Police staff
Policing is not just a job for police officers. It requires a large multi-disciplined team working together and making best use of the skills and resources available. In fact, a large proportion of our workforce is made up of both uniformed and non-uniformed staff roles. These roles play a crucial part in supporting frontline policing.
Staff roles vary enormously - from communication officers to roles in HR, cyber specialists to custody detention officers, scientific support to procurement officers. Your skills, experience and expertise could be just what we're looking for.
We are committed to achieving a workforce that is representative of the communities we serve. In doing so, we encourage individuals from our BAME, disabled and LGBT communities to consider future opportunities. For more information, please contact our positive action team.
Working for Gwent Police
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.
The majority of police staff posts are subject to a six-month probationary period. Some specialist posts may require a longer probationary period.
Gwent Police offer a range of training and development to ensure staff reach their fullest potential:
- Tailored personal development programmes
- Coaching and Mentoring opportunities .
- Perform – Performance Appraisal system to identify and agree development opportunities and help you achieve your goals
- Talent Management Programme
- Post Entry Training Funding available
The application process
- To pass this stage, you'll need to fill out a competency-based application form.
- If you pass the basic eligibility criteria, we'll assess your answers to the competency-based questions (detailed on the role profile).
- 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.
If applying for the role of a communication suite operator, you will be required to pass an assessment session prior to being invited to an interview.
The assessment centre will start with an activity designed to be an ice-breaker - it will not contribute to the marks but is designed to introduce and relax candidates and staff. Following the ice-breaker, you will be expected to complete four different assessment activities, each of which will be explained to you at the time.
- The first assessment has been designed to test your ability to extract and record relevant information from simulated telephone calls.
- The second assessment tests your thought/logic process. You will need to assess situations and use your judgement to measure the situation against set criteria.
- The third is a test of your ability to multi-task. You will be expected to listen to information and pick out relevant details while recording it in the correct place.
- The fourth is a test of your listening and keyboard skills during which you will be listening to a transcript that you will be required to type at approximately 30 words per minute. Spelling mistakes will be penalised in this activity.
This will be a competency based interview in line with the advertised competencies relevant to the role (detailed in the role profile). In addition, this may include some questions designed to help us find out more about your skills and attributes.
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.
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.
For staff roles, you will receive information about a start date, be provided with an offer letter, the terms and conditions applicable to the role and receive contact from your line manager.
Benefits of working for Gwent Police
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.
When you join Gwent Police, we'll make a wide range of benefits available to you.
Police Staff:
- Annual leave - For an administration role, annual leave starts at 23 days, and rises to 28 days, dependent on your length of service. In higher graded roles, the annual leave allowance is increased.
- Bank holidays - Gwent Police allows leave for eight statutory public/bank holidays, pre-determined by the UK Government.
- Part-time employees have bank holidays on a pro-rata basis.
Police Officers:
- Annual leave - 22 days, increasing to 30 days with length of service.
- Bank holidays - 8 Statutory public/bank holidays, taken on the designated day or, if this falls on one of your working days, you will be entitled to take an alternative day. Part-time employees have bank holidays on a pro-rata basis.
Employees can join the Local Government Pension Scheme, which is a contributory pension scheme.
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.