Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA)
Nottinghamshire Police
Nottingham (NG5 8PP)
Closes in 13 days (Friday 19 September 2025)
Posted on 5 September 2025
Contents
Summary
The Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship is available for highly motivated individuals who will complete the degree programme alongside their employment as a Police Officer. The probationary period for this role will be three years to accommodate the Degree Programme. The Degree will be a BA in Policing provided by a university provider.
- Wage
-
£31,164 a year
Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)
Salary £31,164 to £50,256 per annum (pro-rata if part time)
- Training course
- Police constable (integrated degree) (level 6)
- Hours
-
You will work 40 hours per week working rotating shifts after initial training (this includes weekends, nights and bank holidays with a shift pattern over 365/6 days a year).
40 hours a week
- Start date
-
Monday 9 March 2026
- Duration
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3 years
- Positions available
-
20
Work
Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.
What you'll do at work
As a Police Constable, after your initial training you will be based at locations throughout the county to meet the demands of the organisation, with the requirement to work anywhere in the force. Working as a Police Constable is an exciting and rewarding career with the chance to make a real difference to the communities we serve.
Our vision is to be the best performing force in the country and we want to recruit talented people with a diverse range of skills and experience, who are representative of our local communities. As a Police Officer your job will be to reduce crime and the fear of crime, and promote confidence among local people that the police understand and are prepared to deal with the issues that matter most to you. As a Police Officer you will be working in the frontline of the criminal justice system and community engagement. Responsible for protection of life and property, the prevention and detection of crime and the maintenance of public order.
You will have a vital role in supporting victims and witnesses and providing reassurance to individuals who have been subjected to crime and anti-social behaviour. Working in partnership with the public and other organisations in order to make a difference to the local community. The role is a challenging and varied one. We are striving to create a workforce that reflects the communities we serve. Valuing diversity and promoting equality and inclusion is at the heart of our vision and PROUD values. PROUD embodies everything we stand for as an organisation, for further details on our PROUD values then please refer to the Application Information Pack.
You will work 40 hours per week working rotating shifts after initial training (this includes weekends, nights and bank holidays with a shift pattern over 365/6 days a year).
Where you'll work
Sherwood Lodge
Arnold
Nottingham
NG5 8PP
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
UNIVERSITY OF DERBY
Training course
Police constable (integrated degree) (level 6)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- Apply authorised professional practice (APP) within day-to-day policing contexts in line with local policing policies.
- Identify, organise, engage, and clearly communicate information with a range of stakeholders to manage planned and dynamic situations, which influence and lead others in a policing context.
- Gather, handle, store, disclose and analyse information and intelligence from relevant sources, in line with organisational policies and procedures to support law enforcement and to maximise policing effectiveness.
- Apply an open investigative mind-set whilst cognisant of the code of ethics and national decision-making model.
- Manage dynamic conflict situations through leadership, taking personal accountability for the use of proportionate and justifiable responses and actions.
- Manage ethical searches for evidence and information in differing environments, including searching of people, vehicles and open spaces.
- Provide an initial, autonomous and risk assessed response to incidents, including complex and confrontational, to bring about the best possible outcomes.
- Provide an initial, autonomous response to crime scenes, that require the management and preservation of evidence and exhibits.
- Provide leadership at policing incidents and situations providing empathetic support to protect the public including the most vulnerable.
- Manage and conduct priority and volume investigations by identifying, evaluating and acting upon appropriate lines of enquiry including digital evidence, to enable the presenting of permissible evidence to authorities where required.
- Use police powers to deal with suspects including arrest, report and alternative disposal options.
- Interview victims, witnesses and suspects, inclusive of vulnerable persons in accordance with investigative standards contained within Authorised Professional Practice and use of the PEACE model.
- Assess risk and threats demonstrating critical thinking using the national decision-making model, in order to select and apply specialist techniques to support individuals in need of public protection.
- Use discretion when applying powers across policing situations ensuring these are proportionate, legal, accountable and necessary.
- Engage in self-reflection to improve own professional practice in future operational activities.
- Apply reflection strategies to existing policy and practice recommending innovative approaches to policing.
- Engage with individuals and collaborate with organisations in the community, to enhance effective teamworking in order to achieve positive outcomes for public reassurance, safety and well-being.
- Critically apply problem-solving techniques to prevention interventions to inform decision-making and actions in policing environments.
- Apply local organisational sustainable practices.
- Embed organisational led good practice requirements for equality, diversity and inclusivity in decision making in policing situations.
- Apply authorised professional practice (APP) within day-to-day policing contexts in line with local policing policies.
