This is great chance to get to know what life is like within the different programmes (The Leadership Development Programme / The National Detective Programme) at Police Now, learn about what you would be doing from day to day, and to ask for advice on your application.

You can ask anything you like, from general questions about the scheme through to personal questions about why your mentor decided to join Police Now. 

You can ask anything you like, from general questions about the scheme through to personal questions about why your mentor decided to join Police Now. 

The Equality Act 2010 applies to all appointments in the Police Service and we welcome applications from individuals with disabilities. Adjustments will be made to selection processes and/or the working environment, provided it is reasonable in all circumstances to do so.

Candidates with a specific learning difficulty, e.g. dyslexia, can request reasonable adjustments during the assessment process upon submission of documentary evidence compiled by a qualified professional e.g. a chartered psychologist. The report or assessment should have been written since your 16th birthday. Information on how to get an assessment for dyslexia or a report evidencing that you have a specific learning difficulty is on the British Dyslexia Association website.

It takes a particular combination of skills and abilities to become a Police Now participant. We are looking for ambition, focus, drive and resilience, and a passion and commitment for public service. Leadership skills will ensure you succeed within the programme. In addition to this, we are specifically looking for the following competencies and values.

Yes – all new recruits need to be fit and healthy. The fitness test will be undertaken by your force and consists of a shuttle run. Further information can be found here.

The role of a Police Officer is physical and mentally demanding and we must test your physical ability. Please have a look at this document for more details regarding the medical assessment and this document which should provide clearer insight into any medical considerations which would not be suitable for the role.

The Police Force’s Medical Practitioner will need to liaise with your own GP in regards to your medical history. The Home Office requires our medical team to review a form that has been signed off by a General Practitioner who holds your medical notes. You cannot enter the Police Service unless this is done, so please make sure you are registered with an NHS GP, and do not move to another GP during the recruitment process.

Yes, all applicants will be subjected to a substance misuse test during the course of the selection process. Your consent will be sought to take either a hair, urine or saliva sample prior to the test. Failure to provide a sample will result in your application being terminated. Please note, any instances of substance misuse in the prior 12 months to applying may negatively impact upon your application.

We will primarily contact you by email but sometimes also by telephone. Please make sure these details are always current and up to date once you have applied.

All successful candidates will need to provide a reference from their undergraduate university, any current employment, or previous employment if this is not applicable, and a personal reference. Anyone who has been employed by a Police Service or the Armed Forces, no matter for what duration or how long ago, will require a reference from this employment as well.

References will be sought three months before your start date, between receiving a conditional and final offer.

You will need to be available for a one-day Spring Induction in April and to begin the Summer Academy in July. The Summer Academy runs for six weeks and you will be unable to take annual leave for this period – this is when you’ll start your employment as a Police Officer.

Please contact graduates@policenow.org.uk to speak to the Graduate Recruitment Team who will be able to advise on any problems you may be having.

Please review this page for a list of the forces working with Police Now for entry in 2019.

Mostly. You submit an online application, and then complete some online tests and a video & job insight exercise online. You can sit all of these elements at a time and place that suits you – whether that’s early in the morning or late into the night. We recommend you pick somewhere quiet and try and complete each exercise in one sitting. Please note you will have to attend an assessment centre in London.

Please email our graduate recruitment team at graduates@policenow.org.uk

Shortly! Applications will be opening from August 2019 until February 2020; however each force will fill on a first-come-first-serve basis and therefore we advise to submit your application as soon as possible here.

You must have, or be predicted, a minimum of a 2:2 undergraduate degree from a university in the UK or an equivalent from a non-UK university. You also need to hold a GCSE in English Language at Grade C or above, or equivalent qualification including Key Skills Level 2.

We do not screen applications on A Level grades or UCAS points, however we do take any grades attained for our information.

Of course, as long as you are predicted to receive a 2:2 or above from a UK university or equivalent from a non-UK university.

Unfortunately, our eligibility criteria requires a 2.2 or above at undergraduate degree. If you do not meet these requirements you can still apply to the police through standard entry with your chosen force.

Unfortunately, our eligibility criteria requires a 2.2 or above at undergraduate degree. If you do not meet these requirements you can still apply to the police through standard entry with your chosen force.

Yes, we recognise Key Skills Level 2 as equivalent to a GCSE Grade C in English Language.

As long as your degree is equivalent to a minimum of a 2:2 undergraduate degree from a UK university, you are still eligible. Please note that all educational certificates will be checked and for those that are not in English, a full certified translation must be provided.

There is no requirement to complete the Certificate in Knowledge of Policing (CKP). You will have to complete some study before joining the programme in July, but this is a bespoke pre-learn for Police Now which will come at no financial cost to you.

We will consider your application if you are aged between 18 and 57 years at the time of applying.

You can be of any nationality to apply, provided you have the status of indefinite leave to remain and you work in the UK. If you are a UK citizen or citizen of a member state of the EEA, you will have this status. If you are a citizen of a non-EEA state, you must be able to provide evidence of your passport and residency documentation.

You will need to have lived in the UK continuously for the past three years in order to apply. If you’ve been abroad during the last three years while serving in the UK Armed Forces, working for the UK government or if you studied abroad as part of your university degree, your application will still be considered.

