Police secondments explained
How a secondment to the NCA, Counter Terrorism Policing, the College of Policing, HMICFRS, the NPCC or an overseas mission works: the law on relevant service, what you are paid, your pension, coming back, promotion, and where the vacancies are actually advertised.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 14 October 2026 · England and Wales, with Scotland and Northern Ireland noted
A police secondment is a temporary move to another organisation while you stay a member of your force. For the bodies listed as “relevant service” in section 97 of the Police Act 1996 (including the NCA, College of Policing, HMICFRS, IOPC, Home Office services and overseas assistance) the law guarantees your return in the same rank, counts the time for pay increments and lets your force promote you while you are away. Your pension carries on. Under the national guidance published in April 2025, secondments usually run six months to two years, you keep your pay, and officers seconded to central services get a non-pensionable Central Service Allowance of £1,260 a year. You need your force's support before you apply.
What a secondment is, and what it is not
On secondment you work for, and usually under the direction of, a host organisation for a fixed period, but you remain a member of your home force. Your force normally keeps paying you and invoices the host for your salary and pension contributions. When it ends, you go back.
- Not a transfer. A transfer moves you permanently to another force.
- Not mutual aid. Short deployments to help another force with an event or incident are mutual aid, coordinated by the National Police Coordination Centre, and the 2025 guidance expressly excludes them, including international deployments.
- Not always a “secondment” in law. A posting to a regional unit run by collaboration between forces is often called a secondment, but the legal basis is a collaboration agreement, not section 97.
- Short ones may be called attachments. The national guidance notes some organisations call placements under six months attachments.
The current national guidance is the Police Advisory Board for England and Wales’ Placements of police officers and staff outside of their home force, published on GOV.UK on 11 April 2025. It replaced the 2013 guidance, which some host pages still cite. It covers England and Wales only.
Is a secondment worth it?
There is no general answer, but the trade-offs are predictable:
| Gains | Costs and risks | |
|---|---|---|
| Experience | National-level work, new networks and evidence for promotion boards | Time away from operational policing; skills and accreditations can lapse |
| Pay | Central Service Allowance of £1,260; possible temporary promotion | Overtime may fall; the allowance and temporary pay stop on return |
| Security | Rank, pay service and pension protected for relevant service | Your old post is not normally held open |
| Life | Flexible or remote working at some hosts | Travel, overnight stays and on-call at others; travel costs may be yours |
| Career | Promotion while away is allowed | Out of sight of your force's promotion process unless you stay in touch |
Secondments suit officers who want national or specialist experience, are preparing for a promotion board, or want a break from shift work without leaving policing. They suit less well if your household relies on overtime, if you hold an accreditation you must keep current through operational work, or if your force’s promotion process rewards visible local work.
The main types of police secondment
| Type | What it is | Legal basis | Effect on you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internal move or attachment | A posting to another department in your own force, sometimes called an attachment for short periods | Your force's posting policy | No change: you stay in force |
| Regional collaboration (ROCU, regional teams) | Working in a unit run jointly by several forces, such as a Regional Organised Crime Unit | Collaboration agreements under Police Act 1996 s22A; officers provided to another force under s23 | Usually stays in your force's pay and conditions; local terms vary |
| Relevant service (national bodies) | Temporary service with the NCA, College of Policing, HMICFRS, IOPC, Home Office and other bodies listed in s97 | Police Act 1996 s97 | Statutory right to return in your rank; pay service and pension continue |
| Other temporary service | Secondment to an organisation that is not on the s97 list | Police Regulations 2003 reg 13A and the Annex CA determination | Terms set by the determination; no single period over five years |
| Overseas assistance | Advice and assistance to overseas police or international organisations | Police Act 1996 s26 (and s97(1)(a)); authorised through the Home Office | Relevant service where s26 applies; terms set per deployment |
| Mutual aid | Short deployments to help another force with an event or incident | Police Act 1996 s24 and NPoCC arrangements | Not a secondment; separate allowances |
Which box you fall in matters. Relevant service under section 97 carries statutory protections (return in rank, pay service, promotion in absence, pension). A collaboration posting keeps you a member of your own force on your normal terms. Other temporary service is governed by the regulation 13A determination, which caps any one period at five years.
