Welcome to Ashview:
Police Now’s virtual neighbourhood
What does it mean to be a neighbourhood police officer? What’s involved in the day-to-day role? What skills will you need to drive positive change?
You will be immersed into our virtual neighbourhood, Ashview and experience the role of a neighbourhood police officer.
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.
Interview
During your one-to-one interview, you’ll get the chance to tell us about your motivations for joining Police Now and how you connect with our mission. The interview questions will focus on how you might respond in certain situations you will experience on the programme, and some of your previous experiences that are relevant to the role.
Incident summary
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
You’ll play out real-life situations that you are likely to face as a neighbourhood police officer on our National Graduate Leadership Programme. You’ll interact with individuals of the community who are affected by crimes. This is an opportunity to showcase your communication and problem-solving skills. You’ll have structured reflection time after each interaction to talk through thoughts on strengths and development areas.
Team meeting
You will work as a team to review and discuss the impact of different crimes in order to identify ways to make a positive impact in the community. This is an opportunity to showcase your communication and collaboration skills, each bringing different information you’ve analysed in order to problem-solve to come to a solution together.
Debrief
In this session you will be given the opportunity to reflect on what you’ve learned during the assessment centre and talk openly about areas of positive performance and aspects you found challenging. We would encourage you to think about if you would do something differently next time.
Tips on how to prepare for the assessment centre
- • 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 neighbourhood police officer by giving you the opportunity to explore what the role involves.
- • 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.
- • Attend a pre-assessment coaching session. The session will be facilitated by a Recruitment Officer who will provide you with hints and tips to set you up for success. You will be able to sign up, once you've booked an assessment centre date.
Candidate feedback
“Overall, I had a great experience, and it felt good to have taken home some new information. I would say that even if I weren’t to go further than the assessment centre, the day was still of great value.”
“I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of the assessment centre overall and how supportive and friendly the assessors and facilitators were.”
“I thought it was great! Really interesting, kept me on my toes, clear communication from the facilitator.”
Assessment centre FAQs
How can I request an adjustment at the assessment centre?
We value your unique background and experiences. This may mean you need adjustments or support at your assessment centre. You’ll have full access to our recruitment team who can provide support prior to and during your assessment centre. Please make sure to discuss anything on your mind prior to the day.
You would have had an opportunity to let us know about any adjustments you require in the application form. However, if you need to provide any additional information, you can either visit your candidate portal or email us.
What if I need to cancel or rearrange my assessment centre?
If you need to cancel or reschedule your assessment centre, please contact us and our recruitment team will be able to help you find an alternative date. You will only be able to reschedule once.
When will I hear back afterwards?
We’ll be in touch again within two weeks after your assessment centre to let you know the outcome. You will also receive feedback on your performance regardless of the outcome, which can be found on your candidate portal.
