Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA)

As a police officer, every day will be different. It is one of the most fulfilling, challenging and varied roles you could do.

In your shift you could be carrying out a search warrant, arresting a drug dealer or being a reassuring face to a victim of abuse. Your next shift you could be patrolling a public event, interviewing a suspect in custody or collecting vital evidence. No one will know what each shift will bring, but we do know you won’t get bored.

Policing is not purely about enforcement, your communication skills and ability to build relationships with the public will be key. You will need to be caring and compassionate, dealing with victims of crime, witnesses and vulnerable members of our community. In a fast paced environment you will need to be prepared for the unexpected and always be calm under pressure, making critical split second decisions.

There are many opportunities to progress through the ranks and/or specialise in an area of policing that interests you. You can become a detective or join the Tactical Firearms Unit; be part of the Roads Policing Unit or one of our Public Protection teams, just to name a few.

Wherever you decide to take your career, we will support you and help you develop to be the best officer you can be. Your development starts from day one and our new entry routes and training programme will give you all the skills and knowledge you need to be an effective police officer.

At Surrey Police, size is our advantage. As a smaller force we have a real family feel where it is easier to network and easier for us to support you in being the best you can be.

We can offer you:

• A starting salary of at least £29,682 (from 1 October 2022) (including South East Allowance of £3,000) depending on your chosen entry route, with the potential to rise to £45,532 within the first seven years.
• A fully-funded professional qualification.
• 22 days per year annual leave, rising to 30 days a year depending on your length of service.
• Progressive approach to flexible working, enhanced maternity and paternity leave and potential for a career break (after three years’ service).
• Opportunity to join various support networks, staff associations and sports clubs.
• A competitive benefits package including pension, flexible benefits, fuel card, employee assistance programme for advice and counselling, access to discounts / savings / cash-back rewards.
• Career development opportunities including the chance to specialise or to progress through the ranks.
• Free bus travel across Surrey.

This is just a selection of our benefits, now find out more.

To apply as a Police Officer you must:

• Be aged 17 or over (on the day you submit your application). You will need to be 18 years or over by your first day
• Have been a UK resident for the past three years
• Be a British or Commonwealth citizen, or an EC/European Economic Area national, or a foreign national whose stay in the UK is unrestricted
• Have a full UK manual driving licence (by the time of appointment)
• Not have six penalty points or more on your driving licence
• Be prepared to work shifts including nights, weekends and bank holidays
• Not have tattoos which could cause offence
• Not be registered bankrupt (or have bankruptcy debts that have been discharged within the past three years)
• Be able to pass a job-related fitness test
• Be able to pass a medical screening and meet the minimum eyesight standards
• Not be a current or previous member of a proscribed terrorist organisation or group

To be considered for entry to the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship, applicants must provide copies of the following qualifications:

• One A Level Grade A*-C or Level 3 equivalent and one A Level Grade A*-E, or AS Level in a different subject, or Level 3 equivalent. You must have a minimum overall of 48 UCAS points. Or a Certificate in Knowledge of Policing
• You must also hold GCSE Grade A*-C/4-9 or Level 2 functional skills in both Maths and English or education equivalent at point of application.
• If you do not have a Level 3 qualification and have the relevant experience this will be assessed on a case by case basis 
• Applicants that are in their final year of studying towards Level 3 qualifications can apply with predicated grades.  You will be asked to provide proof of their qualifications when you receive your results in August.

Read our guide to attaining Level 2 English and Maths or equivalent.

Applicants can also hold a Level 3 BTEC as long as this qualification, or combination of qualifications meets the minimum 48 UCAS Tariff Points. You can check how many points your qualification is worth on the UCAS tariff calculator.

Applicants without Level 3 qualifications can be considered if you have served in an emergency services role, military, armed forces or similar law enforcement agency considered to be operational by Surrey Police for a minimum of two years within the past five years and have an exemplary reference.

