The Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA) route into policing is an exciting opportunity for individuals from all backgrounds to obtain a degree whilst working and earning a full salary as a police officer.
The PCDA programme is delivered in partnership with De Montford University and includes classroom delivery, practical application and tutorship. The programme will be split between the university and our police headquarters in Enderby. The Apprenticeship programme will enable rotations around various key departments in the second year and you will be able to apply for specialisms in the third year.
Being a Police Constable means never knowing what's going to happen next. You'll be working long hours, typically 12-hour shifts, you'll be in contact with the widest variety of people, and you'll be expected to act with integrity at all times - even when you're out of uniform. 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 to just making your local community feel safer, 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 Leicestershire a safe place to live, work and visit.
Salary
Apprentices are not required to contribute towards the cost of their degree but remain in probation for the three-year duration of the programme. The starting salary is
£29,907, moving to £31,164 in year 2 and £32,427 in year 3 and within 7 years £48,231.
What You'll Being Doing
- You’ll provide initial and ongoing frontline response to a wide range of incidents that may include complex and confrontational situations, assessing immediate risk, threat and harm to choose a proportionate response in line with the law, policy and guidance.
- Take a leading role in effective localised partnerships to problem solve, engage with, reassure and support organisations, groups and individuals across communities in line with the Force’s planned approach.
- Effectively engage with victims, witnesses, suspects and the vulnerable, in accordance with equality, diversity and human rights considerations, to provide initial support, direct towards relevant services, establish relationships and gather information that prevents and reduces crimes.
- You’ll maintain awareness of potential and actual risks to individuals, taking appropriate action to protect and support those in need of public protection to pre-empt or effectively address safety / vulnerability issues.
- Conduct effective and efficient priority and high-volume investigations as requested in line with standards of investigation to inform the development of high-quality case files and initiation of criminal justice proceedings.
- Gather and handle information, intelligence, and evidence, from a variety of sources, in line with legislation, policies and guidance, taking the appropriate action to support investigations, law enforcement and criminal justice proceedings.
The must haves
- hold a level 2 in Maths and English grade C/4 or above at the time of submitting your application.
- 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 at the time of application and are up to date with all mandatory training
- 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 ISA, who has attended the Leicestershire ISA training course, passed your probationary period at the time of application and has 12 months service in the role of ISA.
- Hold a driving licence within 6 months of your start date.
Please review the qualification guidance attached to check your qualification before you submit your application.
Leicestershire Special Constables who hold IPS or DMP do not have to undertake National Sift or the Online Assessment Centre.
Training and cohort
Your anticipated start date for training on the 26 September 2025. Your training will last for 30 weeks and throughout this period your leave will be pre-booked. If you have any prior holidays or arrangements, throughout this period, we will not be able to accommodate these and will not be able to offer you a place on this cohort.
We only have a limited number of places for this cohort and will be selecting the highest scoring candidates.
Our Recruitment Process
- Stage 1 – Eligibility Questions and National Sift
- Stage 2 – Application Form
- Stage 3 – Online Assessment Centre
- Stage 4 – National Interview and Assessment
- Stage 5 – Pre-employment
What’s in it for you?
At Leicestershire Police, we aim to create an environment that puts people first. We want you to feel supported in everything you do, so you can give your very best. What’s more, we have a range of reward and benefits such as yearly salary increments, Bluelight Card (discounts), flexi scheme, pension contribution scheme, cycle to work scheme and so much more.
Next Steps
If we feel like a place where you can belong, we'd love to learn more about you.
To support you with your application we have provided some guidance on our recruitment process.
To find out more, register for our upcoming information webinars click here.
Recruitment will close on Sunday, 30 March 2025 at 23.55pm.
Once we have sufficient applications, we may close this campaign earlier than expected.
Who We Are
The area we are responsible for covers over 2,500 square kilometres (over 965 square miles) and has a population of over one million. There is a rich diversity of communities all with their own policing needs. Many steps have been taken to bring policing back into the very heart of local communities.
To find out more about Leicestershire Police and understand how you can make a difference visit our careers website.
We welcome applications from individuals from all backgrounds and encourage anyone who has considered a career in policing to apply. We’re particularly keen to increase the number of females and candidates from black and minority ethnic communities and the LGBT community, so that we can truly reflect the communities that we serve in.
