Police Officer Recruitment Awareness Evening
January 2016
 KATH THOMAS
HR MANAGER
 SIAN PEARCE
RESOURCING OFFICER
 KELLY WILLIAMS
HR ADMIN OFFICER
 ANDY JAMES
LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT
Aim of this presentation
•
To assist candidates in their preparation in completing the national
application form and pass the shortlisting process.
•
To give an insight into the preparation for the Assessment Centre
should you be successful at shortlisting.
•
To impart information on the Competency Based Interview
•
Note .....the aim is to help candidates prepare.....we can’t do it for
you!...preparation is key!
But you have passed the first test by
attending this session.
Are you eligible?
• You must be 18 years of age or over at the time of applying.
• You should not have a criminal record.
• You must not be registered bankrupt with outstanding debts,
have outstanding county court judgments against you, or be
subject to a current Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA).
• You need to be a British citizen or a citizen of a country that is
a member of the European Economic Area, or Switzerland.
Commonwealth citizens and foreign nationals who are
resident in the UK and free from restrictions are also eligible
to apply, providing you have held residency for a minimum of
3 years.
• You can only apply to one force at a time.
Are you eligible?
Force Guidelines on Tattoos
Tattoos are not acceptable if they:
– could cause offence to members of the public or colleagues
and/or invite provocation;
– 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 that 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.
– You will be required to wear long sleeves if necessary.
National Application Form Guidelines
• There are four questions which ask you to provide detailed
examples of situations from your recent past experience.
• You should read the questions and choose your examples
carefully. Make sure that you consider all of the prompts.
• You must give specific examples of what you did or said on
a given occasion. It is important that we can see exactly how
you behaved. Generalisations about what you usually do,
what you did on a number of previous occasions, or what your
group/team have done will not score well. We need to know
what part you played on that occasion.
• Try to use examples that you found difficult or challenging to
deal with. You can use examples from a work setting, your
social, domestic or educational life.
National Application Form Guidelines
• In all parts of the form please write clearly and concisely. If
we cannot read or understand it, we cannot score it.
• You must not add extra sheets, write outside the space
provided or write between the lines. No marks will be given
for evidence outside the space provided. Write only a
single line of text on each line.
• Avoid using jargon or slang terms. Please note spelling &
grammar will be marked at the application stage.
• Answer all questions.
• The application must be all your own work. Applications that
contain any material which is not original and accurate may
be discontinued.
How to Answer a Question
Answers need to be structured!
STAR
 SITUATION
- set the scene
 TASK
- outline what the goal to achieve was
 ACTION
- describe the actions you took
 RESULTS
- what was the RESULT or a need to REVIEW
Application Form – Example Question
Example Question / Answer – Working with Others
Please give a specific example of a time when you have
decided to work with others to achieve a goal?
Please describe what the goal was? (Situation)
• I worked on a team of five people that was tasked with
changing the software of all 150+ computers in our company.
Each member of the team was from a different department
and a specialist in different aspects of the changeover, so we
needed to work together to ensure that the changeover
occurred during the specified 3 week period with as little
disruption as possible.
Application Form – Example Question Continued
Why did you decide to work with others to achieve the
goal? (Task)
• The task was very challenging so it was important to involve
people with expertise in different areas to make up the team. I
considered my own abilities and skills and how they would fit
in with the various tasks we had to complete. I also looked at
the skills of the team and which people would be best suited
to which jobs. I made sure everyone knew what they were
doing and helped when people were unsure. I also checked
on the progress of the team so that we would meet our
deadline.
Application Form – Example Question Continued
What did you consider when working with others to achieve
the goal? (Action)
• I concentrated on making sure the team worked together on
the job, and tried to provide help if any problems occurred. I
did this by organising regular weekly meetings to discuss any
problems and monitor our progress against our plans to
ensure we were working to the timescales we set. The
meetings were also a good opportunity for us to get to know
each other better. We also developed a website where team
members could raise questions or ask for help.
Application Form – Example Question Continued
What was the outcome? (Result)
• The changeover was very successful, with the team
completing its task two days ahead of schedule which is
something I was very proud of. The website that was
developed for the changeover was kept to help deal with other
IT related problems.
