New recruits

Minimum qualification requirement – None

The Police Constable Entry Programme (PCEP) is a new entry route for joining the police which provides an excellent opportunity to be employed as a police officer from day one.

This programme is guided as a Level 5 learning opportunity and is focused on developing policing skills with key models and theories used routinely within a policing environment.

You will be provided with all the training and development opportunities you need.

PCEP is a two-year learning programme with a 23-week initial phase which is designed to provide you with a blend of practical ‘on-the-job’ experience and classroom-based learning which will equip you with the professional knowledge and skills required to meet the complex policing challenges we face today, whilst contributing to a positive policing culture.

As an Officer, you will also attend Personal Safety Training and of course, there are a wide range of ICT systems to learn about.

Your knowledge and skills will be assessed throughout this period using a variety of techniques including exam, presentations, short essays, and a full work-based occupational competency portfolio.

We have partnered with the University of South Wales to deliver the PCEP. Upon successful completion of your 2-year probationary period, you will achieve a recognised qualification and have the opportunity to apply to undertake an optional third year of study to obtain a degree in Professional Policing Practice which will be fully funded by Dyfed-Powys Police.

There is no minimum limit for qualification requirements to join through the PCEP. If you have a level 3 qualification or higher, this can be uploaded at the point of application as your education requirement for this route.

If you do not have a minimum level 3 qualification you will be asked to complete an online English and Maths competency-based assessment. Successful completion of this online assessment will qualify as your education requirement for this route. Our training teams understand that you may not yet know very much about policing. No assumptions are made, and each student officer is offered coaching to achieve the requirements in a very tailored way.  We also have lots of experience if you need any workplace adjustments – everyone is screened for Dyslexia and given personal feedback as necessary.

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Minimum qualification requirement - none

The Detective Constable Entry Programme (DCEP) is a two-year programme combining on-the-job practical learning and operational competence with academic learning. This programme fast tracks probationers through core policing modules before embarking on enhanced investigative training and moving into a Trainee Investigator role.

Entry routes to become a detective Constable follow the PCEP training, however additionally you will:

• Spend Operational time in the Specialist CID/ LIU Department
• On completion you will achieve a Level 5 HE Diploma in Professional Policing Practice.

Candidates will be required to undertake the National Professional Investigators Portfolio (PIP 2) programme that requires Trainee Investigators to pass the National Investigators Exam which is an exam designed to ensure individuals have the right knowledge, understanding and application of relevant law and procedure to perform effectively as a detective.

We have partnered with the University of South Wales to deliver the DCEP. Upon successful completion of your 2-year probationary period, you will achieve a recognised qualification and have the opportunity to apply to undertake an optional third year of study to obtain a degree in Professional Policing Practice which will be fully funded by Dyfed-Powys Police.

There is no minimum limit for qualification requirements to join through the DCEP. If you have a level 3 qualification or higher, this can be uploaded at the point of application as your education requirement for this route.

If you do not have a minimum level 3 qualification you will be asked to complete an online English and Maths competency-based assessment. Successful completion of this online assessment will qualify as your education requirement for this route.

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Minimum qualification requirement: Degree in Professional Policing

The Degree in Professional Policing is for those who have chosen to complete the degree at a Higher Education Institution of their choosing, at their own cost.

Candidates recruited via this route will undertake practice-based training to develop specific skills and will be assessed against national criteria and operational competencies.

To be eligible to apply via this route applicants must achieve their Professional Policing Degree before applying to join the police service or be in the final year of their degree at the time of application and achieve their degree prior to appointment.

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Joining Dyfed-Powys Police as a new police constable is the start of an exciting and rewarding journey that could take you anywhere.

Policing is not all about being on the front line. Once you have completed your probationary period and become a full constable there are a variety of different roles you can progress into, each with competitive salaries and excellent benefits.

Whether its dog handling, public protection, or the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), there is a range of potential career opportunities waiting for you.

What’s in it for you?

Variety: Every day brings something new

Career progression: A chance to develop skills and climb the ranks

Teamwork: Join a group of like-minded individuals who support each other like family

Personal development: A career where you are always learning and growing

Making a difference: The satisfaction of knowing you are helping the community every day

Age

To apply for the role of police constable, you will need to be aged 17 years or over (will only be appointed at the age of 18).

