As the key link with communities across Sussex, our PCSOs play a critical and visible role in helping keep our communities safe, identifying and protecting the most vulnerable and preventing harm.
Submit your expression of interest today and we will contact you when recruitment opens.
Please be advised this is not an application for the role
The Role
Being a PCSO offers a challenging, yet incredibly rewarding career. Working alongside our policing prevention teams to prevent and tackle local issues; you’ll be out and about on the streets of Sussex, building relationships and winning the trust of the public.
You will encounter a range of situations. From dealing with anti-social behavior, taking statements from victims of crimes to providing reassurance and helping resolve community challenges, you’ll be the face of local policing for the community, ensuring we meet our policing priorities. Some of the duties you could find yourself doing include:
• Going on highly visible foot patrols.
• Reassuring the public after minor crimes or anti-social behaviour.
• Building relationships with community, religious and business leaders.
• Working with young people and local schools.
• Making house visits to gather intelligence.
• Collecting CCTV evidence.
• Carrying out missing person enquiries.
• Protecting crime scenes until police officers arrive.
• Providing crime prevention and personal safety advice.
• Offering support at large public gatherings, such as sports events and public demonstrations.
While PCSOs do not have powers of arrest and cannot interview or process prisoners, they do have the power for a wide range of situations including issuing fixed penalty notices, requiring contact details and seizing drugs.
Apprenticeship
By successfully completing the recruitment process, you will join Sussex Police as a PCSO through our new 12-month apprenticeship programme. This will give you the best possible training and, upon successful completion, you will achieve a Level 4 Diploma in Community Policing Practice – equivalent to a Higher National Certificate (HNC), foundation degree or the first year of an undergraduate degree.
You will be paid a full salary of £22,047 plus unsocial hours shift allowance in the region of £5,000 per year and you will not be charged any tuition fees. As a PCSO, you will work shifts. You will have a rotating shift pattern covering the full week Monday to Sunday between the hours of 8:00am and midnight, so you will need to be prepared to work weekends and Bank Holidays.
Eligibility Criteria
The following are our key eligibility criteria:
• You must be aged 18 at date of application – no upper age limit
• You must have lived in the UK for three continuous years immediately prior to application
• Have leave to enter or leave to remain and work in the UK for an indefinite period
• Have a full UK manual driving licence (by the time of appointment)
• Not be a member of the British National Party (BNP) or other relevant organisations
• Not have tattoos which could cause offence (see our PCSO Guide)
• Not have more than six penalty points on your driving license.
• Not have served a prison sentence
It is a requirement of the apprenticeship completion that individuals must have achieved Level 2 functional skills / GCSE in both Maths and English. If you do not have this at the time of your appointment as a PCSO, we will support you in achieving it.
Please see the attached guide to becoming a PCSO for more information.
Contact Details
If you have any questions about the role or the recruitment process, please read the attached guide.
For any further questions please contact recruitment@sussex.pnn.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.pnn.police.uk
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