saying the victims had declined. Two of those addresses came back within a fortnight.

What I did: I checked the records first, so I was dealing with facts rather than impressions. I then spoke to him privately at the start of his next shift. I set out the three incidents, what the policy required and why: the risk assessment is our best protection for the victim and for him. I asked for his side. He said he felt the forms were pointless when victims would not engage.

I agreed that disengagement was common, explained that the assessment still records our professional judgement, and showed him how to note a refusal properly. I told him I would dip-sample his domestic jobs for the next month. I recorded the conversation in my supervisory notes and told my inspector.

Result: over the following month all eight of his domestic incidents had completed assessments, and one led to a referral that would otherwise have been missed. I gave him that feedback directly. What I learned was to raise it on the first occasion, not the third.

Example answer (invented details)

Situation: a probationer on my team attended a sudden death of a baby. She completed the job professionally, but over the next week she was quieter, volunteered for nothing and was making small errors in her statements.

What I did: I asked her for a coffee away from the parade room and asked how she was finding things since the job. I listened rather than reassured. She said she was not sleeping and felt she should be coping better. I told her that reactions like hers are common after that kind of incident and that it did not mean she was not suited to the job.

I explained the support available, including the trauma risk management process and occupational health, and offered to make the referral with her, which she accepted. I adjusted her deployments for two weeks so she was paired with an experienced tutor and kept off sudden deaths where possible, without making her feel removed from the team. I checked in with her briefly each shift.

Result: she used the support, her work returned to standard within a month, and she later told me the conversation made it easier to ask for help. I kept the shift's workload covered by rebalancing two other officers' enquiries, which I explained to them without breaching her confidence.

Example answer (invented details)

In the first week I would meet every member of the team one to one. I want to know what they are good at, what they find frustrating, their development goals and anything affecting their work. I would also meet my inspector to understand the priorities for the area and what they expect from me.

At my first briefing I would set out a small number of clear expectations: the quality of investigations and files, how we treat victims and each other, and that people raise problems early. I would explain the reasons, and say what they can expect from me in return: fairness, being visible and backing them when they make reasonable decisions.

During the month I would go out with each officer at least once, review a sample of their work, and look at the team's data on open investigations and response times so I can see where we need to improve.

To know it is working, by the end of the month I would expect fewer overdue enquiries, and people coming to me early with problems rather than late. I did a version of this when I acted up on a new team last year: the one-to-ones uncovered a workload imbalance I fixed in the first fortnight, and that built trust quickly.

Example answer (invented details)

Situation: I was the acting supervisor when a call came in from a mother reporting her 15-year-old son had not come home from school. It was early evening, he had no history of going missing, but his phone was off and his mother said he had been bullied.

What I did: I used the National Decision Model. I gathered what we had: age, the bullying, no previous episodes, the phone switched off. I assessed the risk as medium at that point, but with the bullying I was concerned it could escalate quickly. I considered our options: wait for him to return, carry out initial enquiries, or treat it as high risk straight away.

I decided on medium risk with immediate enquiries: officers to the home and the school, checks with his friends, and a review in one hour. I wrote my rationale in the log at the time, including why it was not yet high risk and what would change my view.

Result: within 40 minutes a friend told officers he was at a relative's house. He was safe. In the review I noted that the decision would have been raised to high risk at the one-hour point. The inspector later used my log entry as an example of a clear rationale for new acting sergeants.

Example answer (invented details)

Situation: on my team, victims of non-urgent crimes were complaining that nobody called them back. When I looked at the data, about a third of victim updates were overdue at any time, mostly because updates were left until an officer was next on duty.

What I did: I spoke to the team and to two victims to understand what was going wrong. I proposed a simple change: at the end of each shift, each officer would flag any update due during their rest days, and the next shift's sergeant would allocate them. I tested it for four weeks on our shift only.

Some officers felt it was more admin. I listened, and we cut the flag to a single line in the handover document rather than a separate form. I shared the overdue figures each week so people could see whether it was working.

