The application process

You can complete the exercises on any internet-enabled device with a camera (laptop, tablet or phone), but to ensure full compatibility with the online platform, the following should be set up:

• Your operating system should be Windows 7 (or higher) or Mac OS 10.11 (or higher).
• Your browser should be the latest version of Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome or Safari (Apple products only).
• You should have the latest version of Adobe Flash installed, and you require a webcam and microphone to record responses.

It is advisable to complete the whole application process on the same device as the IP addresses will conflict if you decide to swap devices once you have commenced and this could prevent you continuing with your application. It is therefore not advisable to complete your application in work.

It is not advisable to use hand held devices such as tablets or mobile phones as they are not compatible with the on-line tests that have to be completed. We are only able to re-set tests on one occasion per candidate.

Applicants are also advised to check their “junk” box for email updates from the system.

The first step will be an online application process which includes some eligibility ‘killer questions’. If you pass this stage, you will be required to complete several online tests and an application form.

Each applicant must complete the national sift which will include two tests that every applicant must complete (regardless of qualifications). These are the Situational Judgement Test and a Behavioural Style Questionnaire. Both must be passed in order to continue in the application process.

Please note that this test can only be completed once in a three-month period or twice on 12 months.

Situational Judgement Test (SJT)

The Police Situational Judgment Test assesses your judgement and decision-making skills in relation to job-relevant situations. In the test you will be presented with a series of scenarios which reflect challenging situations that you may face when working in a PC role. For each scenario, you will be presented with four possible actions that could be taken. You will be asked to rate each of the four actions in terms of its effectiveness in addressing the scenario. The scale you are required to rate the actions on is shown below:

• Counterproductive - An inappropriate action that will have a negative impact or make the situation worse.
• Ineffective - A poor action which will not help the situation.
• Slightly Effective - An action that would have a small positive impact on the situation.
• Effective - An action that would have a reasonable positive impact on the situation.
• Very Effective - One of the best actions that could be taken in response to the situation.

The test does not require any specialist knowledge to complete. Your responses should be based solely on the information presented in each scenario.

Behavioural Styles Questionnaire (BSQ)

The Police Behavioural Styles Questionnaire measures your typical behaviour and preferences at work. The purpose of the questionnaire is to assess whether you have the right behaviours and attitudes to be effective in the role. This questionnaire invites you to review a number of statements and indicate which statements you completely agree with or completely disagree with on a sliding scale. In the questionnaire, you will be presented with these statements about your typical behaviour at work in blocks of four. You will need to read each statement carefully and then decide the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement using the rating scale below:

• Completely Disagree
• Strongly Disagree
• Somewhat Disagree
• Neither Agree nor Disagree
• Somewhat Agree
• Strongly Agree
• Completely Agree

Depending on your responses, you may also be asked to rank particular statements in terms of how well they describe your typical behaviour at work. There is no time limit, but it should take approximately 15 to 20 minutes to complete the questionnaire. The test does not require any specialist knowledge to complete.

Read information on this assessment process.

Transferring Police National Assessment Centre scores to South Wales Police

If you have previously passed an online assessment centre with South Wales Police or another Force, your Assessment Centre pass result will be valid for two years. At the application stage, you will need to evidence your previous pass result by uploading your feedback report where required.

If you passed an assessment centre with another force you will also be required to contact the force you completed your assessment centre with and request your Pass result is transferred to South Wales Police via the AIMS system. Your previous online assessment centre pass will only be accepted once this has been received.

Submitting multiple Police officer applications

While you are able to submit simultaneous applications to other forces for the role of Police Officer and other policing roles, it is South Wales Police policy to ask you to make a decision as to which force you wish to proceed with if you are successful at the national assessment centre, we appreciate your co-operation with this.

If you have a Police Officer application in with another Force you must declare this when submitting an application to South Wales Police, regardless of what stage of the recruitment process you are at with that application.

If you make a new Police Officer application to another Force, or are invited to an assessment centre, whilst your application to South Wales Police is still being processed you must inform our Recruitment team.

What will happen at the in-force interview?

You will be interviewed by a panel of police staff (usually two people) who will ask you questions based on the College of Policing competency and values framework (CVF) for policing.

The interviewers will ask you a series of questions. Use examples from your work, social, domestic or educational life to answer the interview questions. In these examples we are looking for specific evidence of competency behaviours which fit our organisation's values.

Be specific: we want to know what YOU said or did on a given occasion to deal with the situation. It’s therefore important that the examples you provide are your own experiences and as detailed as possible.

Fitness

Policing can be physically demanding, so you will need to be in good physical condition to pass the fitness test.

The ‘bleep test’ takes 3 minutes and 35 seconds and entails candidates running back and forth a 15-metre track in time with a series of bleeps. As the test goes on, the bleeps become increasingly faster to level 5.4. The idea is to reach the other side before the next bleep. 

You have three attempts to pass your fitness test and all successful candidates are required to attend a pre-appointment fitness test prior to the anticipated appointment date to ensure you have maintained your fitness levels. You will only have one attempt at this and you must pass to progress your application.

Medical Assessment

Due to the nature of police work, good health and fitness is paramount. However, applications are welcome from people with disabilities and every effort will be made to make reasonable adjustments if required. If you are successful at the interview stage you will undertake a medical examination.

There are certain medical conditions and disorders that may have a detrimental effect on your ability to conduct the role effectively; each case will be considered carefully as part of the medical process. The standard requirements you need to achieve for the medical assessment may vary depending on the role you are applying for.

