Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA)

This commences with an initial 35 weeks learning phase (which also includes 2 x 1-week periods of holiday). This phase will include practical learning, for example, about making arrests, protecting vulnerable people, searching people and premises, responding to incidents, how to use protective equipment, using police IT systems, investigating crimes including interviewing people.

You won’t just learn practical skills though; there will also be learning related to important principles associated with policing, for example, the role of the police, the criminal justice process, ethics and standards within policing and decision making and discretion.

In years 2 and 3 you will attend further 4 week learning phases throughout each year during which your knowledge will be furthered enhanced either with new topics of learning or re-visiting previous learning areas. This will include inputs upon how to conduct and use evidence based policing research and implement this within policing practice.

This is where you will spend 10 weeks patrolling, whilst working shifts, with an experienced officer who will help you to develop your policing knowledge and skills ‘on the streets’. Here you could be called to deal with incidents such as a neighbour dispute, the sudden death of a person, a pub fight, a burglary or a report of theft. All of these will utilise the learning from your classroom-based phases of learning and assist you to develop and work towards becoming competent in your role as a police officer.

Throughout this time, you will be assessed in order to determine whether or not at this stage you can police ‘safely and lawfully’, not yet fully competent perhaps, but able to operate in obeyance of the law without putting others unnecessarily at risk. In being able to operate to this standard you will be deemed to be fit to attain independent patrol status (IPS).

Once you are deemed to have IPS status you will then develop your knowledge and skills further by policing on your own, or with colleagues, dealing with policing incidents in response to demands of the public and the police force. This phase will continue into your second and third years of development during which time you will have attachments to other policing functions. As a minimum you will spend time within response policing predominantly dealing with 999 calls; community policing dealing more with longer term community problems such as drug dealing and further time within the Investigation function investigating crimes that have been reported by the public.

It is during this phase of your learning that you will continue to be assessed against and develop your ongoing competence, as to how you deal with certain policing activities. Once you have achieved this full occupational competence (FOC), and passed the academic assessments (see below) then subject to you having also demonstrated good ethical behaviour in line with police standards you will then be able to be confirmed in the rank of Constable.

In choosing to partner with LJMU on this important work, Merseyside Police will be drawing on the expertise of the Liverpool Centre for Advanced Policing Studies (LCAPS), established by LJMU in 2015. This centre has prospered since its inception and is now one of the largest policing centres in the UK. LCAPS contains a wealth of professional, practical and academic experience, situated in the heart of the city. LCAPS uses this experience to conduct research, for example, staff just completed an evaluation of fast track detective recruitment schemes on behalf of the National Police Chiefs’ Council ongoing review of detective recruitment and retention. The centre also has a number of experienced and high profile former senior police officers from Merseyside Police, Cheshire Constabulary and Lancashire Constabulary who assist with training clients such as the International Cricket Council and the Royal Military Police.

• Liverpool Centre for Advanced Policing
• School of Justice Studies

• Starting salary of £28, 551, potentially rising to £43,032 within your first seven years
• 22 days annual leave entitlement, rising in line with length of service
• Member of the police pension scheme
• All academic costs are covered, no student loan or tuition fees
• Continuing professional development and career progression opportunities
• Lifestyle benefits such as: Range of sports clubs and on-site gym facilities, Blue Light discount scheme with dozens of online and high street brands

To help make Merseyside Police representative of the communities we serve, we have a dedicated Inclusion team who provide support and guidance throughout the recruitment application process to candidates from underrepresented groups. You can learn more about the support available here. 

To undertake the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA) you will need to meet the minimum criteria as outlined below:-

• To have achieved a minimum of a Level 2 qualification in Maths and English Language A*-C or 4-9 or equivalent. Please ensure you upload these when making your application as we require these in order to progress you further in the process. If you have international qualifications, we will be able to check these for you in terms of whether they are of equivalent level to the UK qualifications so please ensure you upload these as part of your application.
• If you have already achieved a degree in any subject, we would ask you to consider applying for the Degree Holder Entry Programme when our recruitment lines next open.
• If you are currently studying for a degree, you are eligible to apply for this entry route but you will be held at a certain point of the recruitment process to determine a suitable training programme for you taking into account any recognised prior learning you may have.
• Be over the age of 17 to apply – although we will be happy to take your application, you will not be offered an intake date which starts prior to your 18^thbirthday so please bear this in mind when applying as this could make your application process quite extended.
• Have not had a Police Officer application rejected by ourselves, or another Force in the last 3 months
• Not be a member of an extreme political organisation such as BNP, Nation Front or Combat 18
• Not have any tattoos (irrespective of what they are) on the face or neck that are visible above the collar line or below the cuff line
• Not have any tattoos that may be deemed inappropriate, offensive, or lewd in nature irrespective of placement on the body
• Not have any charge or summons currently outstanding against you
• Have not been sentenced to a custodial sentence
• Not been registered as a sex offender
• Not be currently registered as bankrupt

To join Merseyside Police you will go through the following stages:

1. Check Eligibility
2. Application Form
3. National Sift
4. Candidates then go through to an online assessment which has -

• Situational Judgement Test
• Competency-based video interview
• Written exercise and briefing exercise

    5. Successful candidates will be invited to interview
    6. Pre employment checks are then completed which consist of:

• Fitness
• Medical
• Vetting
• Biometric

    7. Final reference checks
    8. Final offer confirming start date