Force contact & control

We welcome applications from people of all different backgrounds, cultures, religions, ages, genders and sexual orientation. However, there are some eligibility conditions that all applicants will need to meet, so you need to check that you meet our requirements before submitting an application.

• You need to be 16 or over to apply.
• Applicants should be British Citizens, or passport holders from a full EU Member State. You can also apply if you're a Commonwealth citizen or foreign national who is resident in the UK with indefinite leave to remain.
• You must have lived in the UK for three continuous years, immediately prior to application.
• If you have a criminal record, this doesn't mean you're automatically ineligible. It depends on the nature of your conviction. Please declare any caution or conviction on your application form. Failure to do so will result in failing the vetting process due to integrity issues.
• If you are struggling with debt, you may still be able to apply. You just need to supply us with evidence of your ability to manage your debts successfully. However, if you have any outstanding County Court Judgments or you are an un-discharged bankrupt, then you are automatically ineligible.
• Tattoos which are offensive, garish, prominent or numerous are not acceptable. Please supply photos and measurements of any tattoos along with your application.

If successful, your employment will be subject to a 16-month probationary period. This extended timeframe reflects our commitment to providing thorough training and ongoing support, allowing you ample opportunity to develop your skills, build confidence, and achieve full competency across all aspects of the role. You’ll start on spinal point xxx and initially undertake comprehensive contact training which includes learning our systems, policies and procedures to support you in developing critical skills and abilities for the role. During this phase of training any substantial annual leave cannot be accommodated due to impact on progress and lack of availability to rearrange. During this time, you’ll be assessed for your competence in both contact, application of knowledge and system usage to ensure you’re ready to move onto the shift pattern and join your team. At around your 14th week of employment you will join the shift pattern and receive the relevant shift allowance.

This means you will start to receive the 20% enhancements plus you can claim for weekend enhancements (this equates to approximately a further 14.28%). The final phase of training for the role falls at around month 9/10 of employment where you’ll return to the classroom, followed by mentoring to learn the Dispatch and Control aspect of the role i.e. dispatching police resources to incidents and controlling the incident to point of conclusion. When you are assessed as fully competent in this area you will progress to the next pay scale. Given operational, resourcing and training requirements & the varying times of individuals demonstrating their competence, it’s impossible to guarantee at what point within the 16 months the change in grade will happen. What we can guarantee is that by the end of the 16 months you will be on the grade 5 spinal points.

The shift system is a 6 on, 4 off system which, as a guide is:

• two-day shifts (0700- 1700/0900-1700)
• two afternoon /evening shifts (1100-1900 or 1300-2100 or 1700-0100)
• and two evening or night shifts (1700-0300 or 2100-0700).

The rota is published at least a minimum of 3 months in advance. This shift system covers 365 days a year and includes Bank Holidays. If you work the full shift pattern you are entitled to a 20% shift allowance and enhanced rates for working on the weekend. In addition to the annual leave, every member of staff also has an entitlement to 8 statutory Bank Holidays in a year, and these days will be given to you but not necessarily on the set Bank Holiday dates. If working on a Bank Holiday, you are paid at a higher hourly rate.

• To pass this stage, you'll need to fill out a basic application form (your personal details, there is no requirement to complete any evidence at this stage).
• If you pass the basic eligibility criteria, you will be sent an email link to complete a situation judgement test (relevant to the role).
• Please be aware that if you are applying for a role graded at 5 or lower (this will be stated on the advert), you will only be required to evidence a minimum criteria (usually attainments, knowledge and experience, although exact details will be confirmed on the role profile).
• Try to answer the questions as carefully and as fully as you can.
• Please also be mindful of your spelling and grammar.

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 Gwent 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)

Following interview, you will need to provide a three-year reference history and pass through a thorough security vetting process. In addition, for some roles you may be required to attend a drugs and biometric appointment (which forms an enhanced vetting process) and a health check appointment to ensure any reasonable adjustments are recommended and arranged prior to appointment. Everyone who joins Gwent 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).

Once you have completed all pre-employment checks, you will move to the next stage of the process.

For uniformed roles, you'll be allocated a place on the next available intake and allocated a uniform fitting appointment.

Our equality and diversity objectives are enforced through an established Equality and Diversity Board. This demonstrates our commitment to ensuring we consistently treat our colleagues and public with fairness, dignity and respect.

Our employee assistance programme is provided by CareFirst, is free to all and available 24 hours a day all year round, providing confidential support for problems that can affect performance, health, and mental and emotional wellbeing.

We offer an Occupational Health and Welfare Unit to help maintain both your physical and psychological health while at work. The service is confidential and includes a counselling service. 

The Occupational Health team aims to support attendance and effectiveness by working proactively to minimise health risks and to promote individual responsibility for health, fitness and wellbeing. You are also eligible for a free eye test.

There are many sports teams for you to join from running, hockey, fishing and football. There are also free gym facilities at a number of our sites.

We have a full occupational maternity leave policy available to all employees of Gwent Police. 52 weeks maternity in total: 18 weeks at full pay, 21 weeks of statutory maternity pay, and 13 weeks of no pay. This is subject to length of service. We also offer an adoption leave policy.

There are a range of associations, networks and groups supporting our workforce and Gwent Police has a range of initiatives and schemes to help colleagues develop.

Our staff networks offer support and friendship to our officers, staff and the local community alike. They work to support and advise colleagues nationally and we are proud of the active part they play in influencing policing across the UK.

The networks and associations include:

• The Disability Support Network
• The Women in Policing Network (GWiP)
• The Gwent Police Ethnic Minority Association (GEMA)
• The LGBT+ Network
• The Christian Police Association
• The Mental Health Support Network
• Police Sport Gwent
• Police Superintendents Association
• Welsh Speakers and Learners Network
• Unison and
• The Police Federation.

Only Police Officers can join the Police Federation, if you opt to join the Police Federation, you can choose to join a life insurance scheme with awards payable to your spouse or partner, and to any dependents. In addition to accessing crucial illness and sickness cover, you can take out insurance, at a preferential rate, to cover any legal expenses connected to your job, and also benefit from the best rehabilitation facilities.

To promote healthy journeys to work, Gwent Police and Cycle Solutions have working together to provide staff and officers with the opportunity with a new bike and safety equipment, with big discount off the total price, spreading the cost over 18 months.

Lifestyle and organisational discounts including gym memberships (as well as on-site gyms), restaurants, takeaways, travel, financial products, an eye care scheme and more.

Employees can join the Local Government Pension Scheme, which is a contributory pension scheme.

Visit the Greater Gwent (Torfaen) Pension Scheme for more information.

Gwent Police realises the importance of a work/life balance and has good policies in place for maternity/paternity, shared parental leave, time off for dependents, voluntary reduction in working hours, right to request to work flexibility and job share.

Depending on the role you're applying for, there will be various working hours. Some roles, like those in our Force Communication Suite, for example, will be on a fixed shift pattern, while many office roles (up to principal officer posts) have the benefit of flexi-time working and agile working.

Flexibility is dependant on the role.