Relevant service: what section 97 actually covers
“Relevant service” is not defined in the Police Regulations 2003. It comes from section 97(1) of the Police Act 1996, which lists the outside service that counts. The latest revised text lists:
| Paragraph | Service |
|---|---|
| (a) | Temporary service under s26: advice and assistance to international organisations or bodies outside the UK |
| (aa) | Service with the Independent Office for Police Conduct (Police Reform Act 2002, Sch 2 para 6(2)) |
| (b) | Service under s56 (HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services) with your force's consent |
| (c) | Temporary service under the Crown connected with the Home Secretary's common police services (s57) or police research |
| (ch) | Service with the Disclosure and Barring Service |
| (cj) | Temporary service as a National Crime Agency officer |
| (d) | Service as an adviser to the Secretary of State |
| (e) | Service paid for under the Police (Overseas Service) Act 1945 |
| (ea) | Service with the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland |
| (f) | Service in the Police Service of Northern Ireland, with the consent of the Secretary of State and your force |
| (g), (h) | Overseas development appointments and assistance under the Overseas Development and Co-operation Act 1980 and the International Development Act |
| (i) | Temporary service with the College of Policing |
Separately, the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 makes secondment to the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery relevant service. ROCUs and Counter Terrorism Policing are not on the list: they run through collaboration between forces.
What relevant service gives you
- Return in rank. Section 97(3)(a): you are “entitled at the end of the period of relevant service to revert to his police force in the rank in which he was serving immediately before the period began”.
- Pay service. Section 97(3)(b): the time counts as service in your force for pay scales based on length of service, so your increments keep coming.
- Promotion while away. Section 97(5): you “may, when engaged on relevant service, be promoted in his police force as if he were serving in that force”, and you come back in the new rank.
- Still a constable. Section 97(8): for most domestic relevant service (IOPC, HMICFRS, Home Office services, DBS, adviser roles and the College) you “shall continue to be a constable” and are treated as a member of your force for Federation purposes. NCA secondees are treated as force members for the Federation sections only.
- Conduct. Section 97(6): misconduct on some relevant service can be dealt with afterwards as if it happened in your force.
One technical point: section 97(3) says you are treated as if you were not a member of your force during the service, except for these protections. That is why the pension regulations have their own rules deeming you a member (see pension).
National units that take seconded officers
| Organisation | Basis | What it says | Where vacancies appear |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Crime Agency (NCA) | Relevant service, s97(1)(cj) | Roles “may also be open on a 2 year secondment or loan basis”; the NCA says secondments usually last 2 to 5 years and you keep your home force salary | NCA careers |
| Regional Organised Crime Units (ROCU) | Collaboration between forces (s22A, s23), not on the s97 list | Advertised to officers in the region; tenure rules are local (Suffolk says an ERSOU secondment “is not limited by a specific period of tenure”) | Your force intranet and the regional unit |
| Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) | Run through lead forces and collaboration, not a separate s97 body | CTP says there are “opportunities for secondments across the Counter Terrorism Policing network”; pay varies by region and force | CTP careers |
| College of Policing | Relevant service, s97(1)(i) | Formal secondments of at least 12 months, informal ones of 3 to 6 months, service associates and part-time support; minimum recruitment vetting; chief officer or line manager approval | College secondments |
| HMICFRS | Relevant service, s97(1)(b) | Police secondees “typically join us for up to two years” and stay employed by their force; vacancies on Civil Service Jobs | HMICFRS join our team |
| NPCC | Hosted by the Metropolitan Police; officer roles are offered on secondment | “Support from your Home Force must be obtained before submitting an application” | NPCC careers |
| IOPC | Relevant service, s97(1)(aa) | Seconded investigators and advisers; we did not find a current IOPC secondment page | Civil Service Jobs and force orders |
| Home Office | Relevant service, s97(1)(c) or (d) | Police advisers and secondees to Home Office units; we did not find a dedicated vacancy page | Civil Service Jobs and force orders |
The NCA recruits serving officers both on secondment or loan and permanently. On secondment you “continue to be paid your home force” salary and stay in the police pension scheme with your home force. If you join permanently and already draw a police pension, the NCA warns that abatement can apply. Decide which you are applying for before you start.
