What you could be doing | Detective Constable Programme
Investigate the most serious crimes as a qualified detective
Detective Constable 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 £28,551. After seven years your expected salary will be £46,044.
The Detective Programme
This route is available if you will already hold or in your last year of study for either 2 A levels or a level 3 equivalent and are eager to pursue a career in investigation. The Detective programme is a rigorous, intensive, and demanding two-year programme.
You will begin your learning journey as a uniformed Police Constable, joining the Police Constable Entry Programme. In year one you will undertake a 20-22 week initial training programme followed by 10 weeks working operationally in uniform under the guidance of tutor to gain independent patrol status (IPS). Once this has been reached you will work independently on division until the end of year one.
In the second year you will transition into the Trainee Detective role where you will undertake a placement within the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) team. Further training will involve a classroom-based learning program designed to strengthen your critical thinking and problem-solving skills and undertake a CID course. You will also undertake the National Investigators Examination (NIE) and the Professionalising Investigation Programme (PIP2) alongside the completion of your operational competency folder to achieve full operational competency as a constable and become an accredited detective.
The role is vast and the opportunities to investigate are endless, you could be dealing with robbery one day only to be confronted with a potential murder the next.
Career progression
On completing probation, the following career path is available. As a Police Constable, you’ll be able to apply for specialist units.
What do you need?
All applicants must be a UK Citizen, EU Citizen with EU Settled or Pre-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 can apply if you:
- Hold 2 A levels or a level 3 that is equivalent qualification in any subject or are in your last year of study
- Or are a current serving PCSO, who has completed your professional development plan, passed your probationary period and served 12 months in post and you are up to date with all mandatory training at the time of submitting your application.
- Or are a current serving Special Constable who has attained independent patrol status at the time of application, who is consistently completing sixteen hours per month and is up to date with all mandatory training
- Or are a current serving NIO, who has attained a PIP1 qualification, passed your probationary period and served 12 months in post and you are up to date with all mandatory training at the time of submitting your application.
* Please note – it is your responsibility to ensure you meet these requirements at the time of submitting your application. These will not be checked until pre-employment checks.
You must also be 17 years old and over on the date of submitting your application and 18 years old on appointment.
To join via this route, you need 2 A levels or equivalent level 3 qualification (or be awarded at the start of pre-employment checks).
Check our Qualifications Guide to find out which qualifications are required for this role.
You must hold a full UK/EU valid manual driving licence at pre-employment stage which is typically 16 weeks prior to the cohort start date.
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.
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 and Wellbeing 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
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.
What may hold you back?
You cannot apply to join the frontline if you:
- Have had an application turned down by a police force in the last three months at any stage of the national process. The national process includes National Sift, National Interview, Online Assessment, fitness test and pre-employment checks.
- Have been or are a member of a group or extreme political organisation such as BNP, National Front or Combat 18 that stirs up racial hatred and violence, a proscribed terrorist organisation/group or a similar organisation.
- Are waiting to appear in court or have any serious convictions or recent cautions, bind-overs or findings of guilt.
- Misuse drugs, solvents or anabolic steroids. But each case is considered upon its own merits.
- Have tattoos on your face, neck or hands that could cause offence. If you have a tattoo, you’ll be asked to provide a description and photographs of the tattoo. The nature, location, size, prominence and appearance of tattoos will be considered.
- Have any current County Court Judgements (CCJs) against you, or are the subject of an Individual Voluntary Agreement (IVA). If you’ve been registered bankrupt, you may only apply if it is at least three years since the date your debts were discharged.
Our approach to recruitment
We’re proud to employ some of the very best talent in the Derbyshire and beyond. Their talent and dedication are what make our force so successful. In order to select those people, we apply an objective process and provide a world-class candidate experience. Our process is built on ensuring equality of opportunity for all and appointing the best person for the job.
Our recruitment process for police officers, Specials and PCSOs