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© Police Now . Police Now is a registered charity (1168427) in England & Wales
We are currently accepting applications for our National Graduate Leadership Programme, in partnership with the Metropolitan Police Service only. Please check the force-specific criteria for the Metropolitan Police Service for more detail.
If you are already a serving police officer, visit our Frontline Leadership Programme page for more information.
Residency
You’ll need to have resided in the UK continuously for the past three years, at least. If you’ve been abroad during the last three 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.
Nationality
Different people bring different perspectives which help us develop better understanding and learning, leading to new ideas and solutions to the challenging social issues that we face on a daily basis. You can be of any nationality to apply, providing you have the status of indefinite leave to remain and work in the UK, or settled status.
Academic qualifications
You must hold at least two UK level 3 qualifications in any subject or non-UK equivalent. Also have a 2.2 or above in any undergraduate degree from a UK university (or equivalent from a non-UK university) by the programme start date.
Financial position
Police officers are in a privileged position and could be considered potentially vulnerable to corruption. As a result, you must not be under pressure from undischarged debts or liabilities, and you should be able to manage loans and debts sensibly. Most applicants have debts, such as mortgages, undischarged student or other loans, and credit/store card debts. Debts that are within your means and manageable are not a barrier to appointment. However, you may be ineligible to apply if you have an existing County Court Judgement outstanding, have been registered as bankrupt within the last three years or are the subject of a current Individual Voluntary Arrangement.
Taking an active role in politics
The Home Office does not allow serving police officers to take an active role in politics. An active role in politics would include running as a candidate in an election but would not include basic membership of a non extreme political group or party as an example. You are not eligible for the programme if you plan to take an active role in politics whilst on the programme and serving as a police officer.
Business interests
You must declare any other employment or business interest you intend to maintain so that this can be reviewed to make sure there is no conflict of interest with the police. If you, your spouse or any relative living with you, holds or has a financial interest in any licence or permit relating to liquor licensing, refreshment houses or betting and gaming, or the regulations of places of entertainment, you may not be eligible for appointment.
Driving licence
Depending on your force, you may be required to have a full UK manual driving licence to join our programme.
Substance misuse
If you are currently using any illegal drugs this will rule you out of the recruitment process automatically. To be eligible you must agree to have a test for substance misuse, as well as having a DNA sample and fingerprints taken for the purpose of conducting a speculative search against the national database.
Eyesight requirements
Please review the eyesight standards document which indicates standards for distance vision, near vision, colour vision and eye surgery.
Health & fitness
You must be able to cope with the physical and mental demands of the role. This doesn’t mean extreme athleticism, but you will need to pass the Job-Related Fitness Test (JRFT). If you take regular exercise such as walking, swimming or jogging then you should have no problem with the fitness test. There are certain medical conditions and disorders that may have a detrimental effect on your ability to conduct the role effectively. If you are aware of having any medical conditions or disorders, please consult the medical and fitness guidance and the Home Office medical standards document, and note the likelihood of your condition becoming a barrier to your application.
Cautions, convictions, criminal associations and vetting
Honesty and integrity are of the utmost importance. Police officers are subject to the Standards of Professional Behaviour, which clearly set out what communities can expect from their officers.
If any of the above relates to you, review our vetting document for further advice regarding our vetting process, and listen to the audio below:
Eligibility criteria may differ per individual force, so please check the following force specific pages for more detail.
Do you have questions about applying? From eligibility, to what the training will involve.
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© Police Now . Police Now is a registered charity (1168427) in England & Wales
| Cohorts: | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
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| No. of police officers enrolled: | — | — | — | 6 | — | — |
| Cohorts: | —— | —— | —— | —— | 2019 | 2020 |
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| No. of police officers enrolled: | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Visit the Dorset Police website www.dorset.police.uk