Overseas secondments and deployments
Overseas work is the most asked-about and the least published part of secondments. What we could verify:
- The legal route. Section 26 of the Police Act 1996 lets forces provide advice and assistance to international organisations and bodies outside the UK, and section 97(1)(a) makes that temporary service relevant service.
- Authorisation and the gateway. The NPCC’s charging guidelines (2026) say officers should not travel to assist overseas bodies without the authorisation of their PCC and the Home Secretary, and tell forces to contact the Home Office International Police Assistance Service (IPAS) first. IPAS “works under the authority of the Home Office and National Police Chief’s Council”.
- The FCDO stabilisation route is closed to serving officers. The Civilian Stabilisation Group guidance says full-time members of the police service are not eligible. Special constables may apply. Older Stabilisation Unit material describing 12-month police deployments is out of date.
- International organisations. Older FCO guidance (last updated 2016) said officers interested in secondments to bodies such as the OSCE should apply through their home force, and that OSCE secondees do not get a salary from the OSCE. We could not confirm current UN or OSCE police secondment programmes.
- Liaison posts. The NCA runs an international liaison network covering more than 130 countries. Its page does not say how many posts are filled by seconded police officers.
We found no current published rates for overseas allowances, hardship or danger pay for seconded police officers, and no current Home Office determination setting them. The superseded 2013 guidance said overseas disadvantage was compensated through allowances negotiated with the host organisation. If you are offered an overseas role, ask for the allowance, insurance, medical, leave and pension terms in writing before you agree.
Pay and allowances while seconded
| Item | What happens | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Basic pay | Paid by your home force at your rank and pay point; the host usually reimburses it | PABEW 2025; NCA guidance |
| Pay progression | Time on relevant service counts for pay increments as if you had stayed in force | Police Act 1996 s97(3)(b); Police Regulations 2003 reg 24(2) |
| Central Service Allowance | £1,260 a year, non-pensionable, for officers and staff seconded to central services, until the secondment ends | PABEW 2025, para 2.9 |
| London Weighting and London or South East Allowance | Kept if you get them in your home force, wherever the secondment is | PABEW 2025, para 2.10 |
| Provincial officer seconded to central services in London | London Weighting (£3,260 from 1 September 2026) as a non-pensionable allowance; never the London Allowance | PABEW 2025, para 2.10 |
| Overtime | Constables and sergeants remain eligible | PABEW 2025, para 2.10 |
| Temporary promotion | Lasts only for the secondment; only your home force can promote substantively | PABEW 2025, para 2.5 |
| Annual leave | Same entitlement as in force | PABEW 2025 |
| Travel costs | Depends on the host and your force; Suffolk says extra travel costs “must be borne by the individual” | Suffolk policy v2.4 |
The Central Service Allowance. The guidance calls £1,260 “the current agreed payment” that “should be applied consistently for all secondees” to central services, and says anything extra a host chooses to pay is outside the guidance. The College of Policing says the CSA “may apply” to its police secondees. It is a taxable allowance and is not pensionable.
On-call and specialist allowances. Allowances tied to a role in force, such as dog handler’s allowance, stop if you stop doing that role. Many national roles carry on-call, which is paid at the national rate: see our on-call allowance guide.
A note on the London wording. Paragraph 2.10 says secondees keep London Weighting and London or South East allowances they get in force, and that provincial officers seconded to central services in London get London Weighting (as a non-pensionable allowance) but never the London Allowance. Check how your host and force apply this; the two sentences can be read differently for someone moving between London and a provincial post.
Worked examples
1. Constable on a two-year College of Policing secondment
A constable on pay point 5 (£39,058) outside London and the South East goes to the College for two years as a formal secondee. Because College service is relevant service (s97(1)(i)), the time counts for pay increments, so the annual increment still arrives, subject to the normal pay progression standard. If the College pays the Central Service Allowance:
| Period | Basic pay (pensionable) | Central Service Allowance | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 (pay point 5) | £39,058 | £1,260 | £40,318 |
| Year 2 (increment to pay point 6, s97(3)(b)) | £44,544 | £1,260 | £45,804 |
| Back in force (pay point 7 when due) | £52,015 | Stops | £52,015 |
After 20% income tax and 8% National Insurance the allowance is worth about £907 a year in take-home pay. Nothing is added to the pension from it, but the pension keeps building on basic pay exactly as it would have in force. If the constable used to earn regular overtime and the College role has little, the net effect of the move can be negative: compare your last year’s overtime with the allowance before you decide.
