National Detective Programme

Counter Terrorism

Applications are currently closed.

Job title: Police Detective, Counter Terrorism

Salary: £28,500 base + London allowances = £37,000+

Contract: Permanent

Programme length: Two years

Location: London (Metropolitan Police Service)

Programme start date: March 2024

About the programme

Our National Detective Programme in Counter Terrorism is a salaried two-year training and development graduate programme. It is designed to develop your leadership and problem-solving abilities to equip you with the skills required in modern Counter Terrorism detective work. Upon successful completion of the programme, you will have a permanent role within the Metropolitan Police Service within Counter Terrorism (SO15).

Being a detective is all about how you interpret information and being able to spot clues where others don’t, allowing you to see below the surface. Society is changing and people are demanding better, for our communities, and from our police service.

You’ll collaborate with others, combining insight and evidence to pursue and prevent the most critical threats to our communities and country – terrorism. Your primary objective is to keep people safe, by reducing the risk of vulnerable people being drawn into extremism, investigating and bringing terrorists to justice.

Whether driving change in the police service alongside your colleagues, or improving relations with the public to build trust, your work will change the future for the better. You’ll work on complex and sensitive investigations, requiring discretion and precision. The intelligence you gather and the answers you’ll uncover, will be crucial to the security of our society and protecting innocent lives.

We are looking for talented graduates from all degree disciplines. You don’t need any previous policing knowledge or experience to have the potential to become the next generation of police detectives.

Eligibility

To apply for this programme, you must:

be over 17 years of age or older on application, (and 18 by the time of appointment)
be a British citizen. If you hold dual nationality, of which one component is British, your application will still be considered.
have been resident in the UK for the past ten years (If you’ve been abroad during the last ten years while serving in the UK Armed Forces, working for the UK government, as part of your university degree or on an extended holiday, your application will still be considered)
not currently be registered as bankrupt (or have bankruptcy debts that have been discharged within the past three years)
not have existing county court judgements outstanding against you
not be a current or previous member of a proscribed terrorist organisation or group
not plan to take an active role in politics once in role (this does not include voting, but would include canvassing for a political party)
be competent in written and spoken English and numeracy
hold at least one UK level 3 qualification in any subject, or non-UK equivalent
hold a 2.1 or above in any undergraduate degree from a UK university (or equivalent from a non-UK university) and have completed all education by the programme start date of March 2024, this includes part time or distance learning. If you hold a non-UK degree, you must prove that you hold an English qualification
have not undertaken the College of Policing-licensed pre-join degree in Professional Policing Practice
have not previously attested, trained or been employed as a police constable

As you’ll be working within Counter Terrorism, you’ll be subject to Advanced Vetting, known as Developed Vetting (or DV), which is the highest government security clearance and required for handling sensitive information.

Rewards and benefits

Salary
Your salary starts when you begin the Police Now Academy. The government has announced police officer pay will increase by seven per cent across all ranks from 1 September 2023 in England and Wales. From September, your starting salary will increase to £37,000+ (including location allowances). Within six years, the basic salary of a police constable can then rise to £40,000 plus allowances in line with Home Office guidelines. This number will vary with the recent pay increase announcement. Some of our graduates seek promotion after they have successfully completed our two-year programme and you can get support from Police Now on this. With promotion up the ranks comes increased responsibility and salary.

Leave
You’ll start with 22 days per year (on top of public holidays), rising to 30 days depending on your length of service. You can also expect other forms of leave including adoption, maternity and paternity.

Work-life balance
This is not your typical 9-5. Police officers work varied shift patterns which gives them flexibility and freedom to maximise their time outside of work. Different to your typical working week, you’ll often receive several days off in a row. It may take some time to adapt to shift pattern working, but once you do, you may find that the flexibility of the schedule allows you to better balance work and home life.

Free London travel
Whether you’re on or off duty, you’ll enjoy free travel on London Underground and buses, seven days a week. You can also opt into a rail travel scheme for heavily discounted rail travel up to 70 miles from central London.

Pension
You’ll automatically be enrolled as a member of the Police Pension Scheme 2015, which awards police officers for their dedication and service to the public. It offers a generous and secure retirement package, providing officers with financial stability and peace of mind.

Financial services discounts
There are various partner organisations who work alongside the police to offer a variety of financial services including saving, investment and protection products, as well as discounts and subsidies. Many major high street stores, retail outlets and other national organisations offer discounts and special deals to police officers. Most police forces also provide access to a number of subsidised leisure and sporting activities.

Personal support and advice
Once you have received a conditional offer, you will be allocated a dedicated Recruitment Officer who will assist you with all stages of your onboarding into force: your vetting, medical tests, fitness tests, references, and induction days.

Training and development
You’ll be joining the only national entry route into policing designed specifically for graduates. The programme is delivered in partnership with Liverpool John Moores University, and you will complete a bespoke Graduate Diploma in Professional Policing Practice. You will also have access to a dedicated Performance and Development Coach who will provide tailored support. In addition, you will receive regular training, attend events and skills sessions, while having access to a national peer network to learn from and share experiences with.

Onward career progression
We expect participants to commit to a long-term investigative career in Counter Terrorism and many pathways will be open to you. After you finish the programme, you will have access to an alumni team who will continue to support your professional and personal development. This includes expert support on promotion applications, skills development sessions and social events.

Application process
During the application process you will be immersed in the role of a police detective and understand what it involves. The process from online application to conditional offer can take 3-6 weeks from start to finish. However, this is dependent on how quickly you complete each stage.

Throughout each stage below, you’ll learn more about the life of a police detective:

Learn more

For more information about what it takes to become a Police Detective in Counter Terrorism, visit the Metropolitan Police Service page.

National Graduate Leadership Programme