Result: overdue updates fell to under one in ten over the four weeks. I presented the results to my inspector, and the other shifts adopted the same method. I also learned to involve the team before proposing a change, not after.

Example answer (invented details)

Situation: a vulnerable adult with mental health needs was calling us several times a week, often at night, and each call needed a unit. Officers were frustrated and the man was not getting the help he needed.

What I did: I pulled together the call history and contacted the community mental health team and his housing provider. Each agency had part of the picture. I arranged a short meeting and suggested we agree one plan: a named contact at each agency, a care plan shared with our control room, and a response guide for officers.

The mental health team was initially reluctant to share information. I explained the risk to him and the legal basis for sharing for his safety, and agreed with them what we needed and what we did not.

Result: over the next three months his calls to us fell from several a week to around two a month, and he was in regular contact with his care coordinator. I made sure the plan was recorded so it did not depend on me, and briefed the other shifts.

Example answer (invented details)

I would start with a one-to-one to understand where the lack of confidence comes from: a bad experience, a particular type of job, or feeling judged by others. I would also look at their work, because capable officers often underestimate themselves.

Then I would agree two or three specific goals with them, for example leading at a scene or presenting a file to the CPS, and give them graded opportunities: first alongside me or a tutor, then leading with me in the background, then on their own. After each one I would give specific feedback on what went well and one thing to improve.

I would make sure their successes were recognised in front of the team where appropriate, and record their progress in their PDR so it counts.

I would know it had worked when they volunteered for those jobs without being asked. I did this with a constable on my team who avoided taking the lead at scenes. After six weeks of graded opportunities she led a serious assault scene confidently and later became a tutor herself.

Example answer (invented details)

I would act straight away, because staying silent sends the message that it is acceptable. If the member of the public could hear it or was affected, my first priority would be them: make sure they are being dealt with properly and, if needed, have another officer take over.

I would then speak to my colleague privately at the earliest opportunity, tell them exactly what I heard, that it was unacceptable and why: it breaches the Standards of Professional Behaviour and damages trust in us, particularly with communities who already have low confidence in policing.

Depending on the seriousness, I would record it and consider whether it needs to be reported under the misconduct procedures. I would not decide on my own that it was minor if it might not be; I would speak to my inspector and to Professional Standards for advice.

I would also talk to the others present, because their silence matters too, and I would follow up with the team as a whole about the standard I expect, without naming the individual. Afterwards I would check that the behaviour has not happened again.

Example answer (invented details)

Situation: while acting up, I had to tell my shift that annual leave over a major event weekend was being cancelled for most of them. Several people had already made plans.

What I did: before briefing, I found out the reason for the decision and what flexibility there was. I briefed the team in person rather than by email. I explained the reason honestly, said I understood it was frustrating, and did not blame senior managers.

I explained the process for exceptional requests and committed to looking at each one by the end of the week. I worked with my inspector and got two people's leave reinstated because of childcare and a family wedding, and arranged time off in lieu for the rest.

Result: there was disappointment, but no formal grievances and full attendance at the event. Two officers told me afterwards they appreciated hearing it face to face with the reasons. I learned that people accept hard decisions better when they understand them and see that their circumstances have been considered.

Example answer (invented details)

Situation: a new member of police staff joined our office as an investigation support officer. I noticed she was not included in briefings or the team's social messages and was given the least interesting work.

What I did: I spoke to her privately and asked how she was settling in. She said she felt like an outsider and was considering leaving. I thanked her for being honest and said I would take action.

I spoke to the team at the next briefing about the value of her role and made sure she was included in briefings from then on. I asked an experienced colleague to work alongside her on a priority enquiry so she could show what she could do. I spoke separately to one officer who had made dismissive comments about civilian staff.

Result: within a few weeks she was fully part of the team and her work on the enquiry was praised by the investigating officer. She stayed and later took on a lead role in disclosure work. It taught me to watch who is quiet in a team, not just who is loud.