Please review the following document to see if the force you wish to apply to has any force specific requirements.

Tattoos are not a total bar to appointment. However, some tattoos could potentially offend members of the public or colleagues, or could be considered lewd, garish or provocative depending on their size, nature and location and therefore will not be accepted. Due to this, as part of the application process, you must declare and document any tattoos you have.

You must declare any convictions, cautions, charges, summonses, pending prosecutions or investigations. Ideally, you should not have a record containing any of the above. We need to be careful when recruiting, as a police officer with criminal associations or convictions may be vulnerable to disclose information, and certain offences can also undermine an officer’s position as a witness in court. Further details can be found here.

You are unable to apply to Police Now if you are currently or have previously been a serving police officer or have been attested and started training. Police Now is not a way for officers to transfer between police services or return to the police service.

You are still eligible to apply if you are currently or have previously been a police cadet, special constable, PCSO or member of police staff for any force.

Of course. We would only advise to listen to any feedback given during the last recruitment process.

Police Now is a graduate programme and therefore we only take applications from those currently at or graduated from university. If your interest in the Police continues, we would recommend looking towards an individual police force to join the Special Constabulary or apply for standard entry as a Police Constable.

As Police Now is an independent charity it does not matter if you are applying to another police service at the same time or have recently applied and been unsuccessful.

Yes, we welcome applications from career changers and believe existing life and work experiences can be a real benefit when it comes to being a great police officer. In fact, 67% of this year’s National Leadership Development Programme cohort are career changers.

Your starting salary will depend on the force that you join. The basic starting salary for police officers joining all participating forces is typically £23,586 per annum. Some forces have additional location allowances or weighting up to £6,735 bringing the total starting salary to £30,321.

Your starting salary will commence on day one of the Summer Academy. Your first and subsequent pay dates will depend on the force that you join.

All forces also offer a range of hugely competitive benefits which are described on their websites. When you start as a new police constable you’ll automatically be enrolled as a member of the Police Pension Scheme 2015. This isn’t compulsory, and you can opt out if you wish. There are various partner organisations who work alongside the Police to offer a variety of financial services, including saving, investment and protection products as well as discounts and subsidies. Similarly, many major High Street stores, retail outlets and other national organisations offer discounts and special deals to police officers.

You’ll start with 22 days paid annual holiday, rising to 30 days a year depending on your length of service. This is on top of public holidays and an average of at least two rest days each working week.

As a Police Officer, you will operate on the front line, supporting victims and witnesses, providing reassurance and instilling confidence. You will have full powers of arrest when responding to 999 calls, to be able to detain and deal with suspects – just the same as a regular police officer.

First and foremost, the 24-hour nature of policing means that there’s no such thing as 9-5 for a police officer. You will normally be expected to work five or six shifts a week, often at night or over the weekend, although working patterns can vary according to the needs of the Service.

You will be required to work approximately 40 hours a week, although this is dependent on the needs of the public

After your two years with Police Now, you can continue your role as a Neighbourhood Officer, move to one of the other vast arrays of roles within the Police, apply to join the National Policing Fast Track Programme run by the College of Policing, or leave Policing altogether and become an Ambassador for Police Now in another profession.

Of course! Police Now is an ever-growing family for which you will be an Ambassador and alumni member of our network.

Police Now is a two-year Leadership Programme placing trained and attested officers into some of the most deprived communities in the UK. Our mission is to transform those communities by reducing crime and increasing the public’s confidence in policing. To do this we recruit and develop an outstanding and diverse group of individuals to be leaders in society and on the policing frontline.

You will need to available for a one-day Spring Induction in April and to begin the Summer Academy in July. The Summer Academy runs for six weeks and you will be unable to take annual leave for this period – this is when you’ll start your employment as a Police Officer.

You will need to complete some study before joining the programme in July but this will be fully outlined at the Spring Induction held in April. The pre-learning comes at no financial cost to you and is designed by frontline officers for frontline officers.

Your performance is subject to continual assessments during training. These take the form of written tests and practical assessments, as well as ongoing assessment of the standard and application of your knowledge and understanding, when completing written work and dealing with scenarios. If you do not meet the standards required, then you will be supported to help you achieve the required level with extra coaching. However, if you are unable to do so then you may fail the course and be unable to commence duty as a Police Officer.

Yes – you will have to complete assignments for five 100 Day Impact Events as well as ongoing assessment by mentor review.

You need to attend a minimum of one leadership and development session a month and this is supported by one-to-one meetings with your Leadership Development Officer on a regular basis.

There will be the opportunity to start applying for or organising a Secondment at the end of your first year on the programme.

You can apply for any Secondments that interest you. However in total, you can only spend up to four weeks on Secondment. This can be with one provider for the whole period or split between two for two weeks each, etc.

You can research and organise your own Secondment, provided Police Now approve the final details to make sure there is no conflict of interest with the Police Service.

After your two years with Police Now, you can continue your role as a Neighbourhood Officer, move to one of the other vast array of roles within the Police, apply to join the National Policing Fast Track Programme run by the College of Policing, or leave Policing altogether and become an Ambassador for Police Now in another profession.