Frequently Asked Questions. Fast Track Programme 2015 (3 year programme from PC to Inspector)

Transcription

1 Frequently Asked Questions Fast Track Programme 2015 (3 year programme from PC to Inspector) 1

2 What is the Fast Track Programme? The vision for the scheme is to produce world-class police leaders equipped to deliver outstanding service to the public. This scheme will not allow direct entry to the inspector rank, but it will accelerate promotion to this rank. What are the programme s aims? The programme aims to: Open up entry to the police service to individuals who will bring new perspectives and diverse backgrounds to support the continuous development of policing Offer career progression to graduates in line with other professions such as the armed forces, finance and industry, law, medicine and accountancy, to attract the most talented graduates Attract, identify and develop the most talented constables, specials and police staff from within the police service Offer a development programme and promotion mechanism to enable the most talented to advance to the rank of inspector within three years for police staff, specials and external candidates Develop a cadre of officers with the skills, experience and capacity to reach the senior ranks of the police service (at least superintendent), to impact on and influence the management and culture of the service. It aims to attract: External graduates and police staff with the potential to reach inspector rank within three years Who will continue to progress to the most senior ranks of the service (at least superintendent) once they graduate from the scheme. How will the programme operate? The programme will select graduate applicants from outside the service to undertake a three-year development programme, which will give them the skills, knowledge and experience they require to be promoted to the rank of inspector. Police staff and specials will also be eligible to apply, and will not need to be graduates. After these candidates have completed their first year, they may be joined by highly talented constables on promotion, who will be further promoted to inspector after completing a two-year development programme. This opportunity is currently under review. The development programme will focus on operational skills, knowledge and capability, leadership and management. Much of it will take place in forces, supplemented with leadership modules delivered by or in partnership with the College of Policing. Programme members will be continually assessed to ensure they are meeting the standards required to be promoted in the scheme's timeframes. 2

3 Enter Scheme Promoted sergeant Promoted inspector on exit Sept 15 Sept 16 Sept 17 Sept 18 External Gradates and Police Staff One year as Constable Year as sergeant Year as sergeant Who can apply? Serving Police Staff and Specials, however Special Constables must have been directly employed or sworn into a Home Office police force in England or Wales at the point of submitting their application. Serving Police Staff applicants must be directly employed by the Chief Constable or Police and Crime Commissioner in a Home Office Police Force in England and Wales at the point of submitting their application. There is no requirement for serving Special Constables or Police Staff to hold a degree, but the force must be satisfied that there is substantial and compelling evidence that the individual is likely to be able to cope with the intellectual and academic demands of the programme. For those applying internally local Senior Leadership approval (in support of individual applications) will be sought during the recruitment process. External graduates applicants must hold a 2.1 degree classification from a recognized UK university or overseas equivalent. External Under graduates with a predicted grade attainment of a 2.1 I am external to GMP but am a Special or Police Staff. Can I apply for the Fast Track programme with your Force? Yes you can, however we must be satisfied that there is substantial and compelling evidence that the individual is likely to be able to cope with the intellectual and academic demands of the programme. Will successful applicants need a Certificate in Knowledge of Policing (CKP)? This year there is no requirement for applicants to have completed a CKP prior to joining. However, this decision will be kept under review for future years. When does the scheme start? Selection for graduate, police staff and specials cohort 2 will take place during 2014/2015. They will commence in force and on the scheme in September How many places are there? We anticipate that Greater Manchester Police will take up to 5 places this year. Exact numbers will be determined on an annual basis by force requirements and College capacity. 3

4 Who will pay for the scheme? Scheme member salaries will be paid for by their force. The leadership development modules will be funded by the College of Policing. How do I apply? This vacancy will be available on the 17 th November 2014 until the 19 th December Please check our website at that time. Do I need to have been in post for a period of time before I can apply? No, however Special Constables must have been directly employed or sworn into a Home Office police force in England or Wales by the 1 st April Information Sessions have been arranged. Can internal Police Staff and Specials attend? Yes. The Information Sessions will be available for internal Police Staff and Specials, however spaces are limited so you are required to book on early in order to book a space. Is the application form the same for all forces? Yes, the College of Policing have developed a national process for all forces to adopt. I have applied for the Student Officers last year and was found to be successful but not highest scoring, can this score be used instead of me re apply? No, the application process for the Fast Track Programme will be a different process. I failed CBQ in another force within the last six months can I apply? Yes This application and process is completely different Can I apply to more than one Force No, you can only apply to one Force. I applied last time around but was unsuccessful at Shortlisting or Interview. Can I reapply? Yes you can reapply. I applied last time around but was unsuccessful at the National Assessment Centre. Can I reapply? Yes, however applicants will be limited to attending the National Assessment Centre a maximum of two times. I am a current Police Officer, can I apply for the Fast Track Programme? The selection of constables is currently taking place for the first cohort and they will commence on the scheme in September