Tattoos

Candidates with visible tattoos may be eligible for appointment. Each case will be considered on its own merits, taking into account the number, nature, size, prominence, appearance, and location of the tattoos. Tattoos must not be offensive to colleagues or members of the public or undermine the dignity of your role within the Force. Tattoos on the neck, face or hands are still deemed to be unacceptable but consideration may be given in some circumstances considering the size, nature, and prominence of the tattoo. If candidates choose to have any additional tattoos during the recruitment process, after passing eligibility checks, the onus is on them to advise HR and provide appropriate photographs which will need to be checked. 

Citizenship/Residency

You must be a British Citizen, citizen from the European Economic Area (EEA), Commonwealth citizen or foreign national with no restrictions on your stay in the United Kingdom. You must also have been continually resident in the UK for the three-year period immediately before an application is made. This is to satisfy the requirement to vet all applicants in an equitable manner and the UK Police service does not currently have any means of facilitating vetting checks overseas, to the extent required of those who have been resident in the UK. Applicants who cannot be vetted, cannot be appointed.

Cautions and Convictions

You may still be eligible to join the police service if you have minor convictions/cautions, but there are certain offences and conditions that will make you ineligible. You MUST declare all convictions for past offences, formal cautions (including as a juvenile) and any bind-over imposed by the courts. You should also include all traffic convictions. Due to the nature of policing, it’s essential that we conduct rigorous vetting checks on successful applicants before they can join the program.

Financial Status

All applicants will have their financial status checked. These checks are carried out because Police Constables have access to privileged information, which may make them vulnerable to corruption. Any applicants with outstanding County Court judgements, who have been registered bankrupt with outstanding debts, will be rejected. If you have discharged bankruptcy debts, then you will need to provide a Certificate of Satisfaction with your application. Applicants who are the subject of a current Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) will not be considered.

Health

Applicants must be in good health mentally and physically to deal with the pressures and demands of the role. Successful applicants who receive a conditional offer of appointment will then be asked prior to appointment to fill in a medical questionnaire and undertake a medical examination which will also include an eyesight test and BMI check (Body Mass Index).

The current Home Office outlines the standard for BMI to be between 18 and 30. Applicants who do not meet this standard may find their application delayed and / or will not be appointed.

Police Officer applicants with a BMI over 30 will not be considered fit unless their body fat percentage is less than 30% for men or 36% for women. If you have a disability, we will make adjustments where it is reasonable to do so.

Political Affiliation

Dyfed-Powys Police has a policy of prohibiting any of our officers or staff from being members of the BNP, or a similar organisation whose aims, objectives or pronouncements may contradict the duty to promote race equality. If you are or have previously been a member of the BNP or a similar organisation, your application will be rejected.

Previous applications

If you have applied to join the Police with any force in England or Wales within the last 6 months and your application was rejected, you are unable to submit a new application form.

You are eligible to apply to more than one force at a time however you can only undertake the Assessment Centre process with ONE force. By default, this will become your CHOSEN force unless you choose to withdraw and transfer your score to another force.

Driving Licence

You will need a full manual driving licence with at least twelve months driving experience from the date this was issued to join as a police officer. You will be required to undertake response driver training during your probationary period.

All Dyfed-Powys police officers are required to response drive and as such you must meet the DVLA Group 2 medical standards.

BMI 

If your application is successful, your weight range will be assessed during a medical assessment. The healthy weight range is based on a measurement known as your body mass index (BMI).

This can be determined if you know your weight and your height. The actual calculation is your weight (in kilograms) divided by your height (in metres squared). Guidance and easy to use charts on how to calculate your BMI can be found on the NHS website. The NHS advises that a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 suggest a normal healthy weight. This means your body is not at risk of weight-related disease. The Home Office sets BMI standards for police officers. The current Home Office circular 59/2004 outlines this as between 18 and 30. Applicants who do not meet this standard may find their application delayed and / or will not be appointed.

Vetting 

The importance of honesty and integrity is made clear throughout our application process. Dyfed-Powys Police Officers are subject to the Standards of Professional Behaviour, which clearly set out what communities can expect from their officers.

