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What you could be doing | Detective Constable Degree Holder Programme

The programme is a fantastic combination of on the job learning and university study

Detective Constable Degree Holder Programme

As a detective there is no room for assumptions. Being diligent and collecting evidence based on facts are all part of each line of enquiry you’ll follow. You’ll work on some of society’s most challenging issues including child exploitation, sexual assault and murder. You’ll be driven by your personal mission of working to protect the victims of crime from future harm. You’ll learn about humans, how they behave, and how they shape the fabric of society.

It's a unique role with unique demands that are ever-changing. You need to be adaptable to change and ready to think on your feet. At the same time, it's a role that can give you some of the best and proudest days of your life. From protecting the vulnerable and saving lives, it's exciting, diverse and vitally important.

In return, you will have the benefit of working for a creative, forward-thinking force that is dedicated to keeping Derbyshire a safe place to live, work and visit.

We welcome applications from individuals from all backgrounds and encourage anyone who has considered a career in policing to apply. We are particularly keen to increase the number of women officers and officers from black and minority ethnic communities and candidates from the LGBT community, so that we can truly reflect the communities that we serve in Derbyshire.

As a new detective, you’ll receive an expected salary of around £26,679

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Entry Routes - Detective Constable DHEP (PIP2)

If you hold a bachelor’s degree (level 6) in any subject and are PIP2 accredited or working towards accreditation by the end of April 2023, then this fast-track route is for you to become a detective constable.

This route is like our other DHEP routes, it is a two-year work-based programme, supported by on and off the job learning. You’ll achieve a Graduate Diploma in Professional Policing Practice and your initial training will cover all aspects of operational policing, like our police officers and work towards being signed off as competent on core policing duties.

You’ll then move into a detective role in one of our investigation teams, around 9 months of your service and in your second year a whole world of roles and opportunities opens up within some of our specialists investigation teams including CID, Major Crime Unit, Serious and Organised Crime and Cyber Crime investigations.

On successful completion of your probation you may decide you want to become a Sergeant and go through the national promotional process. Anyone promoted will be required to return to operational duties for a short period (6-12 months).

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What do you need?

All applicants must be a UK Citizen, EU Citizen with EU Settled Status, a Commonwealth Citizen or Foreign National with no restrictions on your stay in the United Kingdom. Whether or not you were born in the United Kingdom, you should have lived here for the three years immediately preceding your application.

You must also be 17 years old and over on the date of submitting your application.

EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

To qualify for the Detective DHEP, you must have a bachelor’s degree or be in your last year of study (or equivalent qualification) in Criminology, Law, Social Work, Psychology, engineering, teaching or related subjects.

Or you are PIP2 qualified or working towards accreditation by end of April 2023 and already hold a bachelor’s degree (level 6) in any subject.​​​​

Accepted qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s Degree e.g. BA/ BSc/ Bed
  • Bachelor’s Degree with Honours e.g. BA(Hons)/ BSc(Hons)
  • Degree Apprenticeship

Qualifications not accepted for either route:

Graduate Certificate*
Graduate Diploma*
Level 6 Award*
Level 6 Certificate*
Level 6 NVQ*
Irish Foundation Degree
Irish Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE)
Irish Higher Certificate

*Please note these are classed as the same standard as a Level 6 but are not Degree based and therefore cannot be accepted for DHEP.

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DRIVING LICENCE

You must hold a full UK/EU valid manual driving licence at offer stage which is typically 6 weeks prior to the cohort start date.

FITNESS LEVEL REQUIREMENTS

You’ll need to pass a Job-Related Fitness Test (JRFT9) to check your fitness levels. This test determines whether you’re fit for the job and ready for Officer Safety Training, where you’ll learn to protect yourself and others. You’ll also be asked to take a running test (known as a multi-stage shuttle run or bleep test) to level 5:4.

HEALTH REQUIREMENTS

You’ll need to undergo a medical assessment to make sure you’re healthy enough for the intense training. Your application will be rejected if you fail to meet the minimum acceptable medical standard for entry. Our Occupational Health Team will generally carry out the assessment. They’ll check:

Body Mass Index (BMI)
Eyesight
Colour vision
Lung function
Hearing

You’ll also be asked to complete a confidential medical history questionnaire. Depending on your medical history, we may have to contact your GP/specialist for further information. Once you have been declared medically fit, we’ll progress your application to the next stage.

You can check your Body Mass Index at www.nhs.uk or find out more about healthy eating at www.nhs.uk/change4life

BACKGROUND CHECKS

You must declare any previous spent and unspent convictions and have a basic background check to get Security Check level clearance. Applicants with cautions, convictions or reprimands, other than some motoring offences, may not be accepted.

What you could experience as a detective constable

Life as a detective constable is hugely varied. From volume and priority investigations, through to serious crimes. No two days are the same. We asked an experienced detective constable what they could experience in a typical day.

12pm


Briefing

Briefing with the Detective Sergeant, to understand the priorities for the day.

1.15pm


Voicemail

I have new voicemail messages, all from the family of the victim from sexual assault case I worked on Saturday night. They’re calling with what they believe are more leads and evidence for me to look into.

1.30pm


Case updates

Catch up on emails and review previous cases to see if there has been any updates in the past 24 hours from my colleagues on the day shift.

2pm


Speak to the family

Return the calls the family of the victims. I assure them I'm doing everything I can to get answers, and I give them my mobile number so they can get in touch with me easily. It's a small gesture and an even smaller comfort, but it brings a little more relief to the family.

2.30pm


Case files

After I get off the phone, I look through my case files and plan the rest of the day. I've got three witnesses to interview, as well as the primary suspect from Saturday's sexual assault scene. I set up the interview for this evening to get as much extra information as I can to help me look for holes in the suspect's story.

3pm


Search warrant

I grab a coffee and a bite to eat. With the new information I've gathered, I've got some good leads and ideas of where to look for some key evidence. Have a debrief with the Detective Sergeant and request a search warrant so I can collect the evidence I expect to find.

4pm


Suspect interview

Start the suspect interview, their answers are short and somewhat evasive, and it's clear they've been coached. They offer an alibi, but I've got some witnesses who contradict that. I can tell he's not telling the truth, but I want to get more proof to back it up before I call them on it. When the interview is over, I assure them I'm exhausting all leads.

7pm


Collaborative working

Call in from the Op’s Team, there’s been another burglary in the same vicinity of a couple of cases I am working on. Update notes and reach out to Police Support Services team to understand if there is CCTV for that areas and can it be released.

9pm


Case files

It's been a long day, but I need to update notes on my files and will be in the office for at least another hour, maybe three! I grab another coffee.