If you think that apprenticeships are for school leavers only, think again. This is a great opportunity for those looking for a career change, to improve their career prospects or for a route back into work. Yes, you may have to retrain but you will be paid a competitive salary and have your tuition fees covered by us.

Once you have passed the probationary period you will have the opportunity to progress through the ranks and/or specialise in an area of policing that interests you most, dependent on the vacancies available in the force.

There are three brand new and exciting routes open to all individuals wishing to have a career in policing. In December 2019 we will be launching the PCDA and in early 2020, the DHEP. Ahead of the DHEP being launched, recruits with degrees may be offered places on the PCDA.

• The Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA) is the new entry route for Police Constables and will be launched in December 2019. It is a three year apprenticeship programme with both on and off the job learning. On successfully finishing the programme and completing probation you will achieve a degree in Professional Policing Practice.

Starting salary is £20,370 pa plus £1,500 South East Allowance

• The Degree Holder Entry Programme (DHEP) is aimed at degree-holders who have attained a degree in any subject area. At the end of this two year practice-based programme you will receive Graduate Diploma in Professional Policing Practice.

Starting salary on this route is £23,586 pa plus £1,500 South East Allowance

• The “Pre-Join” Degree in Professional Policing is a self-funded undergraduate degree which is completed prior to joining the police service. We have yet to introduce this route into Sussex Police yet so more details will follow in due course.

You will be employed as a police officer from day one, gaining valuable experience of the role alongside studying towards your degree. You will also be paid a salary whilst studying and will not be charged any tuition fees - so no need for student loans. 

For more information please visit the College of Policing website.

To apply for the role of Police Constable, you will need to:

• be aged 18 years or over (on the day you submit your application).
• 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.
• by the time of appointment, have a full manual driving licence.
• not be a member of the British National Party (BNP) or other relevant organisations, such as Combat 18 or The National Front.
• not have tattoos which could cause offence (see FAQs for further details).
• not have motoring offences (see FAQs for further details).

Educational Requirements

• have achieved Level 2 functional skills in both Maths and English or education equivalent to Level 2 (see FAQs for further details) before you are offered a role.
• have achieved a standard of education equivalent to Level 3 (A level or equivalent see FAQs for further details).

The recruitment process consists of several stages and candidates will be notified at the end of each stage whether or not they have been successful and therefore eligible to proceed to the next stage. This is to ensure that we can be confident that we select people who will make great police officers. Please note the average time from application to joining is on average between 8-10 months.

Stage 1 Application Form – This is where personal details are checked and that eligibility criteria has been met.

Stage 2: Online Assessments – Behaviour Styles Questionnaire and Situational Judgement Test.

The Behaviour Styles Questionnaire measures your typical behaviour and preferences at work to assess whether you have the right behaviours and attitudes to be effective in the role. In the questionnaire, you will be presented with a number statements about your typical behaviour at work in blocks of four. You will need to read each statement carefully and then decide the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement.

The Situational Judgment Test assesses your judgement and decision-making skills in relation to job relevant situations. You will be presented with a series of scenarios; you do not need prior knowledge of policing policies and procedures to respond to the scenarios presented. For each scenario, you will be presented with some introductory text depicting the scenario. You will be asked to rate four actions in terms of their effectiveness in addressing the scenario.

Stage 3 – Day One Assessment Centre

Day One is the national Assessment Centre which is currently being held in Reading. Further information on the Day One Assessment can be found here.

Stage 4 – In Force interview

Interview is based on the Competency & Values Framework.

Stage 5 – Pre employment checks

Once you get to this stage it is time to begin our pre-employment checks. These consist of:

• A medical
• Vetting
• Biometric Vetting
• Fitness Test

Further information on the checks can be found in the FAQs.

We have several intakes over the next year. In December 2019 we will be recruiting 24 officers and a further 72 will begin training from the 16 March 2020 onwards. Keep an eye on our social media for further details.

• Advert open – 17 June 2019
• Online assessments – 17 June until 16 July 2019
• Invite to Assessment Centre – August 2019
• Assessment Centre – September 2019 – October 2019 (dates tbc)
• In Force Interviews – October 2019 – November 2019 (dates tbc)
• Pre-employment checks – October 2019 onwards

You're only able to apply to one police force/service at a time. Your application will not be accepted if you have previously applied unsuccessfully, in the last six months, to another police force/service in England and Wales that requires candidates to undertake the Police Assessment Centre.

If you are considering transferring your scores please contact our recruitment team at recruitment@sussex.pnn.police.uk

At Sussex Police we are committed to diversity in the workplace. 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.

For find out more, please email joinus@sussex.pnn.police.uk