To apply for the role of Special Constable, you must be:

  • Be aged 18 years or over on the day that you submit your application. There is no upper age limit however candidates need to be in good health.
  • Have achieved a standard of education equivalent to Level 3. If you do not have a Level 3 qualification, you will be required to undertake an academic suitability test for Verbal Reasoning & Calculation as part of the application process. You can practice these tests prior to applying here.
  • Have lived in the UK for three continuous years, immediately prior to application. The calculation of the three year period of time refers to the period immediately before an application is made.  
  • Have leave to enter or leave to remain in the UK for an indefinite period. This is to satisfy the requirement to vet all applicants in an equitable manner since 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.
  • Not be a member of the British National Party (BNP) or other organisations such as Combat 18 or The National Front.
  • To be able to respond to general enquires over the phone and face to face through the medium of welsh (Level 1) or willing to achieve this level within 6 months, see our Welsh Language Requirements for more information.

Level 3 qualifications acceptable are:

  • A-levels (you must hold 2 A-levels in any subject)
  • BTECs
  • Cambridge International Pre-U Diploma
  • Cambridge Technicals
  • International Baccalaureate
  • Welsh Baccalaureate
  • Scottish Advanced Higher
  • Scottish Higher
  • Scottish Baccalaureate
  • access to higher education diploma
  • advanced apprenticeship
  • international Baccalaureate diploma
  • level 3 award
  • level 3 certificate
  • level 3 diploma
  • level 3 ESOL
  • level 3 national certificate
  • level 3 national diploma
  • level 3 NVQ
  • Certificate of Knowledge of Policing

Please note: Awarding bodies such as AQA, Active IQ, NCFE CACHE, CILEx, CISI, City & Guilds, LRN, IMI, NCFE, OCN, OCR, Edexcel, LCCI will need to be at level 3 certificate and level 3 Diploma in any subject.

Driving Licence

You do not need to hold a driving licence to be eligible to apply for the role of special constable however you will need to pass your driving test and a hold a full driving licence by the time you gain Independent Patrol Status achieved within the first year of service. If you do not obtain a licence during this time, you would need to relinquish your special constable role unless you could evidence that your test was imminent.

Tattoos

Tattoos are not a bar to appointment.  However, some tattoos could potentially offend members of the public or colleagues, or could bring discredit to the police service.

Tattoos are not acceptable if they: undermine the dignity and authority of the police officer; could cause offence to members of the public or colleagues and/or invite provocations; are garish or numerous or particularly prominent; indicate unacceptable attitudes towards women, minority groups or any other section of the community; indicate alignment with a particular group which could give offence to members of the public or colleagues; are considered to be discriminatory, rude, lewd, crude, racist, sexist, sectarian, homophobic, violent or intimidating.

Health

Applicants must be physically and psychologically capable of effectively undertaking the duties required. Successful applicants will be required to undertake a medical assessment and pass a fitness test.

Fitness Test

Policing can be physically demanding, so you will need to be in good physical condition to pass the fitness test. As part of the recruitment process, you will be tested to ensure your fitness levels are high enough. It is a thorough test, but don’t worry, it’s not about being super fit. We only want to make sure you would be physically able to carry out your duties.

If you don’t meet the standard first time around, you can take the test again up to a maximum of three times, with six weeks in between each attempt in order for you to develop and improve.

Medical

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. If you are successful at interview you will complete a medical questionnaire and undertake a medical examination.

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.

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.

Criminal Convictions

Due to the nature of policing, it is essential that we conduct rigorous vetting checks on successful applicants before they can join Dyfed-Powys Police. Therefore applicants MUST declare:

  • All convictions, cautions, reprimands or warnings for past offences (including as a juvenile)
  • Bind-over imposed by the courts.
  • Traffic and driving convictions (including details of any relevant disqualification)
  • Any involvement with the military authorities on disciplinary matters
  • Involvement in a criminal investigation (whether or not this has led to a prosecution) or any association with criminals.

Financial checks

Applicants to the police service should normally be free from undischarged debt or liability and able to manage any existing loans.  The emphasis should be on sensible management of debt.

Undisclosed information

Where it is suspected that an individual has failed to declare information, enquiries will be made to ascertain if the individual deliberately failed to disclose this information. If so, their application will be rejected.

Biometric vetting

Legislation has been introduced that requires Special Constable applicants to undergo biometric vetting. Please refer to NPIA Circular 03/2012 which can be viewed on College of Policing website. This means we will be asking you to sign a consent form to take your fingerprints and a sample of your DNA for the purposes of a speculative search and for your fingerprints and DNA profile to be retained on the Police Elimination Database (PED).

The purpose of obtaining fingerprints and DNA samples is to allow a speculative search to be made against the local and national databases prior to your appointment to the police force. This is to ensure that you have not previously come to adverse police attention, which you have not informed us of, and that you are not linked to any outstanding crime scenes. We will ask you to take these tests when we have issued you with a conditional offer of appointment.  

Precluded Occupations

There are some jobs which can cause a possible conflict of interest – there are known as ‘precluded occupations’. Examples include:

  • Bar work including door staff
  • Armed Forces
  • Immigration Officers

More information on precluded occupations can be found here https://recruit.college.police.uk/Special/Documents/npia-01-20112835.pdf

However if you would like to know more, please contact the recruitment department via email at [email protected]