Am I eligible?

In summary:
 

To be eligible for this route you will have achieved:

• A Degree (Level 6) or above in any subject at any grade

• OR be in the final academic year of your degree (or above); unfortunately if you do not achieve your qualification you will not be eligible for the DHEP but may be able to transfer your application to the Degree Apprenticeship route dependant on qualifications.

The people of the West Midlands deserve an excellent service so we are looking for the best people to join us and demonstrate our values.  But there’s some formal stuff you’ll need to have too, to make sure you meet nationally set eligibility criteria.

Academic Qualifications:  

When you apply for the role you must attach your qualification certificate(s) to your application; if you’re applying in your final year of study we’ll require a letter from your University to confirm you're currently studying for a degree and the estimated dates of completion.

Age - How old you are doesn’t determine whether you’ll be a great officer, so we are happy to receive applications from people aged 17 or above.  Please note you cannot start as a Police Officer until you are 18. 

Nationality - You must be a British Citizen, European Economic Area (EEA) National, a Commonwealth Citizen or Foreign National with no restrictions on your stay in the UK.

Residency - Have been resident in the UK for three years immediately prior to application.  Where applicants have been resident abroad due to serving in the British Armed Forces or on UK Government Service, they are considered to have been resident in the UK.

Cautions and conviction - Ideally, you shouldn't have a criminal conviction or cautions record.  If you do have one, acceptance will depend on the age and nature of the offence.  We are unable to state whether your convictions record will affect your application before you apply.  This will be determined from the full and confidential information provided during the recruitment and selection process.

Vetting - Due to the nature of policing, it’s essential that we conduct rigorous vetting checks on successful applicants before they can join the programme.  These checks will include personal details taken from you as well as from close family members and significant others.

Financial position - It's important that you are not under pressure from un-discharged debts or liabilities and that you can manage loans and debts sensibly.

Tattoos - We know some people like to express themselves with body art, however anyone who has a tattoo and / or piercing which could be reasonably interpreted as offensive to any religion or belief, or is in any way discriminatory, violent or intimidating, will not be accepted.  In line with the College of Policing’s national guidance we will carefully consider the size, nature and prominence of visible tattoos and piercings to determine if they are acceptable.

As detailed here, the process to become a police officer is fairly long and challenging compared to some other jobs.  But, it takes time to make sure we are getting the best people who are capable of delivering a police service we can all be proud of.

Start dates and annual leave:

We have start dates running frequently (with the exception of November and December).  Due to the nature of the role and your training programme, during the first 31 weeks you will only be able to take 2 weeks annual leave and these will be allotted to you.  We cannot guarantee annual leave requests will be approved outside of this time. On your application we ask you to let us know if you have any pre-booked annual leave as this may affect when you’re able to start.

Start dates are subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances.

Please visit https://jobs.west-midlands.police.uk/police-officer-recruitment to view more about the opportunity, support available to applicants, the full eligibility criteria and the information and documentation you’ll need to hand when you apply. 

Want to know more?  We regularly hold online sessions where you have the opportunity to ask any questions you may have.  If you have any questions for us please follow this link and register for our events:  

https://meetandengage.com/wmpolicecareers

Once you begin your application, please complete and submit within 10 days. 

West Midlands Police is a Disability Confident Leader - the highest level an organisation can achieve under the scheme run by the Department of Work and Pensions. As part of our commitment we operate a Guaranteed Interview Scheme – all candidates who declare a disability and meet the essential criteria for the role will be invited to the Online Assessment Centre.

Diversity and Inclusion Vision: “Maximise the potential of people from all backgrounds through a culture of fairness and inclusion to deliver the best service for our communities”