Police Officer

To apply to become a police officer, you dont need any formal qualifications. What matters most is the relevant skills you might already have.You may have gained skills from the job you do, the community you live in or through your friends and family. The way you live, the values you hold, and how you treat others all count. We look for real-life skills during our selection process.Skills you needBeing a police officer can be tough. It will test you mentally and physically, and one of major traits we look for in all our candidates is resilience.Our officers support people through very difficult times and share in their good moments too. We need people who can stay strong and help others through it all.You can apply if you:are 18 or overare physically fithave lived in the UK for at least three yearsmeet the right to work requirements. Police officer eligibility is governed under the Police Service of Scotland Regulations 2013. Applicants who are not UK or EEA nationals must hold indefinite leave to remain or equivalent status at the point of application: Time limited visas, even with current right to work, do not meet this legal requirement.hold a manual driving licensemeet thenational eyesight standardYou need to be able to drive police vehicles in different conditions. This means you need to meet DVLAs group 2 medical driving licence standards.Your pensionYou are entitled to automatic entry into the contributory police pension scheme. This is one of the best pensions schemes and starts at the age of 60. You can work beyond this and retire later.Work and life balanceWe offer:28 days annual leaveadoption, maternity and paternity leaveshared parental leave (for the first year after a child is born)special leave (which covers both paid and unpaid leave for family emergencies)parental leave (a total of 18 weeks parental leave is available for each child under the age of 18)career breaks (process for taking unpaid time off for up to five years)Health and wellbeingYour wellbeing is one of our priorities. We have a wide range of services in place to support you. These include:Occupational HealthEmployee Assistance Programme, which includes 24/7 in the moment support, resources and advice, and access to free face to face or virtual counsellingeligibility to pay a small fee to access the Police Treatment Centres, which offer a wide range of physical and psychological support optionseligibility to join the Scottish Police Credit Unioneligibility to access Police Mutual Financial products and resourceseligibility to join Scottish Police Recreation Association (SPRA) and utilise gyms throughout the Police estatesupport and trauma risk management assessment after traumatic incidentsWhat to expectThe overall initial training period has been extended to 18 weeks. This consists of 1 week at a regional training centre, 15 weeks at either the Scottish Police College (Tulliallan) or the Training and Recruitment Centre (East Kilbride), followed by a further 2 weeks at a regional training centre.Your probationary period lasts for 2 years, and you will spend most of that time working in response policing. During this time you will face lots of different challenges and learn quickly.Policing is a 24/7 public service and officers work varied shift patterns. Your probationary period requires full focus and dedication to training and operational duties. Please think about whether this fits your circumstances before applying.After your probation, you will continue learning and can also apply for specialist roles and training. These career areas include:public orderintelligencearmed policingnegotiatorwildlife crimedetectivecybercrimeroad policingcounter terrorism policingchild protectionYoull be part of a very supportive team. Together with your colleagues, you will build strong bonds and share memorable moments.You will always have a partner by your side, as well as group, shift and division support.TPBN1_UKTJ