Vacancy Information
Make a difference to your community. Submit your expression of interest today for the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship and we will contact you when recruitment opens. Please be advised this is not an application for the role.
The Role
Careers don’t come more rewarding than this. Tackling crime, taking knives off the streets, engaging and educating young people and being the person everyone looks towards for help.
A Police Officer’s role is demanding and diverse – no two days are the same. We’re looking for people who have the judgment to make quick decisions; are confident to be first person in; have the compassion and empathy to help those in need; who’ll have their colleagues back no matter what and the resilience to serve the community every single day. In return, we promise a good starting salary, great training experiences, opportunities for progression, the chance to achieve a professional qualification in Policing Practice and the pride that comes from helping others. You will become part of our policing family; dedicated to keeping communities safe and feeling safe, identifying and protecting vulnerable people, preventing and responding to harm.
Key Responsibilities
The Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA) is one of the new entry route for Police Constables. As a Police Officer, you can change your life and the lives of others. With opportunities to pursue a wide range of policing specialisms, a career as a Police Officer opens doors to roles in areas such as safeguarding, community engagement, investigations and anti-terrorism. With this vast range of career opportunities to explore and diverse demands each day, policing is a job like no other, dedicated to catching criminals, protecting communities and delivering an outstanding service. Through the three-year Police Constable Apprenticeship Programme, you will be employed as an officer from day one, gaining valuable experience of the role alongside studying towards a Degree in Professional Policing Practice.
Study will be a mix of on and off the job and you will be awarded your degree at the end of the three year programme and with completion of your probation period. You will be paid a full time salary of £28,682 which includes £2,000 South East Allowance and will not be charged any tuition fees – therefore no need for student loans. We’re looking for people who have the judgement to make quick decisions; are confident to be first person in; have the compassion and empathy to help those in need and the resilience to serve the community every single day. In return, we offer you a good starting salary, great training experiences, opportunities for progression, the chance to achieve a professional qualification in Policing Practice and the pride that comes from helping others. Put simply, you can change lives.
Skills & Experience
To apply for the PCDA, you will need to:
• be aged 17 years or over (on the day you submit your application)
• have achieved GCSE Maths and English at grade A*-C/9-4 or a educational equivalent to a Level 2. You will need to provide copies of your qualifications on your application form. If you currently work for Surrey or Sussex Police but do not hold Level 2 qualifications, you are able to apply but you are encouraged to obtain your Level 2's by your start date.
• have achieved one A Level grade A*-C or equivalent Level 3 AND one A level grade A*-E or AS level in a different subject, or equivilent Level 3. You must have a minimum of 48 UCAS points when both qualifications are combined. You can check how many points your qualification is worth on the UCAS tariff calculator. You will need to provide copies of your qualifications on your application form. Applicants can hold a Level 3 BTEC as long as this qualification or combination of qualifications meets the minimum 48 UCAS tariff points. The Certificate in Knowledge of Policing will also be accepted. Applicants who do not meet the above Level 3 criteria and believe they have work experience equivalent to a level 3 can apply. Your work experience will be assessed against a Level 3 framework. You will be asked to complete a written experience assessment and online verbal reasoning and numerical tests. The results will then be assessed by the universities who will certify whether your previous work experience is equivalent to a Level 3 qualification.
•have lived in the UK for three continuous years, immediately prior to application
•have leave to enter or leave to remain in the UK for an indefinite period
•have a current full UK manual driving licence by the time of appointment
•not be a member of the British National Party (BNP) plus other relevant organisations, such as Combat 18 or The National Front
•not have tattoos which could cause offence
•not have motoring offences Please see the attached Guide to Becoming a Police Officer for more information.
Contact Details
If you have any questions about the role or the recruitment process, please read the attached Guide to becoming a Police Officer. If you have any other queries – please contact recruitment@sussex.police.uk
Diversity Statement
At Sussex Police we’re committed to diversity in the workforce. We welcome applications from everyone in the community and particularly people from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) and white other backgrounds. We also encourage applications from women, the LGBT community and people with disabilities. As part of this commitment, we provide a mentoring scheme for BAME candidates. To find out more please email joinus@sussex.police.uk