Essex Police Investigate First - Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA)

Our detectives #FitTheBill, could you?

Could you compassionately support someone who has just been seriously assaulted, had a family member murdered, been robbed at knifepoint or sexually abused?

Do you have the mind-set to investigate serious or complex crimes, build a case to put before a judge and lock up the county’s most serious or violent offenders?

Join us as a Police Constable and train to become a detective you will be responsible for upholding the law, responding to live and serious incidents, seeking out and securing evidence needed to build a case for the prosecution, protecting people from harm and delivering justice to victims using the full power of the law.

Like our detectives, you will need to be driven by your motivation to help keep people safe, act with integrity and honesty and be guided by a high moral compass. You will also not be deterred by working long hours or investigating serious, challenging crimes.

Join Essex Police as a police officer and you'll receive a starting salary of £32,907 (including £3,000 South East allowance) Annual incremental salary increase up to £51,231 within seven years along with a number of other fantastic benefits. 

To join the Investigate First Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA), you will need to meet the eligibility criteria for becoming a police officer and pass the online assessment. See the College of Policing website for more information. You must also:-

• have a GCSE in Maths and English Grade C or level 4 or above and
• achieved, or be working towards obtaining, two level 3 qualifications minimum grade C or above (two A-levels or equivalent to UCAS points of 64+). Use the register of regulated qualifications website to check your qualification is recognised as being 'level 3'. Candidates applying Pending completion of these qualifications must be due to complete the full qualification by the end of the current Academic Year.

If you do not hold these required qualifications, you can still apply if you possess one of the following qualifications and/or have the required experience. In this instance, you will be required to undergo additional assessments as part of our recruitment procedure. View further information about the support available in study skills assessment and education support.

Entry requirements PCDA

• 32-63 UCAS points from 2 A-Levels or equivalent
• GCSE Grade C or level 4 in Maths and English and under 32 UCAS points or no evidence of a level 3 qualification

Relevant Experience

• you are an Essex member of police staff, a PCSO or special constable who have passed their probationary period
• you have a minimum of 4 years’ service with the armed forces and have achieved an exemplary reference on discharge.
• no evidence of Maths and English at GCSE and under 32 UCAS points or no evidence of a level 3 qualification and you have a minimum of four years’ service with the armed forces

For further information on the Investigate First Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA) route into policing, and the entry requirements, please make sure you fully read our detailed guide to Investigate First here.

We have agreed intake sizes for each of our entry routes. If oversubscribed, it may be necessary for us to make changes to your entry route to secure your optimum joining date. If this is the case, we will contact you.

Our officers fit the bill, could you?

*Inclusive of £3000 South East Allowance

All of our posts require a level of vetting and security clearance.  During the recruitment process you will be sent vetting information forms to complete. 

Essex Police welcomes applications regardless of age, disability, marital status (including civil partnerships), pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, transgender, sex (or gender), employment status.

Please let us know if you require extra support at any stage of the application process, or for further information regarding this position, please email us at recruitment.business.services@ecis.police.uk stating ‘Application Support and Adjustments’ in the title of your email. Alternatively, you can call us on 01245 452833 and press option 2.

Where appropriate we will make adjustments to the selection process, working arrangements and/or the working environment provided it is reasonable in all the circumstances to do so.

If you’re not from the UK, you must be a resident in the UK and have lived here continuously for the last three years. You must also be free from restrictions with indefinite leave to remain.

If you’re from the UK you must have lived here continuously for the last three years. This doesn’t apply to those serving abroad in the British Armed Forces.

Essex Police is an equal opportunities employer. Communications may be recorded for monitoring purposes.