4. Recruitment process/timetable

At the end of each stage of the recruitment process, you will be notified by email whether or not you have been successful and are therefore eligible to proceed to the next stage. You can also log in to view your application status. If you have not received an email, you should check your junk mail/filter settings in case the email/emails get filtered by your spam software.

  • Application form and eligibility checks
  • Presift
  • Interview and presentation (online)
  • Pre-employment checks and fitness assessment

Applications are currently closed.

The application form will include Competency Based Questions (CBQs) and 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 competency based questions, you will be invited to attend an online formal interview. This will last for approx. 45mins:

  • a presentation to assessors (5 min)
  • an interview (35 - 40 mins)

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 formal interview 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.