2. Kent sergeant seconded to a national unit
A sergeant at the top of the scale (£58,175) in Kent receives a South East Allowance in force of up to £3,105. Under the 2025 guidance they keep it on secondment, wherever the host is. If the post is central service, the Central Service Allowance is added; on top of the South East Allowance it is worth about £731 a year after tax and NI, because with the South East Allowance their pay is already in the 40% band. As a sergeant they stay eligible for overtime, paid through whatever process the host and force agree.
3. Inspector temporarily promoted at HMICFRS
An inspector is seconded to HMICFRS, typically for up to two years, and the role is at chief inspector level. Under the guidance the temporary promotion lasts only for the secondment: the inspector is paid as a chief inspector under the temporary promotion rules while there, that higher pay is pensionable while it is paid, and they return as an inspector unless their force has promoted them in the meantime (which section 97(5) allows). The experience is good board evidence; it is not a promotion in itself.
Examples use the 2026/27 pay points on this site and 2026/27 England and Wales tax. Whether a particular host pays the Central Service Allowance, and how it treats the South East and London allowances, should be confirmed in your secondment agreement.
Pension continuity
All three police pension schemes treat an officer on relevant service as a member of a police force, so pensionable service carries on and contributions continue to be taken.
| Scheme | Rule | Legislation |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 scheme (CARE) | Regulation 5, table item 10: a person on relevant service under s97 is treated as a member of a police force (the deemed force is the Secretary of State's department) | SI 2015/445 reg 5 |
| 2006 scheme | Regulation 3(1): an officer on relevant service “shall be deemed to be a member of a home police force” | SI 2006/3415 reg 3 |
| 1987 scheme | Schedule A: “member of a police force” includes a central police officer with a right of reversion | SI 1987/257 Sch A |
| The enabling Act | Police Pensions Act 1976 s11(1)(c) covers “central service” under s97 | PPA 1976 s11 |
The national guidance says simply: “For the period of the secondment, you will remain a member of your current pension scheme in your home force.” The NCA says the same for its secondees: “Your contributions and accrual of service will not be affected.”
What is pensionable does not change. Basic pay and temporary promotion pay are pensionable as normal; the Central Service Allowance and London Weighting paid as an allowance are not. If you take temporary promotion on secondment, the higher pay counts for the 2015 scheme while you have it. See acting up and temporary promotion pay.
How long, extensions and the two-year tax point
- National guidance: usually six months to two years, and “should not last longer than two years as this may cause tax and legal implications”. An extension needs a business reason, agreement from you, your force and the host, and “a definitive end date”.
- Why two years: the guidance says HMRC regards secondments expected to last more than 24 months as permanent transfers. This appears to refer to HMRC’s 24-month rule for temporary workplaces, which decides whether travel to the host can be paid or claimed tax free. Ask your force payroll how it treats your travel.
- Regulation 13A: temporary service outside the section 97 list cannot exceed five years in any one period.
- Host practice differs: the NCA says two to five years; HMICFRS says typically up to two years; the College runs formal secondments of at least 12 months and informal ones of three to six months.
- Force rules can be tighter: Suffolk’s policy, for example, requires probation to be complete and says you should not have been seconded for more than six months in the last two years.
- Ending early: either you or the host can end it on 28 days’ written notice, with no appeal if the host ends it.
Coming back: rank, role and readjustment
The law protects your rank, not your post. Section 97(3)(a) gives a right to revert in your rank, and the national guidance says officers “will return to a post of the same rank”. Police staff, by contrast, should return to their exact role unless it has been made redundant. Suffolk says officers’ posts “will not normally be held open”.
So before you go, agree in writing:
- where you are likely to be posted when you return, and who will decide;
- how your annual appraisal will be done (the guidance says by the host’s system) and fed back to your force;
- whether any temporary promotion ends on return (it does, under the guidance) and whether your force will recognise a promotion gained at the host;
- how you keep any licence, accreditation or skills current, such as firearms, driving or investigative accreditation;
- who you contact in force for welfare, occupational health and Federation support while away.
