The Learning Institute

Private Investigator Diploma

NCFE Accredited Level 4

A year from now, you could be a private investigator. And as you walk down the street - any urban street - you’ll see things differently.
You notice a man sitting in a car, trying to look unobtrusive.
You see a woman weeping silently in her kitchen.
You spot three youths shoplifting.
An ex-convict is walking down the other side of the street.
And there’s a white truck that looks, well, out of place.
All around you the rest of the population goes about their business – unaware of the crime, the dramas and the threats surrounding them.

The range of jobs done by a PI is extraordinary. You’ll find missing people, track down defaulters, and investigate commercial theft for business owners.

You’ll check prospective partners for men and women. You’ll carry out surveillance. And gather evidence against criminals.

Yet the work is flexible. You can fit the job around your existing commitments. And it means an end to commuting. Many people reclaim extra hours every day – hours that you can spend with your family or earn more money.

Unlike franchises or other jobs, it takes very little money to become a PI. All you need is a desk and a telephone. Plus the knowledge that we’ll teach you.

Qualification
This course is fully accredited by the national awarding body NCFE, and on completing it you get a national award equivalent to Level 4 of the National Learning Framework (post A level/HNC/HND standard).

NCFE is recognised as an awarding body by the qualification regulators ('regulators') for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The regulators are the Office of the Qualifications and Examinations Regulator (Ofqual) in England, the Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills (DCELLS) in Wales and the Council for Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) in Northern Ireland.

To read more about NCFE please go to www.ncfe.org.uk

Course Contents    
1. AN INTRODUCTION TO PRIVATE INVESTIGATION

Introduction to private investigation
What is a private investigator
Private investigation as a career
The profession of a private investigator
The code of ethics

2. WHAT PI’S DO - PART 1

Introduction to investigative theory
Investigative methodology
Principles of investigative methodology

3. WHAT PI’S DO – PART 2

Introduction
The basic identifiers
Locating sources of information
Public records and semi restricted records
Public records Semi-restricted records

4. INTERVIEWING AND INTERROGATION

The basic principles of interviewing
Preparation
First contact with your interviewee
Your interview objectives
The interviewee’s attitude
The different types of interview
The art of questioning
Suggestions and tips
Dealing with deceptive responses
Client interviews
Third party interviews
Witness interviews
Expert interviews
Interrogation

5. NOTE TAKING AND REPORT WRITING

Note taking
Note taking guidelines and suggestions
Written statements
Report writing
Guidelines for good report writing

6. USING PRETEXTS

Illegal pretexts
Ask an expert
When a pretext can be used
The guidelines for using pretexts

7. INSURANCE INVESTIGATIONS

Insurance investigations
Fraudulent disability investigations
Motor vehicle accident investigations
Premise accidents investigations
Railroad crossing investigations
Suicide investigations
Accident reconstruction experts and basics
Fires and explosions
Forensic photography

8. CIVIL INVESTIGATIONS

A definition of civil law
Defenses against tort actions
An introduction to civil investigations
Liquor liability investigations
Professional malpractice investigations
Product liability investigations

9. CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS

The general principles of criminal investigation
The burden of proof
Criminal defence investigations
The fundamental principles of evidence
Presumptions and the burden of proof
Evidence preservation and forensics
Undercover investigations

10. BACKGROUND INVESTIGATIONS

Assets background checks
Business partners background checks
Pre - employment background checks
Mate checks
Self defence background checks
Witnesses and jury background checks

11. FINDING MISSING PERSONS

The types of missing persons
The preliminary interview with your client
Finding young missing persons
Finding indigent and homeless missing persons
Finding other types of missing persons

12. COMMERCIAL THEFT INVESTIGATIONS

Retail theft investigations
The general principles of retail theft investigations
Classification of shoplifters
Recognizing a shoplifter
The methods of shoplifting
How to prevent shoplifting
The types of employee theft

13. DOMESTIC INVESTIGATIONS AND COURT TESTIMONY

Domestic investigations
Child custody investigations
Fidelity investigations
Court testimony

14. SURVEILLANCE

General surveillance principles
Surveillance by foot
A team approach to surveillance by foot
Fixed surveillance
Common carrier surveillance
Vehicle surveillance
Single vehicle surveillance
Moving surveillance
Tips for better surveillance
Surveillance at night
Two vehicle surveillance
Video surveillance

15. SETTING UP YOUR BUSINESS

Types of business
Location
Investigative equipment
Business plan
Credit applications
Alternate financial resources
Estimating start up costs
Business operations and accounting
Business bank account
Hourly rate and investigative fees
Insurance requirements and bonding
Naming your company
Employees

16. MARKETING

Strategic marketing planning
Advertising and promotion
Personal selling
Tips for print media
Your potential market

17. COURSE CONCLUSION

What's in your pack
 A sturdily bound set of course modules that lies flat for ease of study. Detailed, practical information that guides you skilfully towards becoming a professional private investigator.
Self-assessment exercises. They occur throughout the course to help you get organised for your as a PI. They also check that you can tackle each type of task.
Ten assignments. Your assignments will be carefully marked with personal advice by an experienced tutor.
Copyright-free checklists, questionnaires, exercises, quizzes and action plans for you to use on your clients. It's a complete toolkit that gets you started as a PI.
A stylish case that keeps all your course material.
A Private Investigation Special Report.
A confidential personal profile for you to complete. This helps you assess your goals, your strengths and weaknesses, and your progress.
A study guide and planner that helps you organise your study.
Private investigation newsletters full of marketing tips and ideas regularly sent to your email inbox.
A folder for your completed assignments.
Question and Answer sheets for you to have your queries answered.
Your PI's starter kit, including ring bound notebook, pencil, clipboard
The contact details for your personal tutor.

On completing the course
When you complete the course, you'll get:
A handsome Diploma to frame and display on your wall.
An 'Approved PI' logo to use on your site.
Your name on the 'Approved PIs' listing.
We'll send a free press release to your local news media announcing your success (if you request it).
Free Manual

You also get a free PI's Manual. It contains a PI's records and forms, and much more.

Want a lower price version? Get the online edition for only £387.00 , a saving of £100. With this edition, you don't get:

The printed modules (but you can read them online)
The course text book (but you can do the course without it because it's an aid not a prerequisite)
Course materials' case
Post-course mentoring
Any other printed material
In short, you get everything you need, including your assignments, access to your tutor, and the Diploma. But you have to do all your studying from our online edition, which you can download.
Just select the online format option at the bottom of this page and then click the "Enrol Now" button.