Policing is a diverse, challenging and rewarding career like no other. Make a real difference in your community.

As a police officer, you could be posted anywhere within Hampshire or the Isle of Wight. We pay a higher starting salary than some other forces in addition to the South East allowance of £1,000. We'll need you to display certain qualities which are detailed on the Skills for Justice website.

Further information about the role can be found on the Police - Could You? and College of Policing websites.

Eligibility

The routes into policing are changing. In 2019, the learning programme and the entry requirements remain as they are. From 2020, police forces will be recruiting officers from one of three entry routes:

Entry Route 1 – Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA) – Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship 

This sees a new officer recruited (potentially with no previous qualifications) and entered on to a three-year degree course. The probation period will be three years. Those who already have a degree are able to enter via this route as well, although they will most likely enter the Degree Holder Entry Programme (DHEP) as detailed below.

Constables under this apprenticeship are employed (as crown servants) from the day they start and the degree apprenticeship will be fully funded by the force. 

PCDA students will be given time to complete work required as part of the course. Their probationary period will include tutoring and attachments to different areas of policing.

Both the academic requirements and the occupational competence need to be achieved in order to be successfully confirmed in rank and remain employed as a police officer. Officers will achieve a Degree in Professional Policing Practice.

Entry Route 2 – Degree Holder Entry Programme (DHEP) – Level 6 Graduate Diploma in Professional Policing Practice

This is where a student officer already has a degree in any subject. They will join the constabulary and be required to complete a two-year probationary period.

This entry route will see student officers working towards and achieving a Level 6 Diploma in Professional Policing Practice, which will be fully funded by the force. As with the PCDA, appropriate learning time will be provided by the force to achieve this qualification. The probationary period will include tutoring and attachments to different areas of policing.

Student officers will need to successfully achieve operational competence and the academic qualification, as with the PCDA.

Entry Route 3 – Pre-join Degree in Professional Policing

This route sees a potential recruit to the police service paying for their own degree – students will need to choose the university they wish to attend which is offering this qualification. This course will be underpinned by the single National Police Curriculum. Any other courses, such as degrees in criminology, law and police science, will not be recognised under this entry route and applicants studying for such degrees will enter under the DHEP or, potentially, the PCDA.

On completion of their degree in Professional Policing, potential recruits will apply to join in the same way as applicants from the other two entry routes. During their three-year degree course, there may be an option in some forces of applying to become a Special constable, which would include elements of tutoring by their local force in order to achieve Independent Patrol Status. In Hampshire, we are not currently offering the Special constable element of this degree.

If students successfully apply to a force and have been a Special as part of their degree course, on joining they will enter into a two-year probationary period, but it is anticipated that the amount of training needed will be significantly less than the DHEP and PCDA routes. There will be no requirement to complete a further qualification as a student officer under this entry route.

The application process for all three routes will include an application form, national assessment centre, interview, medical, physical assessment and vetting. 

Current plans

Hampshire Constabulary will begin recruiting officers under either or both the PCDA and DHEP in 2020, subject to vacancies. In 2022, we will also include the pre-join degree entry route as students graduate from their Professional Policing degree course.

Apply

Please visit our careers.newjob.org.uk/HC for details of vacancies.

Additional information on the new routes into policing can be found on the College of Policing website.