police officer

administrative assistant

operational support grade

cleaner

executive support officer

Greater Manchester Police

Unlike a lot of people reviewing this company I have worked in multiple different roles across my time with GMP and have to say that it is completely pot luck as to whether or not you are in a good job or not. While yes, you are applying for these jobs, you aren't given an experience as to what it would be like to work within the team before you join for most cases.

I have been in jobs that I have absolutely loved, which were unfortunately such low pay I was forced to leave in order to achieve an actual living wage (another thing about being a staff member within GMP is the absolute lack of fair pay for your work).

I have also been in jobs where there is such a lack of staff you're doing the roles of 2-3-4 people at a time while getting paid pennies.

Unfortunately GMP have a culture of allowing Police Officers to fulfil staff roles which not only lowers the amount of available opportunities for staff members, but gives the idea that staff members work isn't as valued, given that the Police Officer in question will be on way more money than the other staff who are in the team. 

I have worked with managers of buildings who earn less than the police officers that they manage due to this.

I would have said up until recently job security would have been a bit pro, but as there are staff holds currently ongoing within GMP there's concern around which roles they are going to keep and which they are going to kybosh.

A final issue I have is that you sometimes have Police Officers managing Police Staff, and given that the officers have never worked in a staff role they sometimes don't understand the issues that staff have with pay/work life balance etc.

Working at GMP has been a challenging experience, and unfortunately, the reality of the job was far from what I had expected. The role is heavily bogged down by paperwork, leaving little time for actual victim support or proactive work. There is a great deal of political pressure, as well as pressure from senior leadership, to constantly do more, which often feels unsustainable.

Despite promises from the chief constable about the direction of the county, there is simply not enough time, experience, or resources to make these ambitions a reality. Every day, officers are risking their lives to protect the public, but it can feel like you’re left as a scapegoat if anything goes wrong.

A significant concern for me was being sent to Grade 1 emergencies without the proper training or equipment, such as not being able to use emergency lights and having to adhere to normal speed limits. This slows response times and can put lives at risk.

It’s a shame because the police force is desperately in need of officers, but after my experience, I wouldn’t recommend this job to anyone. It left me feeling depressed and isolated, and there is a severe lack of support for mental health and staff wellbeing. The wellbeing support is almost non-existent, and staff mental health often seems overlooked.

If you can manage to transition from response into specialist roles, the job can improve. However, these positions are highly competitive, and it can take a while to make that switch. Most of the people I joined with have already left.

A typical day in work consists of me getting my uniform on, and teaming up with a colleague for the day.  Then we check what jobs we have to attend.  On route to the jobs we listen to the police radio for more serious crimes that have been committed and attend as a matter of priority.  
I engage with a diverse range of people from different cultures, religions and backgrounds.  I am constantly learning about people.  Police work would be loved by psychologists.  I have learned a lot about myself and society as a whole.  I have learned some of my boundaries but have also learned about courage I did not know I had and my ability to make important on the spot decisions.  I have learned that I work well in a team.  I use my social work background and experience which provides an extra perspective when safeguarding the vulnerable.
My co-workers are excellent and I feel a great sense of team and family when working for the police.  They are friendly and keen to help.
The hardest part of my job in my opinion is dealing with crimes that have been committed on vulnerable members of society as it challenges all of my professional and personal values.  Where possible I raise awareness of crimes on the vulnerable and how to stop it.
The most enjoyable part of my job is the anticipation of what you could be dealing with next.  No two days are the same and you are out in the community most of the time.

The training for the job is non existent, they focus so much on what the offences are rather than teach you the practicalities of the job such as how to build court files, how to do admin and manage workloads so you end up on division without a clue what you’re doing. 

The workloads are also insanely high, you’re expected to do the job of response and investigator at the same time carrying crimes and caseloads but never having the time to do anything with them because you’re busy … responding and taking on new ones. Colleagues have been known to be carrying 20-30 crimes at a time all of which need full investigations and most needing court files building, it’s insane and does not work. Then you’re punished when crimes have been carried for more than 6 months. 

The impact the hours have on your social life is not good. A lot of the time rest days can be cancelled and you’re expected to work all hours, the shift pattern is atrocious and this job really takes a toll on your mental health and even impacts your family life. Officers known to have break ups with partners because of the stress caused. 

Overall policing is broken in this country, low pay, lack of support from the people at the top who don’t care what happens in the ground, lack of staff with retention struggles and the depression and low morale is like a disease amongst staff. 

If you have other options please go with them. This job simply isn’t worth it anymore. 

A police officer role in any department is challenging and rewarding, but can sometimes be frustrating. A varied life experience is vital, along with a mature attitude.

