As a Police Officer, you can change your life and the lives of others.

With opportunities to pursue a wide range of policing specialisms, a career as a Police Officer opens doors to roles in areas such as safeguarding, community engagement, investigations and anti-terrorism.

With this vast range of career opportunities to explore and diverse demands each day, policing is a job like no other, dedicated to catching criminals, protecting communities and delivering an outstanding service.

Through the three-year Police Constable Apprenticeship Programme, you will be employed as an officer from day one, gaining valuable experience of the role alongside studying towards a Degree in Professional Policing Practice. Study will be a mix of on and off the job and you will be awarded your degree at the end of the three year programme and with completion of your probation period.

You will be paid a full time salary of £31,907 which includes £2,000 South East Allowance and will not be charged any tuition fees – therefore no need for student loans.

We’re looking for people who have the judgement to make quick decisions; are confident to be first person in; have the compassion and empathy to help those in need and the resilience to serve the community every single day. In return, we offer you a good starting salary, great training experiences, opportunities for progression, the chance to achieve a professional qualification in Policing Practice and the pride that comes from helping others. Put simply, you can change lives.

Chief Constables' Message

We really welcome your interest in joining our Police Force. It is a privilege to lead the teams in Surrey Police and Sussex Police who continuously work selflessly and tirelessly in order to keep people in our counties safe.

We are looking for talented and inspirational people who put the needs of the public at the heart of everything that they do and who want to make a difference. If you feel you are that person then we want to hear from you.

We wish you all the very best with your application.

Chief Constable Tim De Meyer & Chief Constable Jo Shiner

Eligibility Criteria

To apply for the role of Police Officer you will need to:

be aged 17 years or over on the day you submit your application. You must be 18 years or over to start in post.
have lived in the UK for 3 continuous years immediately prior to application.
have leave to enter, or leave to remain in the UK for an indefinite period.
have a current full UK manual driving licence, by the time of appointment.
not be a member (current or previous) of the British National Party (BNP) or any other proscribed terrorist organisations or groups.
not have tattoos which cause offence.
not have serious motoring offences
not have 6 or more points on your licence.
Meet the below qualification criteria

Qualification Requirements

To be eligible for PCDA you will need to:

Have achieved GCSE Maths and English at grade A*-C/9-4 or a educational equivalent to a Level 2.You will need to provide copies of your qualifications on your application form.
Have achieved one A Level grade A*-C or equivalent Level 3 AND one A level grade A*-E or AS level in a different subject, or equivalent Level 3.

You will need to provide copies of your qualifications with your application form.

You must have a minimum of 48 UCAS points when both qualifications are combined. You can check how many points your qualification is worth on the UCAS tariff calculator. You will need to provide copies of your qualifications on your application form.

Applicants can hold a Level 3 BTEC as long as this qualification or combination of qualifications meets the minimum 48 UCAS tariff points. The Certificate in Knowledge of Policing will also be accepted.

Applicants who do not meet the above Level 3 criteria and believe they have work experience equivalent to a level 3 can apply. Your work experience will be assessed against a Level 3 framework. You will be asked to complete a written experience assessment and online verbal reasoning and numerical tests. The results will then be assessed by the universities who will certify whether your previous work experience is equivalent to a Level 3 qualification. Please complete the Level 3 form attached to this advert and submit this with your application.

Applicants without a Level 3 qualification can be considered if they are a current serving (or have left within the last 18 months, having completed 18 months' service) as a Special Constable or PCSO with Independent Patrol with any police force. Please complete the Level 3 form attached to this advert and submit this with your application.

We will also accept current Investigating Officers, PIP Investigators, Contact Officer or Controllers who have completed 18 months service (or have left within the last 18 months, having completed 18 months' service).

Experience in other operational policing roles can be considered on a case by case basis for candidates who have served a minimum of 2 years service within the last 5 years and have exemplary references.

Applicants will also be considered as meeting the Level 3 qualification requirements, who have served for minimum of 2 years within the last 5 years in the armed forces or similar law enforcement agencies and have exemplary references.

If you hold a Bachelors degree or are currently studying for one you will need to apply for our Police Constable Entry Programme. Please visit our website to find out more about this entry route.

Have a question?

If you have a question about any aspect of your recruitment journey, be that eligibility requirements, completing the application form, or you want to find out more about what happens after you have submitted your application, our recruitment experts can answer your questions.

Email the team to book a one-to-one conversation - careers@sussex.police.uk

If you hold a degree or are currently studying for one you will need to apply for our Police Constable Entry Programme. Visit our website to find out more.

Recruitment Process

Stage 1: Application Form and Eligibility Checks
Stage 2: National Sift - Behavioural Style Questionnaire and Situational Judgement Test
Stage 3: National Assessment Centre - Written briefing and competency-based interview
Stage 4: In Force Competency Based Interview
Stage 5: Pre-employment checks consisting of references, vetting, medical, biometric vetting, substance misuse testing and fitness testing.

We anticipate starting dates will be from January 2026 onwards. Please note that we cannot guarantee any specific start date.

Please note that during the first 16 weeks of training you will not be able to take any annual leave.

Diversity Statement

We are only as good as our people. It's important that our officers and staff can be themselves in the workplace and we know that as an organisation we'll grow from the variety of thinking, approach, and the skills that diversity brings; all of which help us to deliver a better policing service. We strive to ensure how we deliver our services, provide information and how we recruit is open and accessible to all.

We have multiple staff support groups who help to improve our understanding of minority issues and ensure they are reflected in our work. We are proud members of Disability Confident, hold Race Equality Matters Trailblazer status, are a signatory of the Race at Work Charter and are aligned with the Armed Forces Covenant and the HeForShe movement.

We are committed to being an anti-racist police service. We promise to challenge injustice, ensure fairness and to uphold anti-racist principles in both our organisation and our communities. For more information, you can read our full anti-racism statement here.

We value the differences that people bring from all backgrounds and communities. Regardless of age, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, disability, social status, or religious belief, we would love to hear from you.

Additional Information

Following submission of your application you will receive a confirmation email with a copy of your application attached. Occasionally emails from this address can fall into spam/junk folders so please ensure this is checked regularly. You may wish to consider adding noreply@surreysussexpolice.as.recruitmail.com to your address/contact list to ensure you receive all communications.

Candidate Level 3 Eligibility Form.docx

Job Detail

Reference number

SYSX UNFM00398

Date posted

04/02/2025

Closing date

03/03/2025

Location

Sussex

Sussex Police

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Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA)