Am I eligible?

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 the eligibility criteria.

In summary:

Academic Qualifications:  

To be eligible for this route you will have achieved:

• Level 2 qualifications in both English and Maths for example a GCSE or iGCSE at grade C (level 4) or above, Functional Skills Level 2, Key Skills Level 2 (Communication and / or Literacy) or Adult Numeracy / Literacy PLUS
• Level 3 qualification(s) in any subject(s) that equate to 64 UCAS points (or a full level 4 or 5 qualification) – these points could be from your A Levels, Level 3 Diplomas, NVQs and an International Baccalaureate to name a few. Please check your UCAS points here OR
• Be in the final year of your Level 3 qualification and be predicted to achieve a minimum of 96 UCAS points, unfortunately if you do not achieve the 64 points required we will be required to decline your application.

When you apply for the role you must attach your Level 2 certificates plus either your Level 3 certificates or a statement from your school / college that confirms the details of your course, end date and predicted grades. Please ensure you have all of this information to hand when you start your application.

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.

Medical/Fitness -  The role of Police Officer is a physical one so it is important you start your career as you mean to go on, fit and healthy.  You will undergo a medical assessment  where your medical history will be assessed against the National Guidelines to ensure the role does not put your health at risk and that you are physically able to carry out your duties to the full.  This includes your BMI measurement which needs to be between 18 - 30 and completion of the Bleep Test at a minimum of level 5:4.     

Start Dates and Annual Leave

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.

We have start dates running frequently.  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. 

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 ‘Disability Confident Interview Scheme’ - all candidates who declare a disability and meet the essential criteria for the role will be offered an interview. 

It is important to note that there may be occasions where it is not practicable or appropriate to interview all disabled people who meet the essential criteria for the job. For example: in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. In these circumstances, the employer could select the candidates who best meet the essential criteria for the job, as they would do for non-disabled applicants.