Essex Police: Policing Education Qualification Framework (PEQF)
Category: Recruitment
Publish date: 22/09/2022
The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) Policing Vision 2025 says that:
“By 2025 policing will be a profession with a more representative workforce that will align the right skills, powers and experience to meet challenging requirements.”
With this in mind, police forces are introducing the Policing Education Qualification Framework (PEQF) system within their recruitment process. There is no collective go-live date for forces, meaning it’ll be necessary to check PEQF introduction with your local or desired force.
What is the PEQF
The PEQF supports this vision for policing and is a new, professional framework for the training of police officers and staff.
Based upon new curricula aligned with the education levels set in England and Wales, this framework will aim to cover the range of professional training for police officers through the ranks of Constable to Chief Officer. It will also encompass many police staff, police community support officers (PCSO) and special constables.
The PEQF provides two routes of entry for candidates;
- Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA), or;
- Degree-Holder Entry programme (DHEP).
Within the PCDA route, individuals will join as an apprentice;
- For a minimum of 3 years;
- Earn while they learn (each force has decided a starting salary, please check with your local/ desired force);
- Gain a degree in professional policing practice;
- Potentially specialising in their third year.
The DHEP entry route:
- Is suitable for anyone who already has a degree in any other discipline other than the pre-join degree (professional policing practice);
- Gives individuals a graduate diploma in professional policing;
- Offers specialist pathways in neighbourhood policing and investigation.
Within some forces and under the previous recruitment system, military personnel automatically meet the qualification eligibility test. As an example, Essex Police require civilian applicants to have attained an educational standard of two A levels (or above) or an equivalent level 3 qualification.
While military applicants will be eligible for the same role if they have;
- Served in the Armed Forces or similar law enforcement agency and successfully completed the minimum term of service (usually 4 years), having achieved exemplary reference on discharge.
In Essex Police, this eligibility will remain in place for the incoming PEQF system. Therefore, successful applicants, providing they meet the minimum required service and reference on discharge, will surpass the educational eligibility criteria. However, they must then sit and pass an aptitude test before progressing to the formal assessment process.
Applicants who don’t meet the educational eligibility for military personnel can still apply, but must have attained Maths and English GCSE at ‘grade C’ or above. Conversely, applicants who do not hold these qualifications will be required to undergo English and Maths tests. Please note that the processes may differ depending on the police force, and so we advise you check before applying.
Guidance from the College of Policing regarding the PEQF can be found here.
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