Secondments and promotion
- Promotion while away is allowed. Section 97(5) lets your force promote you during relevant service.
- Host temporary promotion is temporary. The guidance says it lasts only for the secondment and “only the home force may promote substantively”. The NCA says you can join on promotion or temporary promotion but must agree with your force whether it will be recognised on return.
- Evidence, not a shortcut. The College of Policing says secondees can “prepare for promotion with evidence of national achievements”. You still need to pass the national exam and your force’s selection process. Use the work as evidence for a board: our guide to turning acting and temporary roles into board evidence applies.
- Plan around exam dates. We did not find a rule stopping secondees sitting the sergeants’ or inspectors’ exam, but registration goes through your force, so keep in touch with its promotion team. See the promotion hub.
Where secondment vacancies are advertised
There is no single national list. These are the places that actually publish them, checked on 14 October 2026:
- Your force intranet and force orders. Most secondments, including regional and collaboration roles, are advertised here first.
- College of Policing: secondments to the College, with applications on Civil Service Jobs plus a secondment approval form signed by a chief officer or line manager.
- NPCC: careers page, officer roles listed separately and offered on secondment.
- NCA: careers, where roles may be open on secondment or loan.
- Counter Terrorism Policing: careers. Some CTP adverts are police staff roles; check the advert says it is open to officers.
- HMICFRS: join our team, with vacancies on Civil Service Jobs.
- Civil Service Jobs for Home Office, IOPC, HMICFRS and College roles open to police secondees.
- Overseas: through your force, which deals with the Home Office International Police Assistance Service. There is no public application portal for serving officers that we could find.
Real adverts open on 14 October 2026
Taken from the hosts’ own pages on 14 October 2026. They are examples of what is advertised, not recommendations, and will close.
| Role | Host | Rank | Term and location | Closing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operations & Partnerships: Knife Crime | NPCC | Police constable or detective constable | Secondment until 31 March 2028 (possible extension); Central London with remote working | Closes 23:55, 8 November 2026 |
| Tournament Counter Terrorism Security Coordinator | NPCC | Substantive chief inspector or substantive superintendent | Secondment until 31 July 2028; remote, then the International Police Cooperation Centre at Ryton during the tournament | Closes 23:55, 25 October 2026 |
| Public and personal safety training SME | College of Policing | Not shown on the summary page | Details on Civil Service Jobs | Closes Sunday 1 November |
| Assistant chief constable: director of operational standards | College of Policing | ACC level (from the title) | Details on Civil Service Jobs | Closes Monday 2 November |
The College of Policing adverts link to Civil Service Jobs, which we could not open, so their rank, length and pay are not confirmed. The College page gives closing days without a year; the weekdays match 2026. Neither NPCC officer advert states pay: secondees stay on their force pay.
How to apply, step by step
- Talk to your line manager first. Every host we checked needs your force’s support before or alongside the application.
- Check your force policy for eligibility (probation, attendance, conduct, previous secondments) and who signs off. Suffolk, for example, needs the Director of People’s approval for anything over two years.
- Check your vetting. The College needs at least recruitment vetting; some roles need higher vetting, which takes longer.
- Apply on the host’s system, using the competency and values framework the host asks for.
- Agree the terms in writing: start and end dates, allowance, travel, hours, on-call, overtime, appraisal, return arrangements.
- Keep in touch with your force while away: promotion registration, training records, welfare.
| Stage | What happens |
|---|---|
| Before applying | Line manager and force agreement; check vetting level and force policy eligibility |
| Application | Host's application (often Civil Service Jobs) plus your force's approval form |
| Offer | Written secondment agreement: dates, allowance, hours, travel, appraisal, return |
| During | Host directs your work; force pays you and invoices the host; keep promotion and training records current |
| Extension | Only with a business reason, three-way agreement and a fixed end date |
| Return | Back in your rank, to a post your force chooses; temporary promotion and CSA stop |
Checklist before you accept
- Is this relevant service under section 97, a collaboration posting, or other temporary service? Ask your HR team.
- Is the Central Service Allowance payable, and from when?
- Do I keep my London Weighting or South East Allowance?
- Who pays travel and accommodation, and is any of it taxable?