POLICE CONSTABLE RECRUITMENT STAGES
 Application Form
 National Police Assessment Centre (SEARCH)
 Competency Based Interview process by Gwent panel
 Security Vetting and References
 Fitness Test (If successful this will be an annual requirement)
 Drug & Biometric Testing (DNA sampling & Fingerprints)
 Health Check
In addition candidates are required to obtain a Certificate in
Knowledge of Policing (CKP) before you begin your role.
Holding the CKP is not necessary at the point of application, but
successful applicants must ensure they gain it before receiving
a formal offer of employment from Gwent Police.
CKP – Certificate in the Knowledge of Policing
The Certificate in Knowledge of Policing, which has been
established in order to partner the Diploma in Policing, teaches the
information that is required to successfully perform the role of a
police constable, you will require this certificate before Gwent will
issue you an offer letter following successfully completing all
recruitment stages.
• The Certificate in Knowledge of Policing is a pre-join certificate.
It has been set up in a bid to ensure that candidates wishing to
join the police force already have a basic understanding of the
information that is required to become a police officer.
For further information on the CKP including what you learn, the
benefits, and a list of approved CKP Providers, please visit the
below web site.
http://www.certificateinknowledgeofpolicing.co.uk/
Assessment Centre (SEARCH) Process
 Multiple methods of assessment are used including:
 four interactive role-play exercises
 two written exercises
 a competency-based interview
 a verbal ability test and a numerical ability test.
These exercises will test your ability to think on your feet, making quick
decisions based on sound judgement. We’ll also be able to assess your
basic maths and literacy skills. Candidates are assessed against national
competencies.
Advantages of the use of an Assessment Centre:
 They provide a more comprehensive overview of candidates strengths
and limitations than any single method of selection. Allowing the
candidates to show a range of abilities in a variety of situations.
 They are standardised, so every candidate has the same opportunities
to demonstrate their skills.
What is a Competency ?
 A competency defines a particular group of Behaviours
necessary for effective performance when carrying out a
particular job function
 The competencies necessary for effective performance as a
Police Constable have been established through national
job analysis.
Police Constable Pay scales (WINDSOR)
New Constables will start on a salary of between £19,578 and
£22,668 depending on skills, experience and local recruitment
needs.
Pay Point
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Official Side
£19,578
£22,668
£23,694
£24,729
£25,758
£27,819
£31,971
£37,626
• New Unsociable payment 10% on hourly rate & enhanced rates
for those who work past 8pm – 6am (will only be paid for hours
worked)
DATES TO BE AWARE OF:
Please be aware if successful at short listing stage you
will be required to be available for the following dates:
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•
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Application Forms available from:
Books Close:
Assessment Centre:
Week Commencing
Interviews to be held:
Week Commencing
Fitness Tests:
Week Commencing
Drugs & Biometric Test: Week Commencing
Health Checks:
Week Commencing
11 Jan 2016
25 Jan 2016
21 March 2016
25 April & 2 May
25 April 2016
25 April 2016
16 May & w/c 23 May
DATES TO BE AWARE OF: Contd..
INTAKE DATE:
JULY 2016
You must make yourself available for Training
Which means no holidays will be authorised during
your Training timetable
Overview of Training
and Realities of the
role of a Police
Constable
Induction Evening
Training Course
• Non-residential
• 14 weeks duration
• Working day/ Shifts
• Appointments
• Fitness/OST
• Classroom/Community based
• 3 Examinations
Induction Evening
1st Two Years
• Complete Training Course
• 10 Week Tutorship
• Assessed at 5, 10, 42, 70 & 90 Weeks
• Must complete Diploma in Policing
• Confirmed by Chief Constable
Induction Evening
Expectations:
• Knowledge
• Punctual
• Smart
• Respect for colleagues.
• Honesty/Integrity/ Codes of Conduct
• Standard of Fitness
What does the job entail?
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Shift working - including night duty.
Dealing with confrontation.
Delivering difficult messages.
Unsociable hours.
Restrictions on private life.
Accountability.
Dealing with death.
Highs and lows.
ANY QUESTIONS?