Vacancy Information

As a Detective Constable, you can change your life and the lives of others.

Being a detective is demanding, diverse and incredibly fulfilling. From cyber-crime, domestic abuse and child protection, through to homicide, high level drugs importation and serious organised crime; you will help solve some of the most serious crimes possible. Analysing the evidence, interviewing suspects, taking a case to court – you will uncover the truth and seek justice for victims.

If you have the compassion to help build trusting relationships; the tenacity to see a case through from start to finish; the desire to get justice for victims and the emotional resilience to keep calm, yet confident, then a detective career could be for you.

This is an intensive course, which will require commitment and dedication to both serving the public and meeting the demands of the programme. In return, we promise a good starting salary, supportive working environment, great training experiences, opportunities for progression and, upon successful completion of your learning, a graduate diploma in professional policing practice.

You will be paid a full time salary of £29,907, plus £2,000 South East Allowance.

With this vast range of career opportunities to explore and diverse demands each day, policing is a job like no other, dedicated to catching criminals, protecting communities and delivering an outstanding service.

Chief Constables' Message

We really welcome your interest in joining our Police Force. It is a privilege to lead the teams in Surrey Police and Sussex Police who continuously work selflessly and tirelessly in order to keep people in our counties safe.

We are looking for talented and inspirational people who put the needs of the public at the heart of everything that they do and who want to make a difference. If you feel you are that person then we want to hear from you.

We wish you all the very best with your application.

Chief Constable Tim De Meyer & Chief Constable Jo Shiner

The Role & Key Responsibilities

To apply to DCEP you must:

• be aged 17 years or over on the day you submit your application. You must be 18 years or over to start in post
• have lived in the UK for 3 continuous years immediately prior to application. - have leave to enter, or leave to remain in the UK for an indefinite period.
• have a current full UK manual driving licence, by the time of appointment.
• not be a member (current or previous) of the British National Party (BNP) or any other proscribed terrorist organisations or groups.
• not have tattoos which cause offence.
• not have serious motoring offences
• not have 6 or more points on your licence.

Skills & Experience

To be eligible for the DCEP you will need to:

• Have achieved one A Level grade (A*-C) and one A level grade A*-E or AS level in a different subject, or a level 3 equivalent OR a higher qualification. You must have a minimum of 48 UCAS points. You can check how many points your qualification is worth on the UCAS tariff calculator on theUCAS tariff calculator. Applicants can hold a Level 3 BTEC as long as this qualification meets the minimum 48 UCAS tariff points. The Certificate in Knowledge of Policing is accepted.
• Have achieved GCSE English at grade A*-C/9-4 or an educational equivalent to a Level 2. You will need to provide copies of your qualification on your application form. Degree Holders do not need to provide a Level 2 English qualification unless your degree was taught and assessed in a language other than English.

You will need to provide copies of your qualifications with your application form.

Applicants in their final year of studying towards a Level 3 qualification or a Degree can apply using predicted grades. You will need to supply proof of your qualifications when you receive your results in August/September.

Applicants without a Level 3 qualification can be considered if:

• they are a current serving (or have left within the last 18 months, having completed 18 months' service) as a Special Constable or PCSO with Independent Patrol with any police force.
• They are a current serving Investigating Officers, PIP Investigators, Contact Officers or Controllers who have completed 18 months service (or have left within the last 18 months, having completed 18 months' service).
• They have served for a minimum of 2 years within the last 5 years in the armed forces or similar law enforcement agencies and have exemplary references.
• Experience in other operational policing roles can be considered on a case by case basis for candidates who have served a minimum of 2 years within the last 5 years and have exemplary references.

If you meet one of these service requirements lease complete the Level 3 form attached to this advert and submit this with your application.

Applicants who do not meet the above Level 3 criteria and believe they have work experience equivalent to a level 3 can apply and have their work experience assessed against a Level 3 framework. You will be asked to complete a written experience assessment and online verbal reasoning and numerical tests. The results will then be assessed by a panel who will certify whether your previous work experience is equivalent to a Level 3 qualification. Please complete the Level 3 form attached and submit this with your application.

Why Work With Us?

If you have a query about any aspect of your recruitment journey, be that eligibility requirements, completing the application form, or you want to find out more about what happens after you have submitted your application, our recruitment experts can answer your questions.

Email the team to book a one-to-one conversation - careers@sussex.police.uk

Further Information

Stage 1: Application Form and Eligibility Checks
Stage 2: National Sift - Behavioural Style Questionnaire and Situational Judgement Test
Stage 3: National Assessment Centre - Written briefing and competency-based interview
Stage 4: In Force Competency Based Interview
Stage 5: Pre-employment checks consisting of references, vetting, medical, biometric vetting, substance misuse testing and fitness testing.

We anticipate starting dates will be from September 2025 onwards. Please note that we cannot guarantee any specific start date.

Please note that during the first 16 weeks of training you will not be able to take any annual leave.

Diversity Statement

We are only as good as our people. It's important that our officers and staff can be themselves in the workplace and we know that as an organisation we'll grow from the variety of thinking, approach, and the skills that diversity brings; all of which help us to deliver a better policing service. We strive to ensure how we deliver our services, provide information and how we recruit is open and accessible to all.

We have multiple staff support groups who help to improve our understanding of minority issues and ensure they are reflected in our work. We are proud members of the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index and Disability Confident, a signatory of the Race at Work Charter and aligned with the Armed Forces Covenant and the HeForShe movement.

We are committed to being an anti-racist police service. We promise to challenge injustice, ensure fairness and to uphold anti-racist principles in both our organisation and our communities. For more information, you can read our full anti-racism statement here.

We value the differences that people bring from all backgrounds and communities. Regardless of age, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, disability, social status, or religious belief, we would love to hear from you.

Please use the following links to find out more on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at Surrey Police and Sussex Police

Additional Information

Following submission of your application you will receive a confirmation email with a copy of your application attached. Occasionally emails from this address can fall into spam/junk folders so please ensure this is checked regularly.  You may wish to consider adding noreply@surreysussexpolice.as.recruitmail.com to your address/contact list to ensure you receive all communications.

Attachments

• Candidate Level 3 Eligibility Form.docx