National Detective Programme

Our National Detective Programme is a salaried two-year training and development programme. The programme is designed to equip you with the core policing skills required in modern investigative work. Being a detective is all about how you interpret information and being able to see clues where others don’t, allowing you to see below the surface.

Successful candidates will be tactical and resilient focusing on working towards defined goals, rarely losing focus – the tenacity you bring to your role as a detective will help you deliver on these key attributes. You’ll critically analyse information and collaborate with others, combining insight and evidence to define root causes of some of the UK’s most complex problems/scenarios. Everything you do, you’ll be adaptive to change to maintain flexible views as situations change and be able to show compassion to the communities you serve.

By demonstrating a positive can-do attitude, you will view obstacles differently to everyone else – there to be tackled head-on rather than used as an excuse to give up. You’ll be a leader in your community and will quickly become an instrumental member of the police service, solving crimes and working towards making our communities safer places to live, for generations to come.

Once you’ve successfully completed our two-year National Detective Programme, it doesn’t stop there. Our programmes act as a springboard for participants to develop skills for life and become leaders within policing and advocates of the service in other public sector roles.

Eligibility

You don’t need any previous policing knowledge or experience, and it doesn’t matter if you’ve never previously considered a career in policing, but you must have a degree before you start the programme. We’re looking for people with the potential to become the next generation of detectives, representing the diversity of the communities you will serve.

To be eligible for the detective programme, you must:

• Already have a degree and have achieved a 1st, 2:1 or 2:2 at undergraduate degree level or non-UK equivalent.
• Be over the age of 17 upon application.
• Have lived in the UK for the last three years with no more than nine months abroad cumulatively within that time.
• Have indefinite leave to remain and work in the UK.
• Hold a UK Level 3 Qualification in any subject (e.g. an A Level or BTEC National Diploma), or if not, an English Language overseas equivalent.
• Not be looking to transfer between police forces or return to policing.

Salary and benefits

When joining our National Detective Programme, you’ll receive a competitive starting salary and a wide range of benefits:

Salary

Pay varies with each police force. Your starting salary will range from £21,402 – £24,780. Every 12 months on the anniversary of your joining date, your pay increases to the next pay point. Within six years you can reach a salary of over £40,000.

In addition to your base salary, there are force-specific allowances that you will receive. For example, police officers in London receive regional allowances of up to £6,735 per annum. 

Some of our participants seek a promotion after they have successfully completed our two-year programme.

Leave

You’ll start with 22 days paid annual holiday, rising to 30 days a year with length of service. This is on top of public holidays and an average of at least two rest days each working week. You can also expect other forms of leave including maternity, paternity and adoption leave and the option of taking a career break of up to five years.

Flexible working

The police service is an emergency service operating 24/7 and 365 days a year. However, it is always the intention of the police service to take your individual religious and cultural needs into account so you can fit your work around your personal commitments.

Qualification

As part of the programme, you will complete a bespoke Graduate Diploma in Professional Policing Practice with the University of Huddersfield, which allows you to step back from the day-to-day and learn the theory to drive real change for the communities you will serve. Our graduate diploma is distinctive due to its positioning as an essential and core part of training and developing outstanding leaders in policing.

Register your interest today to find out more.