Special Constable
Eligibility:
To apply, you must be at least eighteen years old and have a Level 3
qualification gained in England and Wales within the meaning of 2008 Education
& Skills Act (e.g. ‘A’ Level/ AS Levels, National Diploma, National
Certificate, Level 3 NVQ or City and Guilds, Access to Higher Education
Diploma); or a qualification gained outside of England or Wales that is
considered to be equivalent to Level 3 by the UK.
http://ofqual.gov.uk/help-and-advice/comparing-qualifications/
The application process can be quite lengthy and therefore we will accept applications from people who are studying towards level three as long as they have achieved the qualification by the time of appointment. We are looking to appoint individuals from November 2018 and beyond.
What are we looking for
Good communicators with a calm, confident personality; problem solvers;
team players; trust builders and people who easily build relationships, respect
other people and appreciate views from communities across the region.
Successful applicants will be joining the second largest police force in
England, covering an area of 348 square miles and serving a population of
almost 2.6 million.
Age
To apply to the Police Service you must be at least 18 years old. There
is no upper limit.
To be eligible-
You must be a
British citizen or a citizen of a country that is a member of the European
Economic Area or Switzerland. Commonwealth citizens and other foreign nationals
are also eligible but only if they are resident in the UK free of restrictions.
If you have recently resided abroad we need to be able to check your previous
three years (including employment, education and/or residency).
Membership of British National Party and
similar
The Police
Service has a policing of prohibiting any of their officers, staff or
volunteers from becoming members of the British National Party (BNP). Combat 18
or the National Front, whose aims, objectives or pronouncements may contradict the
duty to promote race equality. If you are a member of the BNP or similar, your
application will be rejected.
Criminal Convictions
Convictions or
cautions will not necessarily prelude you from appointment. It will depend on
their nature and the circumstances of the offence. Failure to disclose
convictions or cautions will, however, result in your application will being
refused.
Business Interests
Certain
occupations may preclude applicants from being special constables, for example
neighbourhood and street wardens, and those involved in the administration of
the law. Other roles which are precluded include security occupations which
hold a Security Industry Association (SIA) licence.
Health, fitness, eyesight and disability
Applicants must be in good health, of sound constitution and able both physically and mentally to perform the duties of a Special Constable once appointed. You will need to be physically fit, and you will need to pass the job related fitness test.
You will
undergo medical screening. You will also need to meet the minimum eyesight
standards for corrected (glasses or contact lenses) and uncorrected vision. For
more information go to www.police.couldyou.co.uk
Tattoos
Tattoos are not
a bar to appointment. However, some tattoos could potentially offend members of
the public or colleagues, or could bring discredit to the Police Service. It
depends on their size, nature and location. If you have tattoos on your face,
neck, forearms or hands you will be asked to provide at least two photographs
of each tattoo.
Tattoos are
unacceptable if they:
-undermine the
dignity and authority of the office of constable;
- 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 and/or
- are
considered to be discriminatory, rude, lewd, crude, racist, sexist, sectarian,
homophobic, violent or intimidating.
Financial Position
Special
Constables are in a privileged position with regard to access to information
and could be considered potentially vulnerable to corruption. Applicants to the
Police Service should not therefore be under pressure from undischarged debts
or liabilities and should be able to manage loans and debts sensibly. Most
applicants have debts, such as mortgages, undischarged student or other loans,
and credit/store cards. Debts which are within your means and are manageable
are not a bar to appointment.
Applicants who
have existing County Court judgements outstanding against then or have been
registered as bankrupt and their bankruptcy debts have not been discharged will
not be considered.
Applicants who
have discharged County Court judgements may be considered.
Applicants who
have been registered as bankrupt and their bankruptcy debts have been
discharged will only be considered after three years from discharge of the
debt.
Applicants who
are the subject of a current individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) may not be
considered.
You will need
to pass all Force security and medical checks.
If you don’t
meet the eligibility criteria or can’t commit the time, maybe you might be
interested in one of our other volunteering roles. We are looking for people
who can support some of our specialist teams, whether it’s to deliver crime
prevention information in communities, support our team of historians, walk our
police puppies, or offer key skills to some specialist teams – take a look at
the many opportunities to volunteer in our careers portal -
https://jobs.west-midlands.police.uk/