Excellence in Community Policing

Policing the Communities of the Highlands and Islands

FAQs

There are certain questions that we regularly get asked by candidates. To help you find out more about joining us, we’ve posted some of them here together with answers. If you still have any queries, please contact us on 01463 720318 and one of our team will get back to you as soon as we can.

Is it possible to give any idea about how long the whole process might take?

On average the process takes approximately nine - twelve months but may vary considerably from candidate to candidate and on current recruiting situations.

I have another fifteen months to serve in my current job, when can I apply?

We will accept an Application Form from you when you are within twelve months of an agreed finishing date with your current employer. This period would also apply if you were currently a serving member of the HM Forces or at University.

I have applied to Northern Constabulary before, can I reapply?

Yes, you can reapply provided that one year has elapsed since your last application. However, in certain circumstances, candidates will not be eligible to reapply and will be informed if this is the case.

I want to apply to Northern Constabulary and I also want to apply to another force - what should I do?

You will need to decide which is your first choice force and apply to them. Northern Constabulary will not consider an application from anyone currently in the process of applying to another force.

I am a graduate. How do I go about applying under the APSG (Accelerated Promotion Scheme for Graduates)?

Further details can be obtained from the APSG Co-ordinator, Scottish Police College, telephone 01259 732000. You shoud read that information first and then decide whether you wish to apply for regular or APSG entry.

I have a provisional licence and I am taking my test in a couple of month's time. When should I apply?

You can apply as long as you have a provisional licence and are taking lessons.  You will only progress as far as the assessment panel and not be invited to this stage until you have passed your driving test.

I have an overdraft at the bank. Do I need to include that when providing details about my financial status?

No, an agreed overdraft, personal loan or student loan presents no problems to us in itself. If, however, you should fall behind with the repayment schedule, then we would need the details.

I have a very minor criminal conviction. Do I have to disclose it?

All civilian or military convictions or cautions, fixed penalty fines, driving licence endorsements etc, must be disclosed, even if they would be considered "spent" under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act. Failure to disclose any convictions or cautions would usually result in your application being terminated.

There are a couple of things I am still unclear about. Shall I apply and sort them out later?

No, please check through the whole of the Recruitment Pack to ensure the information you require is not contained therein. If matters are still unclear, please ring our Recruitment Unit on 01463 720318 - it is what we are here for.

My eyesight does not meet your standards and I am thinking about having laser treatment. What do you suggest?

Decisions about whether to undergo medical treatment clearly rest with you. As far as Northern Constabulary is concerned, you must meet our minimum standard of uncorrected vision. Your application could be considered 12 months after successful laser surgery.

I understand that there is a great deal of training. Where will it actually take place?

Most of our training is taken at the Scottish Police College in Tulliallan, Clackmannanshire. In the first year you would spend 15 weeks there and in the second year you would be there for 2 weeks. You will attend at Human Resources Department, Inverness for various kinds of ongoing training.

I want to start work as a police officer in a particular month - is that possible?

Your precise start date cannot be guaranteed. It will be dependent on operational requirement, the budgetary position prevailing at the time and training capacity. Northern Constabulary usually have between 3 - 4 intakes spread out throughout the year.

If successful, where am I likely to be posted?

Posting decisions are at the discretion of the Chief Constable and are made with regard to operational requirements. Whilst you could request your preferred location(s) and an attempt will be made to take your preference into account, there can be no guarantee as to where you will start your police career. Staff in the Recruitment Unit can only tell you where people have been posted recently, and cannot predict where people will be posted in the future.

What I really want is to be a dog handler…?

Dogs, like cars, firearms and drugs squad are tools we use to assist us in our policing role. The possibility of specialisation may come later in your career, but to start with we want people who want to work with people.

I am in a pension scheme with my current employer. What will happen if I join the Police?

When we offer you appointment, we will write to you giving you options regarding your pension which includes transferring your benefits to our scheme, freezing the benefits in your current scheme or contributing to an independent pension. You may wish to obtain independent financial advice when making any decisions on such matters.