Please note the recruitment cycle can typically take at least 6 months to fully complete. Further information on each stage of the application/recruitment process can be found further down the page.

• Online Application Form
• Online Assessment Centre
• Force Interview and role based evaluation
• Pre-employment Checks
• Successful appointment

At the end of each stage of the recruitment and selection process you will be notified whether you have been successful and therefore eligible to proceed to the next stage.

The application process consists of three areas:

Eligibility criteria:

including confirmation of your qualifications. If you do not have a Level 3 qualification you will be required to complete a test which will test your academic ability to work at Level 3.

Completion of the College of Policing (CoP) National Sift:

There are 2 tests that every applicant must complete (regardless of qualifications), these are a Situational Judgement Test and a Behavioural Style Questionnaire. The national sift has been designed to allow you to demonstrate your suitability for entry to the next stage of the recruitment process. Both of these must be passed in order to continue in the application process. All test results are provided instantly online.

Further information on these tests can be found on the College of policing website.

Application form

You will be required to input your personal details. Please ensure this is completed correctly.

Please note if you have previously passed both the Behavioural Styles Questionnaire (BSQ) and Situational Judgement Test (SJT) with Dyfed Powys Police or another Welsh force (South Wales, Gwent or North Wales), you will not be required to complete the College of Policing (CoP) National Sift process. The recruitment system should automatically bypass this part of the application process, however, if you are invited but hold a valid BSQ and SIJT pass, then please contact the recruitment team before starting the National Sift.

• Read the requirement of each stage thoroughly as failure to pass each section will reject your application.
• If you require reasonable adjustments or positive action, please ensure you check the relevant boxes on the application form.
• If you have had more than one address in the last 5 years, ensure you have all this information at hand including dates of occupancy.
• If you have received any convictions or cautions, ensure you have all this information at hand as you are required to disclose this information.
• If you have visible tattoos (face, neck, wrist, hands, and forearms) take the required photos beforehand.
• If you have any financial certificates (bankruptcy, IVA etc.) have a copy of these ready to upload.
• When completing the online tests, ensure that your pop-up blocker is disabled so that the test screen will open.
• If you encounter any problems or have any queries, please contact us as soon as possible. Please note our office hours are Monday-Friday: 9am–5pm.

Assessment Centre

The online assessment process consists of a three-stage approach designed for the efficient assessment and recruitment of police constables. The three stages are:

Stage 1 – Competency-based Interview

You will be asked a series of questions about how you have dealt with specific situations in the past. This is your opportunity to provide some examples of the key competencies and values that are important for police constables.

You can use examples from both your work and your personal life.

Stage 2 – Written Assessment

In this exercise, you will assume the role of a police constable and will have to complete an urgent written task for your line manager. You will receive four items of information to help you with this task.

Stage 3 – Briefing exercise 

In this exercise, you will assume the role of a police constable and will have responsibility for dealing with some issues presented to you. You will be tasked with providing a response to a number of questions in relation to this issue. You will be provided with preparation materials to consider your answer.

If you are successful at the College of Policing Online Assessment Centre process you will be invited to attend an interview and role-based evaluation at Dyfed Powys Police Headquarters

The role-based evaluation will consist of a team building exercise and scenario-based assessment which will assess your communication skills.

The interview process has been designed to get a more rounded picture of you as an individual. It examines how your values and those of Dyfed Powys Police might match.

The purpose of this interview is to ensure that you are making the right career choice and verify your suitability in line with the Policing values and behaviours within the competency value framework to become a successful Dyfed Powys police constable.

During the interview, we will check your understanding of the police force, your previous experience and skills and your desire to become a Police Officer and serve the community.

Further to your assessment centre, there are various in-force stages you will also be required to complete successfully:

Fitness test

• You will be required to meet the national standards for police officers. This involves a shuttle run to level 5/4 (bleep test).
• If you don’t meet the standard first time around, you can take the test again (up to a maximum of three times).