- Is there on-call, and how is it paid and recorded?
- If I am a constable or sergeant, who authorises and pays overtime?
- Is there a temporary promotion, and what happens to it on return?
- What is the end date, and what are the rules for extension or early recall?
- Where will I be posted when I return, and in what role?
- How will my appraisal, pay progression and training records be kept up to date?
- For overseas roles: insurance, medical cover, security, leave and allowances in writing.
Myths
- “Secondments pay more.” Usually only by the £1,260 Central Service Allowance for central services, plus any temporary promotion. Overtime can fall if the host has less of it.
- “You lose your pension while away.” No. All three schemes treat relevant service as police service.
- “Your old job is kept for you.” Your rank is protected, not your post.
- “A temporary rank at the host makes you that rank.” Only your home force can promote you substantively.
- “Anyone can sign up for overseas stabilisation work.” The FCDO’s Civilian Stabilisation Group excludes full-time police officers.
- “ROCU and CTP are national secondments.” They run through collaboration between forces, not section 97.
Police Scotland and the PSNI
Scotland: section 15 of the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 covers temporary service outwith the Police Service of Scotland, and a constable on it continues to hold the office of constable. The pay terms are negotiated through the PNBS and are not covered here.
Northern Ireland: section 27 of the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 1998 has the PSNI’s own relevant service list, including NCA secondment. Service in the PSNI by an officer from England and Wales is itself relevant service under section 97(1)(f).
Not verified
We looked for these on 14 October 2026 and could not confirm them from a primary source.
- Overseas allowances, hardship or danger pay for seconded officers, and any current Home Office determination on them.
- How an individual officer applies to IPAS. The NPCC committee page that would describe it returned an error.
- Current UN or OSCE police secondments by serving officers from England and Wales.
- The full text of the Annex CA determination under regulation 13A; we read the circular summary.
- Rank, length and pay for the two College of Policing adverts, which sit on Civil Service Jobs.
- Whether secondees face any restriction on sitting promotion or investigator exams. We found none, but found no statement either.
- Home Office and NPoCC secondment vacancy pages. None found.
Frequently asked questions
What is a police secondment?
A temporary move to work for another organisation, such as the NCA, College of Policing, HMICFRS or a national policing unit, while staying a member of your home force. You usually keep your pay, rank and pension, and come back to your force at the end.
What is relevant service under section 97?
The list of outside service in section 97(1) of the Police Act 1996, including the NCA, College of Policing, HMICFRS, IOPC, Home Office services, overseas assistance under section 26 and the PSNI. On relevant service you have a statutory right to return to your force in your rank, your service counts for pay increments, and you can be promoted in your force while away.
How long do police secondments last?
The Police Advisory Board guidance published in April 2025 says usually six months to two years, and not longer than two years because of tax and legal implications, unless all three parties agree an extension with a definite end date. The NCA says its secondments usually last two to five years. Temporary service outside the s97 list cannot exceed five years in one period (Police Regulations reg 13A).
Do you get extra pay on a police secondment?
Officers and staff seconded to central services get the Central Service Allowance of £1,260 a year, which is not pensionable. You keep your basic pay, and London Weighting and London or South East allowances if you already get them. Officers from outside London seconded to central services in London get London Weighting as a non-pensionable allowance, but never the London Allowance.
Do I keep my police pension on secondment?
Yes. The 2015, 2006 and 1987 pension regulations all treat an officer on relevant service as a member of a police force, so you keep building pension and paying contributions. The national guidance says you remain in your current scheme in your home force.
Can I get overtime on secondment?
Constables and sergeants remain eligible for overtime under the 2025 national guidance. Inspectors and above do not get overtime in force or on secondment.
Will I get my job back after a secondment?
You get your rank back, not necessarily your old post. Section 97(3) gives a right to revert in the rank you held, and the national guidance says officers return to a post of the same rank. Suffolk's policy, for example, says posts will not normally be held open.
Can I be promoted while on secondment?
Yes. Section 97(5) lets your force promote you while you are on relevant service, and you return in the higher rank. A temporary promotion given by the host lasts only for the secondment; only your home force can promote you substantively.
Do secondments help with promotion?
They can give strong evidence for a promotion board: the College of Policing says secondees can prepare for promotion with evidence of national achievements. They do not count instead of the national promotion exams or your force's selection process.
