Police Officer

As a police constable with a degree, you can earn a salary starting from £26,680 rising to £43,030 over seven-years.

You'll also benefit from:

• Police pension scheme
• Career progression
• Generous annual leave entitlement which increases as part of your service
• Norfolk/Suffolk Police supports work-life balance supported by family friendly policies
• Be part of a wider police family
• Access to officer and staff associations, active groups and networks
• Enhanced maternity benefits
• 24/7 wellbeing support and advice for professional and personal matters 
• Access to discounts schemes via Bluelight Card

A police officer’s role is demanding and diverse.

You’re the one everyone looks to for help.

It is a big decision to join, and this isn’t your average nine to five

We’re looking for people who have the judgement to make quick decisions; have great people skills; can show compassion and empathy to help those in need; who’ll have their colleagues back no matter what and the resilience to serve the community every single day.

Consider whether you can:

• Deal with the complex and sensitive cases, requiring clear reasoning and evidence gathering.
• Think on your feet – problem solve and respond to new challenges.
• Develop new skills as data and technology become ever more important to policing.
• Work well with colleagues as part of an effective team.
• Have great people skills, remaining calm and patient with members of the public, particularly in stressful or volatile situations.
• Handle traumatic situations and be able to communicate information sensitively.
• Be decisive and use your police powers appropriately.
• Give clear and accurate evidence in court.
• Work shifts, nights and weekends (including public holidays).
• Be flexible about where you work - you might not work in your preferred location.
• Be willing and able to meet the academic demands and deadlines throughout the programme.  

You’ll receive training and support throughout your career to help you manage the demands of policing, but it’s important to be sure that becoming a police officer is right for you.

There are three main routes to becoming a police officer. 

Not got a degree? The Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA) is for you.

Already got a degree? The Degree Holder Entry Programme (DHEP) is for you. 

Want to study before you apply? The Professional Policing Degree (PPD) is for you.

Find out more about each of these routes here >>

You can also begin by volunteering. Find out more about our volunteer opportunities here. 

To be a police officer you must:

• Be aged 17 or over (on the day you submit your application). You will need to be 18 years or over by your first day.
• Have been a UK resident for the past three years.
• Be a British or Commonwealth citizen, or an EC/European Economic Area national, or a foreign national whose stay in the UK is unrestricted.
• Have a full UK manual driving licence (by the time of appointment).
• Not have six penalty points or more on your driving licence.
• Be prepared to work shifts including nights, weekends and bank holidays
• Not have tattoos which could cause offence.
• Not be registered bankrupt (or have bankruptcy debts that have been discharged within the past three years).
• Be able to pass a job-related fitness test
• Be able to pass a medical screening and meet the minimum eyesight standards
• Not be a current or previous member of a proscribed terrorist organisation or group
• Have a minimum of 2 A Levels (or equivalent 64 UCAS points), Level 2 (GCSE or equivalent) Maths and English

To be considered for entry to the Degree Holder Entry Programme, applicants must provide certificates and transcripts of the following qualifications:

• UK undergraduate degree (360 credits) in any subject (other than Professional Policing)

The Constabulary is committed to providing reasonable workplace adjustments to all individuals throughout the recruitment process, and during their time with the Constabulary. It is the aim of the Constabulary to support individuals to get into policing and to support them once they are part of our team. The below contains some information around what the Constabulary will need in order to support colleagues with any long term health conditions.

Information for Insulin Dependent Diabetics >

The Constabulary is proud to be accredited as a disability confident leader, this means we offer extra support and guidance to our people and to candidates applying for roles within the Constabulary. If you would like to find out more about what this means for the Constabulary, or how we could support you as a candidate during the recruitment process, then please contact a member of the recruitment team.

The Constabulary is also pleased to be partnered with the Business Disability Forum (BDF). BDF are the leading business membership organisation in disability inclusion. They work in partnership with business, Government, and disabled people to remove barriers to inclusion. Working with 500+ members employ over 20% of the UK workforce and an estimated 8 million people worldwide. The relationship between BDF and the Constabulary is one that provides professional support and best practise, ensuring that the Constabulary is able to best support it’s people throughout their employment. For more information on BDF, visit the Business Disability Forum Website.

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So you want to join us as a police officer.

This application process consists of several stages and it’s important to note that because of this, the average time from application to appointment is six months. We have this process to make sure we recruit the very best people with integrity and high ethical and professional standards. 

• Stage 1: Complete application form
• Stage 2: Eligibility Checks
• Stage 3: Online Assessment Process
     > Situational Judgement Test (SJT) - if not completed as part of pre-sift
     > Competency-based interview
     > Written exercise
     > Briefing exercise
• Stage 4: Final Interview
• Stage 5: Fitness Test and Medical Assessment
• Stage 6: Vetting

The College of Policing outline that Positive Action is not about giving some people more favourable treatment, it is about levelling the playing field to enable individuals to compete on equal terms. At Norfolk Constabulary we are looking for a talented workforce who can best serve the community it represents. In other words, we are looking for talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds. 

Positive Action is a range of measures and initiatives that aim to eliminate unlawful discrimination and promote equality of opportunity and that we treat all applications fairly and in accordance with current legislation.  It is lawful action to encourage those from under-represented groups to bring their expertise, experience and talent to our organisation. When applying to join Norfolk Constabulary, our selection processes are no different. 

Through the use of positive action, we do not seek to remove competition, rather allow everyone the same level of opportunity, with the final selection always made on the merit of the applicant. 

Having a positive action programme will have an impact on the public through improving organisational, team and personal performance.

In particular it will contribute to:

• Building better relationships with communities, resulting in a more effective service
• Delivering on the priorities established for the police service such as reducing crime and reducing bureaucracy
• Creating a fair and equitable career pathway for members of under-represented groups
• Supporting career progression of those who demonstrate the talent to reach the next step

The Equality’s Act protects people from being treated less favourably because they have a protected characteristic. Sections 158 and 159 set out the provisions under the act for use of Positive action.

Positive action applies to all protected characteristics in employment and these are:  

• age
• disability
• gender reassignment
• marriage and civil partnership
• race
• religion and belief
• sex
• sexual orientation
• pregnancy and maternity

Norfolk Police use Positive Action to support individuals and/or groups who as a result of their protected characteristic/s suffer a disadvantage or have a need that through support can be reduced or overcome.

Positive action is entirely voluntary. There is no requirement for an employer to use either the general provisions or those relating to recruitment and promotion.

The force is keen to recruit people with a wide range of skills and experiences and an understanding of cultural issues. We have a number of support networks that are available to all officers, staff and volunteers, including:

• Ethnic Minority Policing Association (EMPA)
• The Forum (Leading positive change in Norfolk Constabulary in relation to gender, flexible working & caring matters)
• Reach Out (Disability)
• Norfolk Christian Police Association
• The Norfolk LGBT+ Police Network 

Norfolk Police are focused on attracting, recruiting and retaining talented people. We value equality, diversity and inclusivity and welcome applications from across our communities.

For further information or advice relating to positive action visit our positive action pages, or contact Amy Stanton – Positive Action Recruitment Advisor: [email protected]