National Detective Programme

The Police Now National Detective Programme is a salaried two-year training and development programme.

The programme is designed to equip you with the core policing skills required in modern investigative work. Being a detective is all about how you interpret information and being able to see clues where others don’t, allowing you to see below the surface.

Successful candidates will be tactical and resilient focusing on working towards defined goals, rarely losing focus – the tenacity you bring to your role as a detective will help you deliver on these key attributes. You’ll critically analyse information and collaborate with others, combining insight and evidence to define root causes of some of the UK’s most complex problems/scenarios.

Everything you do, you’ll be adaptive to change to maintain flexible views as situations change and be able to show compassion to the communities you serve.

By demonstrating a positive can-do attitude, you will view obstacles differently to everyone else – there to be tackled head-on rather than used as an excuse to give up. As a detective you will quickly become an instrumental member of the police force, solving crimes and working towards making our communities safer places to live, for generations to come.

As part of the programme you will complete a bespoke Graduate Diploma in Professional Policing Practice with the University of Huddersfield, which allows you to step back from the day-to-day and learn the theory to drive real change for the communities you will serve. Our graduate diploma is distinctive due to its positioning as an essential and core part of training and developing outstanding leaders in policing.

Drawing on the latest elements and developments within the criminological landscape, top academic experts will deliver a nationally-recognised course. Your studies will give you the chance to learn and develop your skills and knowledge in a variety of ways utilising an expansive hub of resources that will challenge you in the most engaging way possible.

Participants on the programme are required to pass the National Investigators’ Exam (NIE) in the first six months of the programme and achieve full Professionalising Investigation Programme Stage 2 (PIP2) accreditation by programme completion. Throughout the two-year programme, participants will have the opportunity to evidence what they and their colleagues have achieved on behalf of communities and victims at Impact Events.

They will receive continued professional development through ongoing skills sessions and be supported by a Police Now Leadership Development Officer for the duration of the programme.

Pre-academy:

You will have some online learning and revision to complete prior to starting at your academy. This will consist of approximately 80-100 hours of content including learning about the law, legislation and role responsibilities. You will have the opportunity to attend online Police Now learning sessions, in the form of webinars, should you need support.

Detective Academy:

You will start with our twelve-week Detective Academy, preparing you for what lies ahead:

• Learn to lead with conviction, right from the start.Training will be led by police detectives with years of experience solving crimes across the UK.Build your resilience and communication skills while developing your innate curiosity.Become a great investigative detective, keeping the public safe for generations to come.

In-force training:

Following completion of your academy, you will go to your in-force training. During this time, you will learn specific force details to enable you to become operationally effective and to acclimatise to local procedures, policies and ICT systems.

Immersion period:

Following the in-force training you will undertake an immersion period in police uniform on a Response Team to continue to practice and develop your core policing skills.

Rotations:

Throughout the programme you will typically undertake three postings. Each posting will last between five to nine months and take place in Main Office Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Safeguarding and Proactive teams.

The combination of rotations will ensure you are capable of investigating serious and complex crime from the fifteenth month point, which traditionally takes a minimum of two years via alternative routes.

Leadership Development Officer and Personal Development Plans:

When you join you will be assigned a Police Now Leadership Development Officer (LDO). Their core role is to coach, guide and support you to transform communities by delivering sustainable change and tangible impact.

They will provide one-to-one guidance and work closely with your line managers and force to aid your personal and professional development throughout the two-year programme.

Your Leadership Development Officer will meet with you regularly to have ‘coaching style’ conversations and work with you to complete your Personal Development Plan, support you at Police Now Impact Events and co-ordinate your skills sessions.

Police Now Impact Events and access to the impact library:

We bring Police Now National Detective Programme participants together from across the country for impact events. At each event, there is an opportunity to hear from keynote speakers, share the impact you’re having and connect with fellow Police Now participants and guests from within policing, the community and wider civil society.

It’s a great way to stay up-to-date with a fast-moving and intense programme. The impact event process is one of the key ways we assess participants. As well as building an evidence base, the purpose of the assessment is to develop the way you think, problem solve and project manage. Over the two-year programme, we assess your impact through a variety of mediums and all assignments are stored on the Police Now Impact Library for those in forces across the country to refer to and share learning.

Skills sessions:

You will undertake innovative and dynamic skills sessions delivered by Police Now and partner organisations over the course of the two-year programme – developing your detective and broader leadership development skills. You can also bring your line manager or a team member along to some of the sessions, in order to ensure that your wider team can also take advantage of this training.

Beyond the programme:

We expect participants to commit to a long-term investigative career and many pathways will be open to you.

At the end of your probation, having been exposed to a range of challenges, you may wish to stay in your current role, apply for a lateral development opportunity such as within a specialist unit or you may feel you have the necessary skills and motivation to apply for promotion.

What we look for

Throughout our selection process, we look at how your strengths and competencies match with what we’re looking for.

As part of being a detective, you’ll often be faced with tough situations to overcome, where people will look to you for support and guidance. By demonstrating professional credibility, resilience, and workplace confidence, you’ll be able to prove your suitability to the role, as well as being seen as a leader.

Police Now participants join our national graduate programmes from all walks of life – there will be skills that you’ve built on through your experience that will be of considerable value to policing. Every one of our participants has different motivations for joining. Some have never considered a career in policing, yet their motivations stem from their eagerness to make a lasting difference in most vulnerable communities, while also developing their leadership skills. Then there are those who have realised they would be suited to life in police and have what it takes to do the job. All our participants have a part to play in helping achieve our mission to transform communities by recruiting, developing and inspiring future leaders in policing.

Am I eligible?

You don’t need any previous policing knowledge or experience, and it doesn’t matter if you’ve never previously considered a career in policing but you must have a degree before you start the programme. We’re looking for people with the potential to become the next generation of detectives, representing the diversity of the communities you will serve.

To be eligible for the detective programme, you must:

✓ Already have a degree and have achieved a 1st, 2:1 or 2:2 at undergraduate degree level or non-UK equivalent.

✓ Be over the age of 18 upon application.

✓ Have lived in the UK for the last three years with no more than nine months abroad cumulatively within that time.

✓ Have indefinite leave to remain and work in the UK.

✓ Hold a UK Level 3 Qualification in any subject (e.g. an A Level or BTEC National Diploma), or if not, an English Language overseas equivalent.

✓ Not be looking to transfer between police forces or return to policing.

✓ Not have already been assessed for our 2021 National Graduate Leadership Programme and have graduated before January 2022.