Join our PoliceFamily
To make sure we give the best possible service to all of our communities in Devon & Cornwall, we're looking for the best possible police officers. That's why you'll need to meet the below set criteria before you can apply.
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.
Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA)
To be eligible for this route you must hold;
A Level 2 qualification in both English language and Maths for example a GCSE or iGCSE at grade 4 (c) or above. International equivalent qualifications are also accepted and welcome, see advice below under “Overseas/International Qualifications Accepted”. Should you not have the Level 2 qualifications, please read the Attaining Maths & English document on our useful documents page about how to obtain this.
In addition you must meet one of the following;
Have Level 3 qualifications in any subject(s) that equate to 64 UCAS points (or a full level 4 or 5 qualification) – these points could be from your A Levels, Level 3 Diplomas and International Baccalaureate to name a few. Level 3 (Advanced) Apprenticeships will also satisfy the Level 3 requirement. Please view the linked document to check your level 2 qualifications and level 3 qualifications and UCAS points for some of the most frequently studied qualifications.
Or;
Pass a SHL Test (If you do not have a Level 3 qualification) The SHL Test is a verbal reason and calculation test as part of the initial police online application process. This will test your academic ability to Level 3
Or;
A serving PCSO, who has been in post for at least 18 months at the time of application and been assessed by line manager as fully competent.
Or;
A serving Special Constable who has attained accompanied patrol status at the time of application, who are consistently completing 16 hours per month and are up to date with all mandatory training.
Degree Holder Entry Programme (DHEP)
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 youhave 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.
Pre Join Degree
For this entry you must have achieved a degree in Professional Policing.
International equivalent qualifications for either Level 2 (GCSE grade 4 or grade C pass) in Math and English, or Level 6 (undergraduate degree in any subject) are accepted and welcome.
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.
Additionally, the International Certificate in Christian Education (ICCE) is accepted as equivalent to a (Level 2) standard pass in Maths and English, and if you have this qualification a Statement of Compatibility is not required.
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.
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 tattoos containing non-English words, characters or representation and an explanation of the tattoos’ meaning or significance.
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 five working days during normal office hours, Monday to Thursday 9am–4pm and Friday 9am–3pm. During the current Covid-19 pandemic our team are working remotely, please only contact us via email.
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 five working days during normal office hours, Monday to Thursday 9am–4pm and Friday 9am–3pm.
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.
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.
Irrespective of nationality, applicants must have been a resident in the UK for three years prior to submitting the application form and the calculation of the three year period of time refers to the period immediately before an application is made, and not any other three year period, or any other accumulation of time spent in the UK.
An individual who has spent a significant period of time overseas (no more than 12 months) within a three year period such as a gap year or an individual who has gone travelling will be considered to have taken an extended holiday. As such they will maintain residency in the UK and therefore be eligible for consideration under the residency criteria.
An individual who has spent a significant period of time overseas (no more than 12 months) within a three year period working abroad but has maintained residency in the UK will be eligible for consideration under the residency criteria as long as equitable employment references can be made.
Foreign nationality is not an automatic bar to recruitment or to granting security vetting clearance (which is a necessary part of the recruitment process). However, if individuals cannot be vetted in line with the requirements of the National Vetting Policy, they cannot be granted vetting clearance, as the risk cannot be adequately assessed.
Essentially we will need to be able to carry out equitable security checks on you and your family members but in some cases due to disproportionate costs or difficulties in obtaining the necessary information from various countries of your origin or residency we may not be able to satisfactorily carry out these checks. In such cases the recruitment process cannot continue and it will be necessary for the force to reject your application.
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 which provides evidence 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.
While diagnostic assessments for neurodiverse conditions are helpful in providing an accurate picture of an individual’s abilities, it is recognised that there can be barriers in obtaining such assessments, for example the cost of reports.
Therefore in support of an application for RAs alternative forms of supporting information, completed by suitably trained and qualified individuals, will be accepted, for candidates who have a neurodiverse condition but do not yet have a diagnostic report. These alternatives include:
- Evidence of exam/assessment access arrangements obtained while in education (known as Form 8).
- Evidence of Disabled Students Allowance report.
- Evidence of Study Aid and Strategies report completed while in education.
- Evidence of Workplace needs assessment report. Please note: in cases where supporting information does not provide specific personal recommendations for assessments, it is likely standard RAs will be offered which have been found to be helpful for candidates who experience this neurodiversity.
In the table below you can see the pay points at varying stages of your career as a Police Officer if you join via the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship. “-1” represents the salary at the start of employment. After successful completion of initial training (Independent Patrol Status (IPS)) at approx. 37 weeks, the pay rises to point 1. Your salary will then increase yearly on the anniversary of your IPS and by pay awards, which are generally effective from 1st September in any year (as relevant).
| Entry Route | Pay point | Salary as of 1 September 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship | -1 | £19,164 |
| 0 | £21,402 | |
| 1 | £24,780 | |
| 2 | £25,902 | |
| 3 | £27,030 | |
| 4 | £28,158 | |
| 5 | £30,411 | |
| 6 | £34,950 | |
| 7 | £41,130 |
In the table below you can see the pay points at varying stages of your career as a Police Officer if you join via the Degree Holder Entry Programme. “1" represents the salary at the start of employment. Your salary will then increase yearly on the anniversary of your start date.
| Entry Route | Pay point | Salary as of 1 September 2020 |
|---|---|---|
| Degree Holder Entry Programme | -1 | £18,912 |
| 0 | £21,402 | |
| 1 | £24,780 | |
| 2 | £25,902 | |
| 3 | £27,030 | |
| 4 | £28,158 | |
| 5 | £30,411 | |
| 6 | £34,950 | |
| 7 | £41,130 |
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.
DHEP is therefore not the appropriate route for anyone with a pre-join degree.