Applicants who do not hit the above Level 3 criteria and believe they have current experience equivalent to a Level 3 qualification and feel they could take on the challenge of degree-level study alongside working as a police officer, will be assessed on a case-by-case basis so please apply.

You will be required to upload and attach your relevant Level 3, Level 2 or equivalent certificates to your application when you apply.

I haven’t got my qualification certificates – am I still eligible?

We need to see evidence, so you will need to request a certificate from your exam board. You can find more information here.

If you have completed your qualification in the last few years we may well be able to check your Personal Learning Record (PLR), please contact the recruitment team on [email protected] and we can discuss this with you further.

I haven’t received my formal certificates yet due to the delay from the pandemic, can I apply?

Due to the covid-19 pandemic, we are aware that there have been some delays in exam boards sending certificates. As a temporary measure, we will therefore accept statements of results if they are on headed paper. You will be required to send through certificates at a later date.

I am currently studying, can I apply?

Applicants in their final year of study can apply. You will need to upload a copy of your predicated grades when you apply.

Does the grade of my level 3 qualification matter?

You will need to have one Level 3 at grade A* - C or equivalent as well as one Level 3 at grade A* - E or equivalent. The two Level 3’s when added together must be a minimum of 48 UCAS points. You can find out how much your qualification is worth by using the UCAS tariff calculator here.

Does the subject of my Level 3 or above matter?

No – we can accept Level 3s or above in any subject.

I haven’t got a level 2 Maths/English qualification at A*-C/4-9 or equivalent, what can I do to get it?

Please see our guide to attaining Level 2 English and Maths or equivalent.

I have a qualification from another country – will it still count?

You’ll need to provide evidence that your qualification is equivalent to or higher than the qualification(s) that are required for the appropriate entry route. For the UK and European countries you can check on the Gov.uk website.

For qualifications from other countries we’ll need a translation of any certificates that are not in English and you may need to provide evidence of the comparative level, a formal Statement of Comparability can be purchased via ENIC.

Join as a Police Officer and achieve a BSc (hons) degree in Professional Policing Practice, fully funded by Surrey Police. This is an exciting three year, practical and vocational degree which will equip you with the skills and experience you need to meet the demands of modern policing.

You will be employed as a Police Officer from day one and receive a starting salary of £29,682 (from 1 October 2022) (including South East Allowance of £3,000) with the potential to rise to £46,032.00 (including South East Allowance of £3,000) within the first seven years. The course combines practical “on the job” training with academic learning, allowing you to ‘earn while you learn’ without any student debt.

Year 1 - In Year 1 you will develop your core operational policing skills though a mixture of classroom and on the job learning. The initial learning phase of the course is held at our Headquarters in Guildford for 15 weeks. You will then be partnered with an experienced Police Officer who will be your dedicated coach for the next 20 weeks. Independent Patrol Status will also be achieved, enabling you to respond to incidents by yourself - but don’t worry as you will be continually supported throughout!

Year 2 – In Year 2 you will consolidate your work-based learning through master classes and assignments. You will also have the exciting opportunity to complete operational attachments.

Year 3 – In Year 3 you will have the chance to specialise in a particular area and will complete a research-based project in an area of practical policing that interests you.

Throughout the 3 years you will study a range of topics including community policing, vulnerability and criminology, and then apply these skills practically in your role as a Police Officer. All learning is delivered in partnership with Surrey Police and the University. 20% of your work time will be allocated as protected learning time, enabling you to study, complete assignments or meet with force or university tutors.

 

The application process consists of several stages and it’s important to note that because of this, the average time from application to appointment is between 8–10 months.

Surrey Police has introduced a new online assessment process during the Covid-19 pandemic. Our national recruitment standards are maintained, and in the coming months this will continually be reviewed. During the current climate the following stages apply:

Stage One: Application form

Your personal details will be checked and that all eligibility criteria has been met.

Stage Two: National Sift (Behavioural Styles Questionnaire and Situational Judgement Test)

Multiple-choice assessments, which will assess whether you have the right traits to work as a Police Constable.