There is no such thing as a typical day. Even in training you can be deployed to assist at a large scale incident; albeit in a minor capacity, (ie, scene logging, redirecting traffic or the public away from a scene etc).

The culture is different for many people but in the main a close team mentality with a big emphasis on supporting colleagues and high standards of service.

It’s worth giving some thought on your reaction to the onerous parts of the job (death, serious injury, vulnerability of victims etc). Whilst these extreme parts of the job are not daily it’s very likely you will encounter one or many different types of incidents involving the stressful situations. There is support within the organisation and other officers and staff are always willing to listen.

You will work hard but the results are rewarding. Whether that is the overtime pay, enjoyment of working with colleagues or a simple “thank you”. Most people that their achievements are recognised and appreciated. On top of that the pay is really good and the pension scheme is very good and rarely matched in any other job.

Greater Manchester Police can provide a stable and well paid position.  In most cases positions will be secure and local supervision are normally supportive provided that the employee works within force policies and procedures and does not become involved in criminality.  GMP are currently implementing a new computer system to replace one that has been in use for at least 25 years.  The current teething problems are causing some consternation with Officers and staff alike.  However once these issues have been addressed normality should return.
 
It should be noted that there is no such thing as a typical day at work when working as a Constable with GMP.  Very few days are the same and can go from total boredom to abject fear in a split second.   

From my perspective one of the hardest things to deal with are service users with mental health issues.  I understand the need for safeguarding of vulnerable persons.  However, a Police Officer is trained to deal with criminality. The mental health issues should be addressed by trained practitioners in that field and not Police Officers.

The most enjoyable aspect of the job is a sense of achievement when a matter has been dealt with to the best of my abilities, be that returning lost property or processing prolific offenders.

What is the best part of working at the company?
An incredible organisation. 
It was a privilege to serve the community for 20 years. 
Sheer variety of opportunities for everybody is amazing!

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Stress doesn't need to be part of your working life in GMP. 
The level of support you receive is unparalleled. During my career there was always somebody to turn to. The support of my colleagues was invaluable and a very strong part of my life.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
In a word teamwork. 
I always worked as part of a team. Teamwork is how we got things done. Regardless of your background, culture or beliefs, you are fully supported by GMP and if you like working with others to achieve the same goals than GMP is a fantastic choice of career.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
It is impossible to typify a single day. But that is what makes the job so enjoyable. Depending on what area or department you working, you will meet and engage with a whole multitude of different people. Different agencies and different situations.
No other job gives you so much variety

I'm a Student Officer at GMP. The bulk of my training has been delivered via online learning due to Covid. This has left me and my colleagues from my intake woefully unprepared for the job.
The job itself is Chaotic. There is no organisation from management as you will find the bulk of your supervision is very inexperienced. 
There is a toxic culture where as a response officer you will be held to the highest standard and expected to do everything that is thrown your way. There are other departments that regularly throw response under the bus, usually staffed by bitter employees that are draining the public purse.
You do very little actual police work. Your day will consist of domestics, missings and mental health cases. You will not be arresting criminals or helping the hardworking members of our society.
If you have a stable job that pays well under no circumstances should you join the police. The pay is awful. Considering the dangers and responsibility placed on officers we should get payed double. 

No two days are the same, you can plan you work load for the next day but when you start that day other priorities take precedence. 
I learned to be adaptable, flexible, manage work loads and make decision based on knowledge and experience.

Communications plays a huge part being able to listen to people  having the confidence to communicate both orally and written to members of the Senior Leadership Team. 

Working within GMP is like being part of one large family, you build strong friendships, you have to rely on your colleagues when in difficult situations i.e. conflict situations.

The hardest part of the job is not being able to reach a positive outcome for members of the public who report crimes either due to outside influences/restrictions and the effects it had 

The most rewarding part of the job was carrying a complete comprehensive investigation which resulted in positive outcomes and knowing that victims received the best service.

A typical day at work can start with verbal and physical confrontation from the detainees who are being held in custody, or it could be the total opposite and be very quiet. I have picked up various skills as my role is a multi purpose role i.e. officer safety training (break away techniques), cell entry procedures using a shield as a team, admin/ clerical skills involving using the computer system and completing hand written documents which are required. Using the phone is a big part of my role whilst dealing with partner agencies. The management (sergeants) are helpful but can be difficult towards Detenton officers (support staff) as we are not constables so the term (civi) gets used often. Hardest part of the job is the long hours being inside custody for 11 hours and also working night shifts every week. The most enjoyable part of my job is pay day as the wage is good.

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Police officer 13 salaries reported	£38,942 per year
Administrative assistant 11 salaries reported	£22,983 per year
Operational support grade 9 salaries reported	£29,137 per year
Cleaner 5 salaries reported	£23,830 per year
Executive support officer 6 salaries reported	£25,310 per year

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