Will you take the first step?
In both Devon & Cornwall Police and Dorset Police we are proud to have detectives that have joined through the degree holders entry programme.
There is no upper age limit for applying to the police service, but bear in mind that the normal retirement age is 60 years and that new constable recruits are required to undertake a two year probationary period forthe DHEP or 3 years for the PCDA.
In order to be eligible for this route you have to have previously achieved, or be obtaining within the next six months, an Undergraduate or Bachelor's Degree Level 6 with either an Honours Level Degree classification or an Ordinary Degree classification (not in Professional Policing Practice). A Master's Degree at Level 7 is also acceptable. International equivalent Level 6 or 7 (undergraduate degree or masters) qualifications are accepted and welcome (see advice below under “Overseas/International Qualifications Accepted”).
Please note a foundation degree does not make you eligible for this entry route, however you may be considered for the PCDA route should you meet the above requirements.
If you have a degree in Professional Policing you are not eligible for the DHEP entry route. The DHEP is a graduate Diploma at level 6, to ‘convert’ a degree over to policing, for which this is recognised for by awarding a graduate diploma at Level 6. The pre-join degree whilst does not have practical policing elements covers the same theoretical topics as DHEP conversion course.
If you believe you have an international equivalent qualification, you will need to obtain a Statement Of Comparability from UK ENIC (formerly known as NARIC, the UK National Information Centre for the recognition and evaluation of international qualifications and skills).
The Statement Of Comparability costs around £49 (price as at March 2021) and is only required at the Application Form (Part 2 of the application). Therefore, you can apply for your police role without the Statement of Compatibility, and if you pass Part 1 (the Behavioural Standards Questionnaire and Situation Judgment Test online tests) apply for the Statement Of Statement Of Comparability at that time ASAP here and notify the Resourcing Team on your Application Form that you are doing so.
Devon & Cornwall Police and Dorset Police do reserve the right to insist that applicants supply original certificates.
Some schools and colleges will charge up to £120 for replacement certificates, which can take up to four weeks to arrive. We will not reimburse applicants for any costs associated with obtaining this information.
To be eligible for appointment, you must be a British citizen or a citizen of a country that is a member of the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland. Commonwealth citizens and foreign nationals are also eligible but only if they are resident in the UK free of restrictions.
If you are a Commonwealth citizen or other foreign national, you must provide proof that you have no restrictions on your stay in the UK. You should therefore send a copy of your passport showing that your stay is free of restrictions. Do not send your actual passport with this application. Other documentary evidence of your status may be required.
After 30 June 2021, nationals of the EEA or Switzerland will also need to provide evidence that their stay is free from restrictions.
Ideally, you shouldn't have a criminal conviction or cautions.
If you do have any, acceptance will depend on the age and nature of the offence. It is not possible to set out a full list of convictions that will preclude a person from becoming a Police Officer. Each case will be considered on its own merits, and if the offence is deemed sufficiently serious a person will be rejected irrespective of age at time of offending. There may be circumstances where an individual does not fall within the criteria, but whose suspected involvement in crime, or criminal associations make an offer of employment inappropriate. Click here for National Convictions Guidelines.
If you are the subject of an Individual Voluntary Agreement (IVA) and can demonstrate at least 6 months of regular payments via a payment plan the force can assess this on a case by case basis.
If you have been registered bankrupt you may apply if it is at least three years since the date your debts were discharged.
- Your Driving Licence Number
- Your National Insurance Number
- Details of your home address for the last 5 years
Alliance Resourcing.
We will try to respond to you within 72 hours during normal office hours, Monday to Thursday 9am–4pm and Friday 9am–3pm.
You may also contact [email protected] if you feel your assessment was impacted due to the technical issues.
If you are still unable to resolve the issue this way then you can email us at Alliance Resourcing.
We will try to respond to you within 72 hours during normal office hours, Monday to Thursday 9am–4pm and Friday 9am–3pm.
We will ask you to send in two digital pictures of each tattoo. One distance photograph clearly showing where on your body the tattoo is located and a second close up photograph that we can use to assess this against our standards.
We would require a verifiable translation of any any tattoos containing non-English words, characters or representation and an explanation of the tattoos’ meaning or significance.
Each case will be considered on its own merits, and if the offence is deemed sufficiently serious a person will be rejected irrespective of age at time of offending.
There may be circumstances where an individual does not fall within the criteria, but whose suspected involvement in crime, or criminal associations make an offer of employment inappropriate.
As of November 2019 candidates can apply to multiple forces at the same time as long as they only attend one national assessment within a 6 month period.
The force will ask you to withdraw any current application prior to a conditional offer of appointment being made to start with the force.
For further information please refer to the national standards which can be accessed here.
If you require an adjustment to the recruitment process in relation to a Specified Learning Difficulty e.g. dyslexia, dyspraxia, supporting information in the form of a medical or specialist’s report which provides information regarding your disability/the difficulties you experience should be submitted with your application form.
Every request for a reasonable adjustment or accommodations is considered individually to reflect the understanding that every individual has unique requirements.
For further information on the national standards please seehere.
Body Mass Index (BMI) Standards are used for Police Officers.
The body mass index (BMI) was devised to assess an individual’s weight in relation to their height. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, a high BMI can indicate an increased risk for obesity related health problems. The current BMI standard for police officers is between 18 and 30.
There are a number of websites that will assist you in calculating your BMI including the NHS which has an online BMI calculator. You can also find online converters to help you adapt figures into metric.
Those with very muscular or athletic body types can have a high BMI yet healthy levels of body fat. In these cases, a simple test can be done by our trainers to assess the amount of body fat and ensure it falls within a healthy range.
Following a medical suitability assessment should you not meet the BMI standards you will be given time based on NHS guidelines to safely put on or lose the required weight. Please seek advice from a medical practitioner before embarking on any weight loss and exercise programme.
You cannot be appointed to the role if your BMI (or body fat percentage) is outside the acceptable range.
For further information on the national standards please see here.
Whilst on probation you must work at least 24 hours per week (or 1,248 hours per year). However, initial training must be completed on a full-time basis (approximately first 31 weeks). Salary, leave entitlement etc would be calculated on a pro-rata basis. If you are seeking part time hours in order to support you please indicate your intentions at the earliest opportunity.
It is important to note that a request to work part-time will not affect or influence your application in any way, as a decision will be solely based on your evidenced application and subsequent performance over various assessments.
Each case will be considered on its own merits, and if the offence is deemed sufficiently serious a person will be rejected irrespective of age at time of offending.
There may be circumstances where an individual does not fall within the criteria, but whose suspected involvement in crime, or criminal associations make an offer of employment inappropriate.
Click here for National Convictions Guidelines.