Detective specialism

Assessment Centre

Hints and tips for Police Now’s Detective specialism assessment centre.

Welcome to Ashview, your virtual neighbourhood

What does it mean to be a detective constable? What’s involved in the day-to-day role? What traits will you need to drive positive change?

Ashview is a community created entirely to provide you with a unique and fully immersive experience of life as a trainee detective constable.

You’ll get a snapshot of the role you can play in bringing about positive impact and change for vulnerable communities, as you experience a series of scenarios designed to give you the chance to showcase your character, mindset and skills.

What to expect

The assessment centre will immerse you in the realities of the detective specialism for the day and you will complete various tasks typical to the role:

Crime case interactions

1

You’ll play out real-life situations that you are likely to face as a trainee detective constable on the programme.

You’ll interact with a suspect of crime and a member of the community who is concerned for the welfare of a victim. This is an opportunity to showcase your ability to provide support, build rapport, identify risk and safeguard.

Investigative report

2

You’ll produce a written summary report on an incident.

This activity focuses on reviewing information and suggesting next steps and follow up actions to improve the relationship with the local community.

Interview

3

During your one-to-one interview, you’ll get the chance to tell us about your motivations for joining Police Now, how you connect with our mission and why you want to be part of the programme.

The questions will focus on how you might respond to certain situations you will experience in the role, as well as allowing you to talk about some of your own experiences.

Debrief

4

In this session you will be given the opportunity to reflect on what you’ve learnt during the assessment centre and talk openly about the areas of positive performance and aspects you found challenging.

We would encourage you to think about how you would do something differently next time.

What we're looking for

We’re interested in how you think and respond in different scenarios, and your ability to reflect and learn from your experiences.

We’ll be looking at how you react to the challenges you’ll face, and how you respond in a fast-moving and ever-changing environment. We’ll also look at how you work collaboratively, your ability to interpret emotions, and how you learn and adapt throughout the assessment centre.

Remember, this is not a test of your current policing knowledge. We aren’t looking for specific answers. We are looking for your potential to become a trainee detective donstable by giving you the opportunity to experience what this specialism involves.

To ensure we recruit outstanding graduates who will thrive in their policing role, you’ll be assessed to see how aligned you are with Police Now’s mission, competencies, and values.

We would recommend you spend time familiarising yourself with the competencies and values ahead of the assessment centre.

Prepare for the assessment centre

Read the assessment centre handbook

The handbook that will be shared with you will give you guidance on what to expect and more details on how to prepare.

There are no right or wrong answers

This is not a test of your current knowledge. We are looking for your potential to become a police detective by giving you the opportunity to explore what the role involves.

Familiarise yourself with Police Now's mission

Familiarise yourself with Police Now’s mission, competencies and values, as we will be looking for you to demonstrate awareness of these and your motivation for joining us.

Your motivations to join the police

Think about your motivations to join the police, as we will be looking for you to articulate these. Think hard about your why and your reason for applying.

Attend a coaching session

Attend a coaching session and find out more information on how to approach each exercise and how your experiences and skills can align with our competencies.

Embrace the experience

Try to embrace the assessment centre experience. This is a great opportunity to gain more insight into the role of a detective through a range of tasks.

If you've applied for Economic Crime or Counter Terrorism

If you have applied for Economic Crime or Counter Terrorism, we recommend you familiarise yourself with the line of work that these programmes entail. You can find further information in your assessment centre handbook on these specialisms.

What if I require any adjustments?

Ahead of the digital assessment centre you will be given the opportunity to share any adjustment you require, so we can put the right support in place. One of the adjustments we frequently make at assessment centre is extra time.

To discuss adjustments in confidence, please get in touch. Our team will be happy to support you with any queries.

What will happen afterwards?

We’ll be in touch within ten working days to let you know your outcome. We will also provide personalised feedback on your performance, related to the competencies you have been assessed against.

If you are successful, your dedicated Recruitment Officer will contact you directly and give you a run-through of what to expect during the onboarding process. They will be your main point of contact and will guide you to complete your pre-employment checks i.e. your fitness test, medical, vetting, biometrics and substance misuse test.

Candidate Feedback

Our assessment centre gives candidates a unique insight into the role of a police detective. Hear what candidates have to say about their assessment experience.

"I learnt a lot of new information about the role, as well as had a chance to experience the challenges of the detective role."

Detective policing candidate

"The support was excellent throughout the day, there was always staff to help with any problems, which was amazing."

Detective policing candidate

"I really enjoyed how interactive and immersive the assessment centre was."

Detective policing candidate

"The day was well organised, with really interesting content. It gave a well detailed insight to life as a detective."

Detective policing candidate

Get support with your assessment

Do you need to chat with our recruitment team about the assessment centre?

Our team will be happy to support you with any technical queries or guidance on the assessment centre.

Use our live chat

We are normally online and available for live chat from Monday to Friday from 11am to 3pm

What to expect

There will be different types of activities involved in your assessment centre, all designed to give you a unique insight into the role of a neighbourhood police officer and the types of situations and challenges you may face.

Estimated completion time: half-day.

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Interview

1

In your one-to-one interview, share your motivation for joining Police Now and your connection to our mission.

Questions will cover your responses to programme situations and relevant past experiences.

Incident summary

2

You’ll produce a written summary report on an incident.

This activity focuses on reviewing information and suggesting next steps and follow up actions to improve the relationship with the local community.

Community engagement interactions

3

Experience real-life scenarios as a neighbourhood police officer, engaging with affected community members.

Showcase communication and problem-solving skills, then reflect on strengths and development areas after each interaction.

Team meeting

4

Work as a team to assess crimes and find ways to impact the community positively.

Showcase communication and collaboration skills by analysing information and problem-solving together.

Debrief

5

Reflect on your assessment centre experience, discussing strengths and challenges.

Consider what you’d improve next time in an open discussion on performance and learning.