Secondments are one of the most underused career development tools available to police officers. Whether you're looking to build a promotion evidence portfolio, develop specialist skills, or simply broaden your experience beyond your home force, a secondment can transform your professional profile. This guide explains what secondments are, where the opportunities exist, how to find them, and how to make the most of one if you secure it.
What Is a Secondment?
A secondment is a temporary deployment of an officer from their home force to another organisation — typically another law enforcement body, a government agency, or a regional unit — for a defined period, usually between six months and three years. During a secondment, the officer works within the host organisation but typically remains employed and paid by their home force (though some secondments involve the host organisation contributing to costs). They retain their rank, pension contributions continue, and they return to their home force at the end of the posting.
Secondments are distinct from mutual aid deployments — which are short-term, reactive, and operational — and from permanent transfers between forces. A secondment is a deliberate, planned career development move with a defined end date.
The National Crime Agency (NCA)
The NCA is probably the most sought-after secondment destination for officers with an investigation or intelligence background. The NCA operates at the national and international level against serious and organised crime: modern slavery, drug trafficking, cybercrime, child sexual exploitation, and financial crime. An NCA secondment typically runs for two to three years, is competitive, and involves enhanced vetting at DV (Developed Vetting) level.
NCA secondments are advertised through forces and on the NCA's own recruitment portal. They are not always openly publicised — building a relationship with your force's specialist crime command and asking about the pipeline for NCA secondments is often more effective than waiting for a public advertisement. Officers with investigation experience, particularly in financial crime or digital forensics, are in particularly high demand.
NPCC and College of Policing
The National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) and the College of Policing both host officers on secondment for policy, strategy, and professional development roles. These secondments are less operationally intensive than NCA postings but carry significant career development value for officers who are interested in strategic leadership, policy, or academic policing research. College of Policing secondments may involve curriculum development, research projects, or work on national guidance and doctrine.
These opportunities are typically advertised through force HR communications and on the College of Policing's website. They suit officers at sergeant or inspector level who are thinking about strategic leadership roles at the later stages of their career.
Regional Organised Crime Units (ROCUs)
ROCUs operate at a regional level above individual forces, tackling serious organised crime that crosses force boundaries. Each ROCU has its own staffing structure and secondment intake. Common ROCU functions include undercover policing, surveillance, digital intelligence, and major incident support. ROCU secondments are typically 12 to 24 months and are filled through applications from home forces in the region.
ROCU secondments are excellent career development opportunities for officers who want specialist operational experience with significant promotion evidence value. The work is typically high-intensity, carries significant responsibility, and generates strong evidence across the competency framework — particularly around collaborative working, decision-making, and takes ownership.
Counter Terrorism Policing
The Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) network offers secondment opportunities at regional CTP units. These are among the most competitive secondments available, require enhanced vetting, and involve working on live and potential terrorism investigations. CT secondments are typically filled through nomination by home forces following internal sifting, rather than open competition. If you're interested in CT, express your interest formally through your line management chain and ensure your performance record supports a nomination.
How to Find Secondment Opportunities
The honest answer is that many secondment opportunities are not publicly advertised in the way that permanent roles are. The most effective strategies are: telling your line manager and HR that you're actively interested in secondment; building professional relationships with officers from regional units and national agencies through joint training, conferences, and mutual aid; asking your force's secondment coordinator (most forces have one in HR) about current and upcoming opportunities; and monitoring the job boards of the NCA, HMCTS, HMRC, and other frequent hosts.
Forces often maintain a register of officers who have expressed interest in secondments. Getting your name on that register, and keeping it current, is more effective than searching for publicly advertised posts.
The Application Process
Once an opportunity is identified, the typical process involves a home force nomination or approval, an application to the host organisation, and an interview or assessment. For NCA and CT secondments, additional vetting stages apply and can take several months. Start the vetting process as early as possible — delays in vetting are the most common reason secondment candidates miss posting dates.
Your application should emphasise what you bring to the host organisation, not just what you want to get from the secondment. Research the host organisation's priorities and be specific about how your current skills and experience apply to their work. A generic application that could apply to any secondment is less effective than one that demonstrates genuine knowledge of the host's mission and makes a clear case for your contribution.
Why Secondments Matter for Promotion
For officers pursuing promotion, particularly to inspector and above, a secondment generates promotion evidence that is difficult to replicate in a home force role. Working in a different organisational culture, managing stakeholder relationships outside your home force, operating with less supervision in a less familiar environment, and contributing to national-level work all generate strong examples for the CVF competencies — especially Collaborative, Takes Ownership, and Innovative and Open to Change.
Promotion board members are experienced officers who recognise that a candidate with secondment experience has demonstrated initiative, adaptability, and professional development that goes beyond the ordinary career trajectory. If your promotion ambitions are serious, making a secondment part of your career plan is one of the highest-return investments you can make in your profile.