Human Resources - Work experience protocol (L11300)

1. Summary of changes

1.1. This protocol has been reviewed in October 2026 and the following amendments made:

• Paragraph 3.6.2 updated
• Paragraph 3.5.4 removed

2. What this protocol is about

2.1. Kent Police supports the principle of work experience as a means of working closer with the community, and it may also help those who are considering the Police Service as a career option.

2.2. The purpose of this protocol is to provide guidance to all those wishing to undertake work experience with Kent Police and those individuals managing the programme on behalf of the force.

2.3 The Head of HR Resourcing may exercise discretion to consider reasonable exceptions to this protocol, where there is clear rationale on a case-by-case basis.

2.4 Kent Police will not tolerate any form of rude, abusive or inappropriate behaviour or language towards their staff, officers or members of the public. Compliance with the force’s Standards of Professional Behaviour and the Code of Ethics are considered during all elements of the work experience process. The force reserves the right to discontinue a placement, without notice, where standards are not met and maintained.

This protocol is not nor is it intended to be contractual.

Compliance with this protocol and any governing policy is mandatory.

3. Detail the protocol

3.1. Work Experience Programmes

3.1.1. Kent Police run a series of work experience programmes throughout the year aimed at providing individuals with a structured placement designed to maximise their exposure to the policing landscape and future career opportunities within policing.

3.1.2. The number of placements supported will be considered on a local basis and this will depend on the force’s ability to provide a meaningful programme for the individual in question. The exigencies of duty will always take priority and applications for placements may therefore be turned down by the force if they cannot be appropriately accommodated due to operational need.

3.1.3. Due to the high number of requests received, Kent Police are not generally able to accommodate work experience placement requests outside of the dates of the agreed corporate work experience programme. This programme is held at our Kent Police College located in Maidstone, Kent.

3.2. Application

3.2.1. Individuals wishing to apply to participate in the work experience programme should be directed to the Corporate Recruitment Team [email protected] in the first instance who will co-ordinate all requests and allocations of placements.

3.2.2 To be considered to attend the work experience programme individuals must meet the following criteria:

• have a genuine interest in Kent Police;
• have or be expected to attain the necessary qualifications to enable them to qualify for such a post;
• provide positive proof of identification (e.g. Passport and Birth Certificate) See force policy P04a - ‘Authentication procedure for new employees’;
• meet the required levels of vetting to undertake the placement (see below).

3.2.3. Corporate Recruitment will notify individuals who have expressed an interest to undertake work experience when suitable work experience programmes are identified.

3.3. Vetting and checks

3.3.1. The Corporate Recruitment Team will consider the individuals' suitability and conduct the necessary vetting checks in line with Force Policy P04: Vetting.

3.3.2. Once the necessary checks and references have been completed the Corporate Recruitment Team will correspond with the individual to ensure that all relevant joining instructions are confirmed and confirmation of attendance is received.

3.4. Data protection

3.4.1. All individuals undertaking a work experience placement must read and sign the Work Placement Agreement prior to their start date. Force security requirements (e.g. the importance of not divulging information) must be explained by the nominated local contact at the start of the individual’s placement.

3.4.2 Protectively marked material and confidential information that would not be provided to a member of the public should not be shared with an individual during their placement.

3.4.3. Any information (e.g. diary entries) recorded by an individual during their placement must not breach the Data Protection Act (1998), GDPR (2018) or include sensitive information.

3.5. Exposure to disturbing situations

3.5.1. Supervising officers should make every effort to protect individuals from being unnecessarily exposed to any type of traumatic/disturbing incident or physical danger.

3.5.2 Individuals undertaking work experience should not at any time be deployed in an Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV) or attend calls where there is the potential for physical of psychological harm. On no account should an individual be allowed to attend a sudden death, post mortem or similar incident. In most cases individuals undertaking the work experience programme will remain on-site at the Kent Police training school.

3.5.3. In the case of a student under the age of 18 years old, the parent/guardian must sign the declaration of consent on the Work Placement Agreement form.

3.5.4. All incidents or events experienced by any individual during their placement must be subject to a Dynamic Risk Assessment (DRA) and that DRA must be recorded by the escorting officer/staff.

3.5.5. Providing the principles outlined above are strictly followed, activities including Crime Investigation, Community Liaison, Licensing, Crime Reduction, Tasking & Coordination and patrolling with a neighbourhood officer/PCSO may be accommodated during an individual’s placement.

3.6. Insurance

3.6.1. All placements must have personal accident insurance cover.

3.6.2. Kent Police maintains appropriate insurance arrangements in respect of work experience placements, subject to the terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions of the relevant insurance policies. Individuals undertaking a placement should be advised that they may wish to obtain their own additional insurance.

4. Equality Impact Assessment (EIA)

4.1. An equality impact assessment has been carried out and shows the proposals in this protocol would have no potential or actual differential impact on the grounds of race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, transgender, disability, age, religion or belief or sexual orientation.

5. Risk assessment

5.1. There is no specific risk assessment or health and safety consideration thought relevant to the content of this protocol.

5.2. Officers and members of police staff engaged within the process must remain aware that they must follow the protocol correctly. A failure to fully adopt the principles set out in this protocol could have a detrimental effect upon individuals on placement, officers and staff and the reputation of the organisation.

6. Consultation

6.1. This is a format change only, hence no consultation is necessary.

7. Monitoring and review

7.1. Monitoring will be undertaken by the Head of Resourcing, with a review being undertaken every two years or as appropriate due to significant change.

8. Governing force policy

8.1 This HR protocol supports the overarching HR policy L1.

8.2 Data security
Essex Police and Kent Police have measures in place to protect the security of your data in accordance with our Information Management Policy - W1000 Policy - Information Management.

8.3 Retention and disposal of records
Essex Police and Kent Police will hold data in accordance with our Records Review, Retention and disposal policy.