Special constable

Apply via one of the two application routes:

Traditional route (6 month training programme - weekends/evenings)

Fast-track route (6 week training programme - Monday to Friday) - CLOSED

The application form will include a number of eligibility checks.

If you have any tattoos, please ensure you enclose a photograph of them as per the application form guidelines.

Applications will go through a presift process and assessed against the application criteria.

If successful at the application form stage, you will be invited to attend a telephone interview. This will last for approx. 20 minutes and will take place from:

• w/c 9 May (Fast-track training applicants)
• w/c 6, 13, 20, 27 June (Traitional training applicants)

You will be told in advance about what will happen on the day and be given details so that you have time to prepare.

If successful at the telephone interview, you will be invited to attend an assessment centre which will take place between:

• 23 May andto 3 June (Fast-track training applicants)
• 18 July and 29 July (Traitional training applicants)

You will be told in advance about what will happen on the day and be given details so that you have time to prepare.

If you are successful at the assessment centre,  you will receive a letter stating that you will be appointed, subject to satisfactorily passing vetting checks, media checks, finance checks, references and medical.

Once you have successfully completed all pre-employment checks you will receive an offer of appointment, conditions of service, starter pack and joining instructions.

During the application and selection process we will be assessing your mental and physical fitness to undertake the role.

Medical assessment

A medical assessment will generally be carried out by our Occupational Health Team.

You will be asked to complete a confidential medical history questionnaire. Depending on your medical history, we may have to contact your GP/specialist for further information.

The assessment will include:

• Body Mass Index (BMI)
• Eyesight
• Colour vision
• Lung function
• Hearing

Once you have been declared medically fit we will progress your application to the next stage.

Your medical history is confidential and is not disclosed to those not authorised to hold this information.

References

We send reference requests to your current employer and all previous employers in the last three years. If you haven't been employed for three years, we will ask for a character reference or an educational reference.

Vetting checks

The vetting process is entirely confidential and the outcomes (other than pass/fail) are not shared with anyone else in the organisation (including future line managers or fellow trainees) or anyone outside of the organisation (including family).

We will carry out security checks on you and your:

• spouse/partner
• father
• stepfather/mother's partner
• mother
• stepmother/father's partner
• brothers/sisters (full/half/step)
• children/children of your partner (only those aged 10 years and over)
• any other adult living at your address

Financial circumstance

Applicants will have their financial status checked. These checks are carried out because police officers have access to privileged information, which may make them vulnerable to corruption.

Applicants with outstanding County Court Judgements (CCJs), Individual Voluntary Agreements (IVAs) or who have been registered bankrupt with outstanding debts, will be rejected. If you have discharged bankruptcy debts then you will need to provide a Certificate of Satisfaction with your application. At least three years will need to have passed since the date of discharge.

Applicants with cautions/convictions/reprimands, other than some motoring offences, may not be accepted.

Biometric vetting

We will need to take fingerprints and DNA samples to carry out some final vetting checks against the national police database.

Drug Test

As part of our pre-employment checks, we undertake drug screening. This is conducted by an external company called Abbott. The process involves samples of hair being collected and analysed to determine whether any of the following six core substances are present:

• Cannabinoids (cannabis)
• Amphetamines (including ecstasy)
• Cocaine
• Opiates (e.g. morphine and heroin)
• Benzodiazepines
• Methamphetamines

Before this you will be required to complete a consent form to confirm that:

• you consent to the screening taking place
• you accept that a positive screening will be recorded on your medical file (if applicable)
• you have declared if you have taken any medicines within the period relevant to the history
• you understand that a positive result could affect a successful application.

Any candidate who refuses to sign the consent form will have their application terminated. All new police officer recruits will have to have these samples taken as part of the recruitment process.

Fitness test

To check your fitness levels, applicants will be required to pass a Job Related Fitness Test (JRFT). The fitness test looks to see whether you are fit for the job and are ready for Officer Safety Training, where you learn to protect yourself and others. You will be required to undertake a running test (known as a multi-stage shuttle run or bleep test) to a minimum pass level 5:4, over 15 meters.

There is one element to the test and you must pass it (reach 5:4 or above) before you can be appointed.