How do I find police secondment vacancies?
Check your force intranet and force orders, the College of Policing secondments page, the NCA, NPCC and Counter Terrorism Policing careers pages, and Civil Service Jobs (used by HMICFRS, the College and the Home Office). You need your force's support before applying.
Can a serving police officer deploy overseas?
Yes, through Home Office authorised routes. The NPCC's charging guidelines say officers should not assist overseas bodies without authorisation from their PCC and the Home Secretary, and point forces to the Home Office International Police Assistance Service. The FCDO's Civilian Stabilisation Group is not open to full-time police officers.
Is a police secondment the same as a transfer?
No. A transfer moves you permanently to another force. On a secondment you stay a member of your home force and come back to it.
Can my force end my secondment early?
The national guidance lets either the secondee or the host end it on 28 days' written notice, with no appeal if the host ends it. Forces can also recall officers in exceptional circumstances (Suffolk's policy, for example).
Sources and how we checked them
Every rule on this page was written from the sources below, all accessed on 14 October 2026. Legislation and the national guidance come first; host organisation and force pages are cited for their own terms. Spotted something out of date? See our corrections policy.
- Police Act 1996, section 97 (police officers engaged on service outside their force) : The relevant service list in s97(1), reversion and pay service in s97(3), promotion in s97(5), remaining a constable in s97(8). Accessed 14 October 2026.
- Police Act 1996, section 26 (provision of advice and assistance to international organisations) : The basis for overseas assistance. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- Police Act 1996, section 23 (collaboration agreements) : Officers provided by one force to another under collaboration. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- Police Regulations 2003, regulation 13A (secondments) : Temporary service that is not relevant service; no period over five years. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- Police Regulations 2003, regulation 24 (pay) : Reckoning service for pay, subject to s97(3). Accessed 14 October 2026.
- Home Office Circular 001/2014: qualifications, experience, secondments and returning officers : Annex CA, chief officer approval and a period not exceeding five years (summary read; the annex text was not checked). Accessed 14 October 2026.
- Police Advisory Board for England and Wales, Placements of police officers and staff outside of their home force (GOV.UK, 11 April 2025) : Length, Central Service Allowance, London allowances, overtime, temporary promotion, return, notice, pension, scope. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- Police Pensions Regulations 2015, regulation 5 : Table item 10, relevant service. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- Police Pension Regulations 2006, regulation 3 : Officers on relevant service deemed members of a home police force. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- Police Pensions Regulations 1987, Schedule A : Central police officers. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- Police Pensions Act 1976, section 11 : Central service under s97. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- NPCC, Guidelines on charging for police services (Special Police Services 2026) (PDF) : Paragraphs 4.2 to 4.4: authorisation for overseas assistance and the International Police Assistance Service. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- FCDO, Working for the Civilian Stabilisation Group : Full-time members of the police service are not eligible. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- National Crime Agency, Careers : Secondment or loan basis; salary on secondment. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- National Crime Agency, General guidance on secondments and pensions (PDF) : Two to five years, home force salary, pension unaffected, promotion recognition. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- College of Policing, Secondments to the College : Types of secondment, current adverts, approval form, vetting, Central Service Allowance, promotion evidence. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- HMICFRS, Join our team : Police secondees typically up to two years. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- NPCC, Careers : Officer roles on secondment; the two adverts in the table. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- Counter Terrorism Policing, Careers : Secondment opportunities across the network. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- Suffolk Constabulary, Secondments Policy v2.4 (published 20 April 2026) (PDF) : Two-year limit, posts not held open, costs, travel, recall, eligibility. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012, section 15 : Temporary service outwith the Police Service of Scotland. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- Police (Northern Ireland) Act 1998, section 27 : The PSNI's own relevant service list. Accessed 14 October 2026.
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Disclaimer
PolicePay.co.uk is an independent reference site. It is not affiliated with any police force, the Home Office, the NPCC, the College of Policing, the NCA, HMICFRS or any host organisation, and it does not recruit for secondments. This page is general information, not legal, tax or career advice. Secondment terms are agreed between you, your force and the host: check your force’s policy and the written secondment agreement. Details are as checked on 14 October 2026.