Specialist Pay for Sexual Offences Units

Freedom of Information (FOI) Act request ref: 01/FIN/25/003632/F

Version Date: 27/01/2026

The HR Operations Department has provided the following information:

1. Do officers working in sexual offences investigation units (such as Public Protection Units, Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Units, or Child Protection Units) receive any additional pay, allowances, or financial enhancements compared to other officers of the same rank within your force?
   2.         If yes, please provide details of the type of payment or allowance, the amount, and the circumstances under which it is awarded.
               3.         If no such payments exist, please confirm that all officers in these units are paid in line with standard police pay scales only.

Officers working in sexual offences investigation units are paid in line with standard police pay scales.

The Service Critical Skills payment, provided for in the Police Regulations, is designed to recognise officers who hold skills or serve in roles deemed essential to the effective operation of the Service. An assessment is undertaken to establish roles that meet the relevant criteria and are, therefore, eligible.

In the 2024/2025 financial year, Detective Constables and Detective Sergeants at the Professionalising Investigation Programme 2 (PIP2) level working in teams focusing on sexual offences were awarded this payment. This was paid in two instalments, for those who were in a qualifying role as at 31/12/2024 and again as at 30/06/2025.  A payment of £200 was made on each occasion, totalling £400. The following teams were included in the payment:

• Detective Constables & Detective Sergeants – Detective Child Abuse Inv Team
• Detective Constables & Detective Sergeants – Safeguarding Hub
• Detective Constables & Detective Sergeants – Detective Paedophile On-Line Investigation Team (POLIT)
• Detective Sergeants – Sexual Offences Liaison Officers (SOLO)
• Detective Sergeants – Detective Management of Sexual Offenders & Violent Offenders (MOSOVO)
• Detective Sergeants – Detective Safeguarding Referral Unit (SRU)