Drugs and biometric testing

• The drugs test will involve undergoing a questionnaire on any medication you are taking, or have been taking, and a hair sample.
• Biometric testing will involve taking fingerprints and a DNA (mouth) swab, which will be checked against a national database.
• If you should fail the drugs test you will not be offered a position with Dyfed-Powys Police. Any internal candidates who fail a drugs test will have their offer withdrawn and the results from the drugs test may be used in accordance with the Dyfed-Powys Police Staff Discipline Police and Police Staff Code of Conduct.

Vetting and references

• References are required to cover a minimum of 5 years of continuous employment history. If you have not been in employment for 5 years, we will look to obtain education and personal references.
• Any sickness declared by a previous employer will be reviewed by Senior Management in line with Dyfed-Powys Police Absence Management policy.
• Vetting checks will be completed by our Professional Standards Department and a decision will be made on whether vetting can be granted. This can take up to 8 weeks or longer depending on individual circumstances.

Medical assessment

• Due to the nature of police work, good health and fitness is paramount. However, applications are welcome from people with disabilities and every effort will be made to make reasonable adjustments if required. There are certain medical conditions and disorders that may have a detrimental effect on your ability to conduct the role effectively; each case will be considered carefully as part of the medical process.

These pre-appointment checks can sometimes take between three and six months. Please be aware that you must attend any appointments in your own time, including your uniform fitting appointment.

Once you have completed the selection and recruitment process you will be sent a letter formally offering you an appointment, start date and station posting.

If not already living within 30 miles or 1 hour commuting distance of your posting, you will be required to confirm that you will be moving to within this required distance.

Salary

• You’ll receive a starting salary of £29,907 
• This will rise to £31,164 after 12 months in role
• Your salary will rise to £48,231 after 7 years

Annual Leave

• New recruits receive 22 days annual leave per year.
• There are also opportunities for overtime which can either be paid or taken as additional time off.

Bank holidays

• 8 Statutory public/bank holidays, taken on the designated day or, if this falls on one of your working days, you will be entitled to take an alternative day. Part-time employees have bank holidays on a pro-rata basis.

• Accommodation is provided during training if you’re travelling more than 30 miles from your home address to our headquarters in Carmarthen.
• Residential students will be provided with breakfast, lunch, and an evening meal.

Throughout your service, you’ll enjoy the advantages of a contributory pension scheme, which is a Career Average Revalued Earnings Scheme (CARE).

Our equality and diversity objectives are enforced through an established Equality and Diversity Board. This demonstrates our commitment to ensuring we consistently treat our colleagues and public with fairness, dignity, and respect.

• We offer a full range of Occupational Health Services, including medical screening, vaccination, physiotherapy, and counselling services.
• You’ll also have 24/7 access to Vivup Employee Assistance.
• The Occupational Health team aims to support attendance and effectiveness by working proactively to minimise health risks and to promote individual responsibility for health, fitness, and wellbeing.
• Our Sports and Recreation Association offer access to a number of gyms on police premises across the Dyfed-Powys area.
• There is also the opportunity to represent us in a variety of sports, from football and rugby to lifesaving and triathlon.

There are a range of associations, networks and groups supporting our workforce and Dyfed Powys Police has a range of initiatives and schemes to help colleagues develop.

Our staff networks offer support and friendship to our officers, staff, and the local community alike. They work to support and advise colleagues nationally and we are proud of the active part they play in influencing policing across the UK.

Support and advice from our Staff Associations and Support Networks which include:

• Ability Staff Network
• Christian Police Association
• Gender Equality Network
• LGBT Network and Ethnic Minority Support Network.
• The Police Federation

You’ll join our staff rewards scheme, offering discounts in a range of high street and online stores. Also, whilst you’re enrolled with our university partner and studying for your degree qualification, you’ll be eligible for student discount schemes.

To promote healthy journeys to work, Dyfed-Powys Police provide staff and officers with the opportunity for a new bike and safety equipment, with big discount off the total price..You can apply for up to £4,000 and choose to spread the payments over either 12 or 18 months.

Police officers are offered ongoing training, guidance, and support to help with personal and professional development. If there is a desire to progress, individuals are helped to move through the ranks into senior positions within the force.

Our rank structure:

• Constable
• Sergeant
• Inspector
• Chief Inspector
• Superintendent
• Chief Superintendent
• Assistant Chief Constable
• Deputy Chief Constable
• Chief Constable.