Recruiting police officers

Recruiting police officers

Bold in our actions innovative in our thinking, Surrey Police is seeking to hear from like minded individuals who are interested in a police career.

As pioneers of pre-join training and committed to putting the 'Surrey Public First', we are looking for the people who share our commitment to fill future police officer vacancies. If you can answer 'yes' to both of the following questions and would like to express an interest in applying to Surrey Police, then please email resourcing@surrey.pnn.police.uk with a copy of your Police Law & Community (PLC) certificate together with your full contact details. Once we are aware of your interest and providing you meet all recruitment criteria, we will arrange for your attendance at a National Recruitment Assessment Centre subject to the number of vacancies available. Applicants must understand that they will only be progressed in line with Force requirements i.e. the number of Police Officer vacancies available.

• Have you completed the Police Law & Community course and achieved a pass mark of 60% or more?
• Do you live in Surrey or have strong community ties to the County?

However as Surrey Police are currently under-represented, we are looking to recruit Ethnic Minority Officers to reflect the community that we serve. Therefore we would like to encourage those under-represented applicants to apply who may live in surrounding areas to the Surrey Police Force area.

WHAT IS THE POLICE LAW & COMMUNITY COURSE (PLC)?

The PLC course was developed by Surrey Police in partnership with the Institute of Criminal Justice Studies (ICJS), Portsmouth University.

In October 2008 Surrey Police piloted a new initiative whereby those interested in becoming constables were required to gain the underpinning knowledge required to become a police constable before joining the Force. This is achieved through the successful completion (a pass mark of 60% or more in the final examination) of the PLC course, leading to the award of the Police Law and Community Certificate. Due to the success of this initiative, this is now mainline practise and is also being considered by a number of other police forces.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF PLC?

Because PLC delivers the majority of the underpinning law knowledge contained within the initial police learning and development programme (IPLDP) it reduces the initial training period for new recruits from circa 24 weeks to 10 weeks. This means that new recruits to Surrey Police get to the front line considerably faster than recruits in most other police forces.

The PLC course has been designed to include additional elements that will help new police recruits fully understand the consequences of using their powers and equips them to carry out their duties more effectively. The course also contains significant elements of self study and research tasks. This means that PLC students are better able to maintain and update their knowledge without the need for directed study once they commence their police careers.

Because PLC students already have the underpinning knowledge required to become a police officer prior to joining the Force their first ten weeks training is learning how to put this newly acquired knowledge into practice. Whilst there is still some classroom based work to be completed this is mainly achieved through interactive role plays which allows the recruit the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities and qualities from the outset.

HOW DO I GET ONTO A PLC COURSE?

The PLC course is currently available at Guildford College, Guildford and Brooklands College in Weybridge. Guildford and Brooklands Colleges deliver a stand-alone PLC course.

Obtaining the PLC Certificate does not guarantee a job within Surrey Police or any other force. The certificate is a worthy achievement on the part of an individual and has value for many other roles within the criminal justice system. Applicants to Surrey Police will remain subject to the usual recruitment assessment process, interview, vetting, medical and reference checks. Please check the below for further information on entry criteria.

For full information on the PLC Certificate and to book onto a course, please contact Guildford College (courses taking place on the Merrist Wood Campus) direct on 01483 884040, email and website; Brooklands College (courses taking place both on Ashford and Weybridge Campuses) on 01932 797797 or website.

The training delivery is a combination of tutor taught sessions and through the completion of workbooks. Delivery is flexible with one-day courses available either during the week or at weekends. Alternatively a choice of evening courses are available throughout the week.

Click here to read some frequently asked questions on the course and Surrey Police officer recruitment.

Being a police officer is among the most rewarding and challenging of professions, but not everyone is suited to policing. In fact it takes an exceptional kind of person to fulfil this vitally important role in today's society. You may wish to consider becoming a volunteer Special Constable in the first instance to gain valuable experience and to assess your suitability.

Surrey Police is an innovative organisation with a pioneering style of policing. In the coming years we fully intend to enhance our hard-won reputation as one the UK's most forward-thinking Forces. To help us achieve this aim we want to attract high calibre, enthusiastic and motivated candidates. We need people with strong interpersonal skills and the ability to deal with difficult, confrontational and stressful situations. Such people will help us to maintain Surrey's status as England's safest county.

If you are interested in becoming an officer involved in the future of Surrey Police, please begin by visiting the www.policecouldyou.co.uk website. A few minutes spent completing the confidential 'Test Your Judgement' questionnaire will help to clarify your eligibility for a career in the police service.

For any further queries please contact Surrey Police HR Service Centre on 01483 630111.

The standard we expect from applicants is very high and there are certain criteria that you will need to meet.

Nationality
You must be a British or Commonwealth citizen, or a European Economic Area (EEA) national whose stay in the UK is unrestricted.

Residency
To enable meaningful vetting, you must have been resident in the UK for the past three years.

Age
You must be aged 18 years or over to apply for the role of a police officer. There is no upper age limit, but Police Officers retire at 60.

References
We always take up employment references for the past five years. If you do not have five years of employment history, we will reference you via your last educational establishment.

Vetting
All applicants for employment with Surrey Police are vetted for security reasons and for substance or alcohol abuse.

Financial Status
All applicants are subject to financial vetting. An adverse credit history may jeopardise your application, although this will depend on the circumstances involved.

Criminal Record
Police officers must respect and uphold the law. They should be law abiding and have high standards of personal behaviour and social conduct.

Applicants with criminal associations or convictions could become vulnerable to pressure to disclose information. Their position as a witness in court could also be undermined. Therefore, we are careful about recruiting people with cautions or convictions. You must declare any caution or conviction for any criminal offence, even if this was as a juvenile or is now considered 'spent' (under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 - Exemptions Order 1975). You must also declare any involvement with police, military or transport police investigations, even where the investigation did not lead to a prosecution.

Motoring convictions are considered with regard to the nature of the offence, the number of offences and how long ago they occurred. Candidates will be rejected if they have convictions for reckless or dangerous driving; or one offence of drink driving, drunk in charge or drugs driving within the last ten years. You must also declare other serious motoring convictions, such as driving without insurance or failing to stop after an accident or driving whilst disqualified.

The above is a guide only. If you have doubts about whether you qualify under this heading, please email resourcing@surrey.pnn.police.uk for clarification.

Business Interests
You must declare any business interests you have, so that we can judge if they are compatible with becoming a police officer.

Qualifications
A PLC Certificate is required. You should ensure that your application form is well presented. Numeracy, spelling and grammar are always assessed.

Fitness & Medical
You must be fit. Appointment to Surrey Police is subject to medical and physical examinations. Failing at the fitness stage could jeopardise your application. You must also meet our eyesight requirements.

Driving
You must hold a full current driving licence before applying. Currently disqualified drivers cannot be considered.

Unsociable Hours
You must be prepared to work shifts, especially nights, on a regular basis and often including weekends and bank holidays. Consider the effect this could have on you and your family.

Diversity
You must be prepared to work with all sections of our community and to comply with our policy on diversity.

Tattoos
Our dress code states that any tattoos which may cause offence to any sector of society must remain covered while you are on duty.

If you are not sure you fit any of the above criteria, please e-mail resourcing@surrey.pnn.police.uk for clarification.