Recruitment process

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What you can do before applying  

The pre-employment stages can take some time and we aim to appoint you on the next available start date.  

To do this you can start preparing for your application in advance, here are some helpful ways to be ready: 

Look after yourself

Your health and nutrition are important and not just for the application process. The role is physically demanding, and you should not underestimate how important it is for you to be a healthy weight and have a good level of fitness.  

You will be invited for a face to face medical as part of pre-employment checks, where as part of the review you will have your weight and body fat checked. Your BMI needs to be between 18-30 which is the College of Policing standard. We also look at body fat percentage.  

Losing weight or rather fat tissue, is under your control and will demonstrate your commitment. With a healthy balanced diet and regular exercise weight loss can safely be achieved in a couple of months.  

If you are not within the BMI range at the appointment, we will be unable to progress your application. The NHS have lots of information on BMI and healthy living which we’d encourage you to visit before you apply if you currently fall outside of these ranges. It would be a shame to attend the face to face medical and not be able to progress when you’ll have put so much hard work and effort into your application.  

BMI Healthy Weight Calculator - BMI calculator | Check your BMI - NHS | Please fill in your details (www.nhs.uk) 

NHS Livewell Live Well - NHS (www.nhs.uk) 

Fitness Test 

Policing has never been an easy job. You will be required to handle a variety of situations involving physically challenging tasks. 

You will need strength, agility, and stamina to deal effectively with situations as well as to defend yourself and others. You also need to be fit to handle police equipment safely and to work shifts. 

The fitness test is a way for us to ensure you are fit enough to cope with the demands of the job. 

The fitness test involves a multi-stage shuttle run, also known as the ‘bleep test’, which is a physical test of your aerobic capacity (stamina). It involves running between two points that are 15 metres apart (a "shuttle"). The pace of each shuttle is synchronised with a pre-recorded audio tape that bleeps at set intervals - and speeds up during the test. 

Our officers take this test every year. Don’t just prepare for the application, policing is a way of life and you want to be fit for every shift. Catching the baddies may mean you’re going to need to run after them!  

We would recommend if you are new to running or fitness you look at starting the something like the couch to 5k Couch to 5K: week by week - NHS (www.nhs.uk) which is available from the NHS to ease you into fitness and running.  

Learn more about what the test involves (PDF) 

GP Records  

You will be given a medical questionnaire to complete. When you attend your face to face medical you must bring with you: 

• A copy of your patient health records  

It would be helpful if you have any specialist reports or doctor’s information that you prepare these ready for your medical appointment. The more information the team have the quicker they can progress your file.

Once you have registered your interest we will invite you to a familiarisation session. You will learn about:   

• Police Constable eligibility criteria
• Application form standards
• Academic study and commitment
• Probationary training
• The role of a Police Constable
• Positive Action support
• The recruitment process
• Frequently asked questions

By the end of this session you will be comfortable in knowing what is expected of you and help make an informed decision on your application.

Following your attendance at the familiarisation event, when the next police officer recruitment window is open we will send you a link to apply.

It is recommended you prepare for your application so you are ready when you receive the link, as there may be occasions when we need to close the window early dependent on the number of applications received. 

What is the College of Policing online assessment process?

The College of Policing online assessment process is an online process for the recruitment of police constables. It is a series of stages containing exercises that test the key competencies and values that are important for police constables.

What does the North Wales Police online assessment process involve?

The online assessment process is a staged process that consists of three exercises.

The process is broken up as follows

• Stage 1 – Competency-based video interview
• Stages 2 and 3 – Written exercise and briefing exercise

No prior knowledge of the role of a police officer or any policing knowledge is required to complete the exercises. Further information on the role profile of a police constable can be found on the College of Policing website. 

How do I begin the online assessment process?

Once you’ve been successful in your applications, we’ll send you all the details you need to complete the online assessment.

You can find out more about the online assessment process on the College of Policing website.

We’ll write to you when we receive the online assessment results and if you’re successful you’ll be invited to attend an interview.

You’ll meet other people working for North Wales Police and it’s a good opportunity for us to meet you. This is to help us understand more about you as an individual and your ethics and values.

The interview takes about 45 minutes and is based on:

• Your research into North Wales Police, the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, and the role you are applying for
• The College of Policing, in particular the Code of Ethics
• The Competency and Values Framework (CVF), which sets out the behaviours expected of everyone working in policing

Let us know if you want to hold your interview in English or Welsh, or a combination of both if that is easier for you.

You will complete a form following interview relating to security and vetting information. Our vetting department will carry out the relevant background checks and a decision will be made on whether vetting can be granted.

If the vetting team need further information they will contact you during this stage of the process.

At this stage we will make contact with your previous employers for the last 3 years as well as your nominated character/educational referees. It is important that information on your application form is correct and kept up to date. Any sickness declared by a previous employer will be reviewed by Occupational Health in line with the North Wales Police Absence Management policy.

We will only contact your current employer with your consent – it will be one of the last stages of the process.

Here at North Wales Police we actively encourage all our staff and officers to use Welsh in their daily lives at work.

Therefore we ask all new police officer recruits to demonstrate basic skills in the Welsh language (level 2 competency).

The review will take place in an informal manner with a sympathetic Welsh speaker. We offer support and guidance to help you achieve the required level.

We also have online learning resources that may assist you with your learning.

If you are a fluent Welsh language speaker or went to an all-Welsh speaking school then you won’t need to complete the review. This will be verified during the process.

We will invite you along to Force Headquarters, Colwyn Bay for your biometric assessments. These consist of DNA samples and fingerprints which are taken by trained North Wales Police staff and also drug testing which is undertaken by an external company.

Policing has never been an easy job. You will be required to handle a variety of situations involving physically challenging tasks.

You will need strength, agility and stamina to deal effectively with situations as well as to defend yourself and others. You also need to be fit to handle police equipment safely and to work shifts.

The fitness test is a way for us to ensure you are fit enough to cope with the demands of the job.

Learn more about what the test involves (PDF)

You’ll have been given a medical history questionnaire. This must be completed by your doctor – please note that they may charge you for doing this, and it can take up to four weeks to return the forms to you.

Once your medical papers have been viewed by our Occupational Health Unit, you will be invited to attend a medical assessment with our nurse and Force doctor.

Eyesight Standards (Gov.uk)

Recommended Medical Standards (PDF)

Congratulations, the process is now complete and we’ll write to you to confirm your appointment and start date. We aim to give one month’s notice for your start date.

Before your start date you’ll be required to;

1. Enrol with our partner university
2. Attend Headquarters for a uniform fitting
3. Complete pre-join online training packages
4. Return all requested documents to the recruitment team