P.E.Q.F WHAT IS IT?

This is a 3-year professional degree apprenticeship. Upon completion, successful candidates will achieve a Degree in Professional Policing Practice. The Force will cover the full cost of the degree programme.

To be successful you will need to meet our minimum entry requirements, and demonstrate a passion and commitment to providing a first-class policing service to our communities.

The entry requirements for PCDA are GCSE Maths and English (grade 4/C or above) and 2x Level 3 qualifications equivalent to UCAS points of 64+ (i.e. 2 x A level grade C, BTEC MPP/MM or equivalent) and these must be evidenced with valid certificates.

For candidates that don't have A levels or equivalent at the grades mentioned above, but have between 32 & 63 UCAS points and with 2 years relevant experience in the following areas (or 4 years in the Armed Forces), we will ask you to complete an online assessment and have a further discussion with you.

Armed Forces, Nursing/Care Sector, Social Work, Youth Work, Charity Work, Teaching, experience in justice and law enforcement sectors, Police Staff Roles – particularly custody, public contact, demand hub, enquiry office or investigative roles, PCSO, Special Constable, Criminal Justice Sector, CPS, Court Service, Border Force, Prison Service, Local Authority experience which has involved close and sustained working with police, Ambulance Service, Fire & Rescue Service, Cyber/Digital and/or financial fraud/crimes and roles which have focused on promotion of equality of opportunity and inclusion.

As a registered apprentice with the ESFA (the Education and Skills Funding Agency) you will be required to progress through apprenticeship gateways at the end of each level of study. The gateway requirements are set out in the assessment plan that must be met by the apprentice prior to undertaking end-point assessment of the apprenticeship standard.

The occupational profile of a Police Constable is set out in the Institute of Apprenticeships’ website. It states the following:

“Modern policing is undergoing significant transformation and highly competent PCs are vital to the delivery of an enhanced service to the public.

Being a PC is a physically and intellectually demanding occupation, requiring high levels of emotional intelligence, strong behavioural interpretation skills and an ability to analyse and resolve rapidly evolving events. PCs have a unique employment status, as every PC is a warranted officer, making autonomous lawful decisions including taking away an individual’s liberty if required. PCs exercise wide-ranging powers to maintain the peace and uphold the law across complex and diverse communities. They must justify and personally account for their actions through differing legal frameworks including courts, while also under the close scrutiny of the public. Competent PCs work safely and lawfully, intelligently applying a wide range and depth of skills, knowledge and behaviours to many different and increasingly complex policing contexts, for example the management of a sensitive investigation into the sharing of sexual imagery involving vulnerable victims and witnesses, or the protection of vulnerable people, including those with mental health problems. A high level of knowledge is required to confidently respond to these complex scenarios. Increasingly PCs are individually responsible for determining, applying and evaluating practice based on the best available evidence, known as evidence-based policing.”

In successfully obtaining the apprenticeship and its associated degree you will need to provide satisfactory evidence (as determined by the employer, in consultation with the main provider) that you have achieved the necessary knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSB) set out in the standard. Further information about the KSB’s can be found at the Institute of Apprenticeships website.

The apprenticeship Gateway progression requirements are captured in the toggles below:

Year 1 - To progress to Year 2

Achieved Independent Patrol Status no later than the end of their first year of apprenticeship

Passed all modules and achieved 120 level 4 academic credits

Year 2 - To progress to Year 3

Passed all modules and achieved 120 level 5 academic credits

Year 3 - To progress to End Point Assessment (EPA)

Achieved Functional/Essential Skills at Level 2 in English and Maths, if not already held

Had their OCP signed off as meeting requirements for IPS by BCH

Be confirmed by ARU as progressing satisfactorily in academic modules

To be confirmed in post and achieve Full Operational Competence

All of the above and passed the EPA

Qualifications Guidance

To be successful at academic shortlisting stage for the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA), please find below guidance to support you should you not currently hold the academic criteria required.

Level 2 Qualifications

It is a requirement for all apprenticeship applicants to have ESFA (Education and Skills Funding Agency) approved Level 2 maths and English qualifications before the start of the course.

Level 2 Functional Skills qualifications are recognised as a GCSE equivalent, and are accepted by the ESFA to meet degree apprenticeship requirements. Functional Skills in English and/or maths are available through some Further Education colleges or Adult Education providers and can be researched locally.
Alternatively, they can be taken with online providers, such as learndirect

Depending on the Level 2 Provider, you may be required to undertake a diagnostic test to determine your current level and whether you need to follow a course of learning, or if you are already at the right level to take the exam.

Please note that there may be a cost involved for the course and/or the exam.

It is important that you ensure the qualification is Functional Skills Level 2.

Level 3 Qualifications

It is a requirement for apprenticeship applicants to have approved Level 3 qualifications which equate to 64 or more UCAS points. You may find it useful to follow this link to the UCAS tariff point calculator, if your equivalency is a level 3 not listed within the calculator then Anglia Ruskin will be able to determine your points.

Points can be accrued through various Level 3 qualification types which include; A Levels, NVQ Level 3 and BTEC’s.

If you are unsure on which qualifications equate to which level please consult the following government site.

Should you wish to undertake Level 3 qualifications there are a number of providers including:
https://www.icslearn.co.uk/courses/a-levels/
https://ukopencollege.co.uk/a-level-igcse-courses/

Or you can research your further education local colleges who are likely to provide the courses you require. All courses you embark on will be at your own expense.

If you have between 32 - 63 UCAS points at Level 3 there is an option whereby two or more years’ experience (Armed Forces is four years) in the following roles would qualify you to progress to the next stage which is an online academic assessment and suitability discussion with Anglia Ruskin University.

The roles are:

• Armed Forces - 4+ years experience required
• Nursing / Care Sector
• Social Work
• Youth Work
• Charity Work
• Teaching
• Experience in the justice and law enforcement sectors
• Police Staff - particularly Custody, public contact/demand hub/enquiry office roles, investigative roles
• PSCO or Special
• Criminal Justice sector/CPS/Courts
• Border Force
• Prison Service
• Relevant local authority experience which has involved close and sustained working with police
• Experience of emergency services - ambulance, fire
• Experience of cyber/digital and financial fraud/crimes
• Roles which have focused on promotion of equality of opportunity and inclusion

If you are not already a member of Police Staff in the aforementioned roles please view the Herts Police Recruitment Websites for current vacancies or please consider joining as a Special Constable (volunteer Police Officer) where you volunteer a minimum of 16 hours per month.

Being a Special Constable is an extremely rewarding role, helping with all aspects of policing working alongside officers to protect people and fight crime.

They are very much on the ‘front line’, making arrests, fighting crime and protecting the public. Many seize training opportunities and move into specialist areas like the roads policing unit, community policing, football unit and the airport unit.

Joining the special constabulary is an opportunity to contribute something to the community and a chance to make friends and learn new skills, like leadership and negotiating, which are directly transferrable to the workplace.

If you become a Special Constable for two years or more and have the required GCSE’s grade A-C/4-9 in Maths and English, this will support you to proceed to the next stage which is an online academic assessment and suitability discussion with Anglia Ruskin University.

The Degree Holder Entry Programme (DHEP) is for those who already hold a degree in any subject area. This is a two-year academic and practice-based programme with our education partner, Anglia Ruskin University (ARU). Upon completion, successful candidates will also achieve a Diploma in Professional Policing Practice. The Force will cover the full cost of the degree programme.