5 Eligibility Requirements Age Requirements: At what age can I apply? Applicants must be 18 years or over before applying to be a police constable. Although there is no upper age limit for appointment, the compulsory retirement age for a police constable is 60 and the Constable to Inspector Fast Track programme will last for three years for external applicants. The police must ensure they are getting an adequate return on their investment and will decide whether to accept an applicant aged 57 or over. The Recruitment Unit will review this on a case by case basis. Residency Criteria: What is the Residency Criteria? We are required by law to check whether you are permitted to reside in the U.K without restrictions. You will be required to produce relevant documentation as part of the recruitment process. If you are not eligible to work in the U.K. without any restrictions or you haven t permanently resided in the U.K for the last 3 years, you are not eligible to apply for any post within Greater Manchester Police. All internal candidates should already satisfy this particular requirement. Cautions & convictions: Will you conduct any background checks? We will conduct background checks on yourself, your family and other residents living at your current address. Criminal convictions will not automatically prevent you joining and cases will be considered individually on their own merits. If you have been convicted or cautioned, you may still be eligible for appointment, depending on the nature and circumstances of the offence. However, failure to disclose details will result in your application being rejected, and if appointed, may lead to dismissal. Please indicate any details of convictions for any offence (including all traffic convictions), or formal cautions by police for any offence (including cautions as a juvenile) on your application form. You must also include spent convictions under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act, 1974 (by virtue of the provisions of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act, 1974 Exceptions Order, 1975) or any involvement whatsoever with civil or military police. Could cautions/convictions of somebody close to me affect my application? Yes, they may have an adverse effect on your application. Information will be considered at the background checks stage. The Chief Constable does reserve the right to reject a police recruitment applicant at any stage of the recruitment process without disclosing the reasons for your application being deemed unsuccessful. Tattoos: Could a tattoo affect my application? Yes possibly, however, each case will be considered on its own merit and candidates will be required to provide a picture(s) of any tattoo(s). Any tattoo that is considered to be rude, lewd, crude, racist, sexist, homophobic, violent or intimidating will lead to a candidate being rejected. Tattoos will be required to be covered at all times and considered in line with the Uniform & Equipment Policy and the National Eligibility Criteria. 5

6 BNP Membership: I am a member of the BNP will my application be considered? No, GMP will not consider applications from candidates who are a member of the British National Party or any similar organisation, whose aims and objectives may contradict the duty to promote race equality. Sickness Criteria: What level of sickness is acceptable? You must meet force policy of less than 16 days sickness absence in the last two years. We will discount the longest period of medically certified sickness absence, when considering attendance. We will assess on a case-by-case basis absences that are related to a disability or pregnancy. A final Offer of Appointment is subject to satisfactory background checks and medical clearance. Please consider your attendance levels prior to submitting your application, as candidates will be withdrawn should the Force attendance criteria not be satisfied. Business Interests: How will having a business interest affect my application? Unless the Chief Officer decides otherwise, you will not normally be eligible for appointment as a Police Officer if you have any of the following business interests: you hold any office or employment for hire or gain (other than as a Police Officer) or you carry on any business your spouse or any other relative living with you keeps a shop or similar in the area of the police force in question 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 regulation of places of entertainment in the area of the police force in question However, the Chief Officer may decide to approve the business interest, if he thinks it is compatible with being a member of the force. You are required to declare any business interests and the extent of your involvement, should you intend to continue, should you be successful in applying for the role. If you are appointed approval will need to be sought. Financial Status: Will my financial status be checked? Yes, all candidates will have their financial status checked during the recruitment process. The Chief Constable does reserve the right to reject an applicant at any stage of the recruitment process without disclosing the reasons for rejection. 6

7 What if I have received a County Court Judgement (CCJ) or have been registered bankrupt? Candidates with outstanding County Court Judgments (CCJ) against them will not be considered. Candidates with an outstanding Independent Voluntary Agreement (IVA) will not be considered. Candidates who have discharged CCJs/IVAs will be considered on receipt of a certificate of satisfaction. Candidates who have been registered bankrupt will not be considered until three years after the discharge of the debt. The Fast Track Student Officer Recruitment Process There will be various stages to the selection process which will be communicated to applicants under separate cover. What stages are involved in the recruitment process? Recruitment will consist of several stages: I need adjustments during the recruitment process due to my disability, how do I arrange this? During the application process you may request reasonable adjustments to be considered in order for you to complete the recruitment process. The Recruitment Unit will then make contact with the candidate. For those seeking adjustments at the assessment centre stage it is important to note that in some cases, an up to date Educational Psychologist report may be required (due to the Recruitment process timelines, this should be readily available). Adjustments will be made to the selection process and / or the working environment, provided it is reasonable in all circumstances to do so. What is involved in the fitness test? There is one element to the test which you must pass, this is: endurance - you will be asked to run to and fro along a 15 metre track in time with a series of bleeps, which become increasingly faster to level 5.4. What is involved at the Medical Examination? You need to be in good health physically and mentally to be a police officer. You will need to be examined to ensure you have no serious health problems. Prior to the appointment you will need to complete a medical history questionnaire and have this verified by your GP. Some GP s may charge for this, unfortunately this cost is not payable by GMP. Each candidate will be medically assessed by the clinical nurse who will go through: 1) Height and weight to determine body mass index (BMI) - possibility of undertaking fat analysis if required. 2) Blood pressure and pulse. 3) Eyesight test, including colour vision. 4) Visual acuity - aided/unaided. 5) Spirometry - lung function. 6) Audiometry - hearing test. 7) Urinalysis - random drug testing of recruits on the day of test. 8) Information, leaflet and advice on Hepatitis B and vaccinations required by GMP. 7

8 Will you conduct any background checks? We will conduct background checks on yourself, your family and other residents living at your current address. Criminal convictions will not automatically prevent you joining and cases will be considered individually on their own merits. What is Bio Metric Vetting? This requires candidates to provide fingerprints and a DNA sample which will be used to speculatively search against local and national databases prior to appointment. Will references be required? Whilst completing your application form you will be required to provide the names / addresses of current employment referees who can provide supporting information about your character, performance and employment history. Offers of appointment will be subject to satisfactory references being sought. 8