It’s important that our Police staff and PCSOs provide the best possible service with the full confidence of the public they serve. That’s why every Police staff and PCSO recruit goes through a thorough vetting check as part of the application process.

To join us, you must have the permanent right to live and work in the UK without any restrictions.

As a minimum, all applicants must have been resident in the UK for the last 3 years. This is required to ensure we can conduct adequate vetting checks and this applies equally to all applicants, regardless of nationality.

You must be a minimum of 18 years old to be employed. There is no maximum age for Police staff and PCSO applications.

You will not be eligible to apply if you have ever received a prison sentence.

All other cautions, convictions and involvement with the police must be declared during the vetting process. This will not necessarily result in your application being withdrawn, as all applications will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

As part of your checks we will verify your financial position. Employees hold a privileged position and have access to a range of sensitive and valuable information. Potentially, this means employees are a heightened risk of being vulnerable to corruption. This means, applicants must to be free from the pressure of undischarged debts or liabilities and to be able to manage loans and debts sensibly.

Tattoos are considered on a case-by-case basis if:

• They are on your face
• Above the collar line on the front or side of your neck,
• Are large on the back of your neck and cannot be easily covered
• They could be considered in any way offensive, regardless of their location.

Tattoos are considered if:

• Visible tattoos are permissible on other areas of the body including hands, arms, legs, feet and on the back of the neck (providing the tattoo is discreet and behind the ear lobe).
• Discreet tattoos on the ear are also considered acceptable.
• Consideration will be given to tattoos on the face that were necessary following medical procedures or for cosmetic procedures e.g. eyebrows.

You are encouraged to contact the recruitment team if you are at all unsure about your tattoos and we will advise you wherever possible.

You can do this by emailing us.

Contact us

You have to be able to conduct your role and responsibilities impartially and effectively. This means if you are currently, or have even been, associated with any group, society or individuals that could reasonably represent a conflict of interest, then you will not be eligible to apply.

Due to the timescales of our recruitment process, applications from service personnel will only be accepted if you have 12 months or less to serve before being discharged. You will need to attach with your application confirmation of your projected date of discharge. (e.g. a letter from your Commanding officer).

Each role will specify what qualifications are a requirement for appointment. For training and development purposes you may be required to produce examination certificates. If you are still in, or have recently left full-time education, we may also ask for a reference from the relevant institution.

You will need to declare any other employment or business interest you have and intend to maintain so that this can be reviewed to ensure no conflict of interest with the police.

You will not normally be eligible for appointment as a Police officer if you hold any office or employment for hire or gain, or if you carry on any business in addition to being a Police officer.

Our employees may encounter situations that can be stressful, traumatic and at times, physically confrontational. Our people can work long hours and cover rotating shifts, so the role can be physically and mentally demanding. Therefore, it is important our employees are in good health to be able to undertake their duties safely.

To ensure we can support our employees’ wellbeing, we’ll ask you to provide relevant details of your health and medical history in accordance with any questions we have to ask during the application process.

We welcome applications from people with disabilities and will do all we can to make reasonable adjustments where possible.