- Identify, organise, engage, and clearly communicate information with a range of stakeholders to manage planned and dynamic situations, which influence and lead others in a policing context.
- Gather, handle, store, disclose and analyse information and intelligence from relevant sources, in line with organisational policies and procedures to support law enforcement and to maximise policing effectiveness.
- Apply an open investigative mind-set whilst cognisant of the code of ethics and national decision-making model.
- Manage dynamic conflict situations through leadership, taking personal accountability for the use of proportionate and justifiable responses and actions.
- Manage ethical searches for evidence and information in differing environments, including searching of people, vehicles and open spaces.
- Provide an initial, autonomous and risk assessed response to incidents, including complex and confrontational, to bring about the best possible outcomes.
- Provide an initial, autonomous response to crime scenes, that require the management and preservation of evidence and exhibits.
- Provide leadership at policing incidents and situations providing empathetic support to protect the public including the most vulnerable.
- Manage and conduct priority and volume investigations by identifying, evaluating and acting upon appropriate lines of enquiry including digital evidence, to enable the presenting of permissible evidence to authorities where required.
- Use police powers to deal with suspects including arrest, report and alternative disposal options.
- Interview victims, witnesses and suspects, inclusive of vulnerable persons in accordance with investigative standards contained within Authorised Professional Practice and use of the PEACE model.
- Assess risk and threats demonstrating critical thinking using the national decision-making model, in order to select and apply specialist techniques to support individuals in need of public protection.
- Use discretion when applying powers across policing situations ensuring these are proportionate, legal, accountable and necessary.
- Engage in self-reflection to improve own professional practice in future operational activities.
- Apply reflection strategies to existing policy and practice recommending innovative approaches to policing.
- Engage with individuals and collaborate with organisations in the community, to enhance effective teamworking in order to achieve positive outcomes for public reassurance, safety and well-being.
- Critically apply problem-solving techniques to prevention interventions to inform decision-making and actions in policing environments.
- Apply local organisational sustainable practices.
- Embed organisational led good practice requirements for equality, diversity and inclusivity in decision making in policing situations.
Training schedule
You will train at our purpose-built £18.5m facility with gym and sports hall in Sherwood Forest – the home of Robin Hood - but above all, you’ll be joining a progressive police service.
More training information
We have one simple promise – to make a positive impact. Through our ground-breaking research, teaching excellence and commitment to sustainable living, we are changing lives for the better.
The University of Derby is a modern university with a modern outlook. Everything we do is driven by delivering excellence and opportunities for our students, our staff and our region.
We have some of the best university facilities in the UK and achieve outstanding results for our teaching and research and have been awarded Gold in the prestigious Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023 – making it one of the top universities in the country recognised for its outstanding student experience and student outcomes.
Requirements
Essential qualifications
Other in:
- any subject (grade 2 A Levels / Level 3)
- Maths and English (grade C/4 or above)
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Communication skills
- Attention to detail
- Organisation skills
- Customer care skills
- Problem solving skills
- Presentation skills
- Number skills
- Analytical skills
- Logical
- Team working
- Initiative
- Non judgemental
- Patience
- Physical fitness
Other requirements
Full driving licence (manual) is mandatory. You also must have resided in the UK for at least the last 3 years. Vetting Level Recruitment.
About this employer
Nottinghamshire Police is located in the heart of England and is considered one of the UK’s core cities and among the top 10 best places to live and work in the UK (source: OneFamily). We are a pioneering force who have led the way in many areas of policing. We were the first police service to launch the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship Programme, the first police service outside of the Met to have a dedicated Knife Crime Team, the first police service to meet the Operation Uplift targets, and the first to introduce the military pathway. You will train at our purpose-built £18.5m facility with gym and sports hall in Sherwood Forest – the home of Robin Hood - but above all, you’ll be joining a progressive police service. Our three police service priorities are: To earn the trust and confidence of our communities – public confidence is key and if we are going to be an outstanding police service our communities need to trust us to do the right thing for the right reasons, be transparent and accountable in all we do and work with our communities to find resolutions to the issues that affect them To improve victim outcomes – this isn't just about criminal outcomes, we need to ensure that victims are at the heart of all we do, that we respond effectively – conduct investigations to the highest standards and find an appropriate resolution to their calls for service To develop a workforce fit for the future – we need to invest in you and our leaders, to ensure you have the skills and equipment to perform your role, that we treat each other fairly and have our resources in the right place. But also, that we all work to the highest standards and we are all invested in maintaining them.
After this apprenticeship
Permanent position as Police Constable.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
UNIVERSITY OF DERBY
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000340411.
Apply now
Closes in 13 days (Friday 19 September 2025)
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