Police Constable Entry Programme (PCEP)

A starting salary of £32,007, which includes a South-East regional allowance of £3,000, working full-time (40 hours per week). 

As a constable, you'll be eligible to receive annual increments up to a salary of £51,231 which includes the regional allowance of £3,000. 

You'll enjoy the advantages of a contributory pension scheme, which offers generous benefits based on average earnings. You'll start with 22 days annual leave rising to 30 days, dependent on your length of service. 

You could play your part in continuing to build the standards, practices and reputation of policing for the better! 

Your training will begin with a 21-week initial learning phase, attending one of our training centres in Welwyn Garden City or Letchworth. 

You will learn a wide range of policing skills including Personal Safety Training, emergency life support, safeguarding, crime investigation, operational policing skills, and there are a wide range of ICT systems to learn about. 

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 will be screened for dyslexia and given personal feedback as necessary. 

You will then be on patrol as a uniformed police officer, responding to emergency and non-emergency calls, coached and mentored by trained tutor constables who will support you to achieve a “safe and lawful” standard of practice, before being signed off as fit for Independent Patrol Status, meaning you can patrol alone. 

This will be vital for your future role as a detective as you will need to fully appreciate the full remit of a police officer - to be first on the scene at serious and complex cases provides the foundation from which investigations are built upon.  

Being aware of preserving evidence, securing witnesses and arresting suspects is vital in every criminal case. You will therefore be better equipped to apply this experience to cases you will eventually investigate as a detective. 

You will work towards the National Investigators’ Exam (NIE) which you will be required to pass at the end of 12 months to achieve full Professionalising Investigation Programme Stage 2 (PIP2) accreditation at the completion of the programme. 

In year two, there will be nine more weeks of training to further develop your understanding about key topics such as leadership, inclusion, investigation skills and public protection, plus all PIP2 modules. 

You will have two placements in an investigative environment, one in a volume crime team and the second in a specialist unit such as intelligence, serious sexual offences and serious assaults. 

Throughout your training you’ll undertake work-based learning and you will be fully supported as you apply new skills and knowledge as part of your operational duties. 

You’ll be immersed in day-to-day policing. This will help you understand the context of what you learn, enabling you to develop the skills and experience needed for this challenging role, as you actively contribute to reducing crime and harm in the communities of Hertfordshire. 

Core programme modules include - 

• Personal safety techniques
• Policing, police law and police power
• Protection, Vulnerability and Operational Policing
• Policing Communities
• Response and Crime Investigation
• Understanding Vulnerability
• Specialist Skills
• Police Code of Ethics
• Criminal Law
• Police Procedure
• Statement taking and writing
• First aid
• Interviewing
• Police systems
• Evidence based policing
• Problem solving
• National decision model
• Search techniques
• Wellbeing
• Mental health
• Domestic abuse
• Stalking and harassment

Throughout the course you will need to successfully complete operational assessments to test the skills, knowledge and qualities required to be an officer. 

You will also need to compile a work-based Operational Competency Portfolio and pass operational assessments of a range of critical policing skills, including - providing effective initial response to a critical incident, engaging proactively with communities, conducting effective evaluation of intelligence, and providing support to vulnerable people, victims and witnesses. 

Once you have successfully completed your initial two-year probation and been confirmed in the rank of Police Constable, in the final year of the course, you will be able to focus on the specific application of what you have learnt in an investigative environment. 

A-Level 3 qualification, two A-Level passes at Grade E or above, or an equivalent qualification. 

Or evidence of at least one year’s employment/experience in a role with comparable skills to policing or academic study (see the list below).  

Or PCSO or Special Constable experience - confirmed as fit for independent patrol and those leaving the armed forces. 

Comparable experience 

Experience re. vulnerability/caring for others/working with communities: 
 
Nursing/care sector, social work, youth work, charity work, teaching. 

Experience in the justice and law enforcement sectors 

Police staff – particularly custody, public contact/demand hub/enquiry office roles, investigative roles, criminal justice sector/CPS/courts, Border Force, Prison Service. 

Relevant local authority experience which has involved close and sustained working with police 

• Experience of cyber/digital and financial fraud/crimes. 
• Specialist roles in banking and financial sector, digital investigations. 
• Customer service experience through full-time or part-time roles.
• Hospitality, retail, customer service representative, receptionists, or other equivalent public facing roles.
• Business development or sales roles in any sector.
• Health and fitness - personal trainers or equivalent.
• Other relevant experience in the last three years that would demonstrate an ability to effectively carry out the role of police officer. 
• Roles which have focused on promotion of equality of opportunity and inclusion.