As part of your medical assessment you will be asked to complete a medical questionnaire and obtain a signature from a GP.

Body Mass Index (BMI)

Your weight range will be assessed during your medical assessment. The healthy weight range is based on a measurement known as your body mass index (BMI). This can be determined if you know your weight and your height. The actual calculation is your weight (in kilograms) divided by your height (in metres squared). Guidance and easy to use charts on how to calculate your BMI can be found on the NHS website.

The NHS advises that a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 suggests a normal healthy weight. This means your body is not at risk of weight-related disease.

The Home Office sets BMI standards for police officers. The current Home Office circular 59/2004 outlines this as between 18 and 30. Applicants who do not meet this standard may find their application delayed and / or will not be appointed.

Police Officer applicants with a BMI over 32 will not be considered fit unless their body fat percentage is less than 30% for men or 36% for women.

Vetting and references

The importance of honesty and integrity is made clear throughout our application process. Officers are subject to the Standards of Professional Behaviour, which clearly set out what communities can expect from their officers.

Everyone who joins South Wales Police will need to complete a security vetting process. It is useful to begin collecting the following as they will be required as part of this process:

• Your address history for the last five years
• Collate details of your monthly income and expenditure
• Collate details of your savings and borrowings
• Ever been declared bankrupt or had a CCJ? Get proof of debt being discharged
• Collate details of any secondary employment or business interests
• Your partner and their address history for the last 5 years

Collate your family/friends/associates details, i.e:

• Your parents and your partner’s parents
• Your full, half & step siblings
• Your children (if aged over 10)
• All co-residents at your current address (e.g. lodgers)
• Any criminal associates
• Any cautions, convictions or Fixed Penalty notices

Collate details of any previous contact with the police, e.g:

• If you’ve ever been arrested
• If you’ve ever been involved in an investigation
• Any traffic offences (excluding parking offences)

References are required to cover a minimum of 5 years of continuous employment history. If you have not been in employment for 5 years we will look to obtain education and personal references.

Drugs test and biometric vetting

You will also be asked to undertake a drugs test and provide information about any medication you may be taking. Legislation has been introduced that requires applicants to undergo biometric vetting.

If you should fail the drugs test you will not be offered a position with South Wales Police. Any internal candidates who fail a drugs test will have their offer withdrawn and the results from the drugs test may be used in accordance with the South Wales Police Staff Discipline Police and Police Staff Code of Conduct.

On the day we will be asking you to sign a consent form to take your fingerprints and a sample of your DNA for the purposes of a speculative search and for your fingerprints and DNA profile to be retained on the Police Elimination Database (PEDb).

The purpose of obtaining fingerprints and DNA samples is to allow for a speculative search to be made against the local and national databases prior to your appointment to the police force. This is to ensure that you have not previously come to adverse police attention, which you have not informed us of, and also that you are not linked to any outstanding crime scenes.

The first six months of police training will be classroom based. Police officers and police staff trainers will deliver the course at a police-training establishment in Bridgend.

This is a non-residential course designed to help maximise learning potential both academically and practically and start developing operational policing skills. The classroom syllabus is based on the curriculum developed by the College of Policing, which covers all areas required for the role of a Police Constable. Various E-learning packages alongside fitness, first aid and personal safety training will also be undertaken.

At various stages of the course, student constables will need to demonstrate their understanding and knowledge through informal and formal assessment processes. This will include multiple choice examinations, assignments and practical assessments. Constables are always expected to display the appropriate behaviour and attitude during their training in line with the police service’s Code of Ethics.

Following the successful completion of the initial police training, officers will commence a period of tutoring at an operational police station with a qualified tutor. Successful completion of the tutorship phase will allow student constables to be placed on independent patrol.

Recruits on both programmes will be required to complete an occupational competency portfolio during their probationary period, and will be required to complete a level of private study, outside of working hours.

Please be aware that on appointment and during your service you may be posted to any location in South Wales based on operational need.

Applicants should also be aware that although they will be entitled to a level of protected study time during their studies, it is also likely that students will need to undertake private study, outside of working hours.

Shift Pattern

Once you have completed your initial police training you will begin to put your learning to the test, working alongside our qualified officers. Our Police Officers work a variable shift pattern depending on their role and operational needs. However, most officers work 6 consecutive days made up of days, lates and night shifts, followed by 4 days off.

The shift pattern usually consists of the below:

2 x Days - 07:00 – 16:00

2 x Lates 15:00 – 00:00

2 x Nights 22:00 – 07:00

4 x Rest Days

Where will I study? 

All face to face delivery will take place on police premises within the South Wales Police area. Self-study and on-line learning will be carried out remotely.

Will I receive travelling or subsistence costs during training?

No – any travelling costs incurred will be your responsibility.

Will I have to pay for any course materials I need to buy?

Books etc. Students will be provided with learning materials by both South Wales Police and the partner University at no cost.

Will annual leave be permitted during training period?

You will be allocated annual leave for the initial 6 month training period. Annual leave outside of the allocated dates will unfortunately not be considered. Please be mindful that if you have pre-booked holidays or are unable to attend training for any reason on days outside the pre-determined leave periods, there is a high probability that you will be unable to join on the intake.

Will I be given time to complete the academic elements of the qualification?

Yes you will. The Force and HEI have calculated the amount of time required for you to complete all elements of the qualification and this will be rostered into your shift pattern.