Stage Three: Virtual Assessment Centre.

• Online video competency-based interview – This interview will be based upon the competency and values framework
• Briefing exercise – You will be presented with a short brief and have to prepare your responses to key questions.
• Written exercise – You will be provided with information and will be asked to provide written responses.

Stage Four: Values Based conversation

Stage Five: Pre-employment checks

This is when we begin our pre-employment checks which consist of a medical, vetting, biometric vetting and a fitness test.

• Fitness Test – you will need to obtain level 5.4 in a 15 metre shuttle run. Whilst we do not expect candidates to be professional runners, you will be required to have a reasonable level of fitness and be able to run at a steady pace for around 4 minutes. Find out more about the fitness test here.
• Medical – you will be required to complete a questionnaire with your medical history.
• Biometric Vetting – we will take your fingerprints, DNA, and check them against the appropriate database. We will also collect a sample of hair to test for the presence of inappropriate substances.
• Vetting - this will assess you and your families’ criminal record, financial status and business interests.
  • If your friends or family members have criminal convictions, you must disclose this when asked on your vetting application. Your application will not be automatically rejected and consideration will be given on a case-by-case basis.
  • You must declare if you have ever been subject to a criminal investigation whether or not this led to a prosecution. Failure to make such declarations will lead to your application being rejected.
  • Applications will be rejected in all cases where:
    • Offences were committed as an adult or juvenile
    which resulted in a prison sentence (including
    custodial, suspended or deferred sentence and
    sentences served at a young offenders’ institution
    or community home)
    OR
    • The applicant is a registered sex offender
    or is subject to a registration requirement
    in respect of any other conviction.

If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please read our helpful guide.

If you have passed the National Assessment Centre (SEARCH, Day One or Online) in the past 24 months, you can transfer your score to Surrey Police.

Scores are valid for 24 months from the date of your assessment centre.

To transfer your score, please send a copy of your assessment report to [email protected]. You can request your report from the force at which it was undertaken.

Our ability to build trust, understand problems and support our communities across a range of policing matters, relies on us having a workforce that is reflective of our communities and all the unique individuals that exist within them. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity within our workforce and to eliminating discrimination.

We are very keen to encourage applications from those that have never considered policing as a career. Representation within our workforce from black and minority ethnic communities is currently much lower than we want it to be; by improving this we will be better able to serve our local communities and our work place will benefit from all the differences in thinking, points of view, and approaches that diversity brings.

We are actively working on a range of activities to improve this and one of the proactive ways we are seeking to increase representation is via a bespoke mentoring scheme which is aimed at guiding applicants from diverse communities through the recruitment process.

For more information email [email protected]

To join Surrey Police in any role you will need to prove your right to work in the UK.

Do I have right to work in the UK?

Your right to work in the UK depends on your immigration status - this is also called your ‘leave’. If you don’t have the right to work, you might be able to apply for it.

You automatically have the right to work in the UK if:

• You’re a British or Irish citizen
• You have pre-settled or settled status from the EU Settlement Scheme - or you’ve applied and you’re waiting for a decision
• You have a family permit from the EU Settlement Scheme
• You have indefinite leave to enter or remain in the UK
• You have right of abode in the UK

You might have a right to work in the UK if you have a visa with a time limit. This is called having 'limited leave to enter or remain’. 

If you entered the UK illegally or your leave has ended, you don’t have the right to work in the UK.

 

Proving your right to work in the UK

You might be able to prove your right to work online or by showing your employer certain documents. Any document you show your employer must be:

• Valid - you can’t use a document that’s expired unless it’s a British or Irish passport
• The original document - you can’t use a copy, however you can use a replacement birth certificate if you have lost the original.
• If your document is expiring soon and you’ve applied to extend your leave, you can still prove your right to work. You might need to use a different document or ask your employer to contact the Home Office Employer Checking Service (ECS) - it depends what kind of leave you have.

For further information about Right to work in the UK, please refer to the GOV.UK webpages.