Who we are looking for

You must be able to answer 'Yes' to the following statements:

1. I am a British Citizen, member of the EC or other states in the European Economic Area. If you are a Commonwealth Citizen or a foreign national, you must be resident in the UK free from restrictions and with indefinite leave to remain in the UK
2. I have lived in the UK continuously for the last three years. This does not apply to those serving abroad with the British Armed Forces or conducting government work
3. I am 17 years old or older at the point of application. If you are 17, you can go through the recruitment and selection process, but will not receive an offer of employment until you have turned 18
4. I have a full UK category B manual driving licence
5. I don't have any tattoos or piercings which cause offence, are excessive or deemed unprofessional
6. I am not registered bankrupt or subject to CCJs. If you have an IVA, we consider your application on a case by case basis
7. Any previous criminal convictions or cautions (including spent convictions), fixed penalty notices, traffic offences or any involvement with the police must be declared and they may affect your application

No formal qualifications are necessary; however you will be required to undertake an assessment and interview to determine your suitability to perform the role.

You will also need:

• strong interpersonal and communication skills
• to be able to work as part of a team
• to have a confident approach
• to be able to work independently and flexibly with the ability to self-motivate
• IT skills with experience or the ability to learn Microsoft products such as Outlook and Word and bespoke force systems

You will need to undertake an assessment and interview to determine your suitability and ability to perform the role of a PCSO.

You will need to be resilient to cope with the demands and pressures of the role so applicants should be in good health both mentally and physically.

You will undergo a medical examination to ensure you meet the health standards required.

View further information about the required medical standards including eyesight.

A fitness test is required to be undertaken as part of the recruitment process. Further details will be provided by the Recruitment Team once we receive your application.

Tattoos

1. a distance photograph to clearly identify where on your body the tattoo is
2. a close-up photograph which clearly identifies the images in the tattoo

All applications will be assessed on an individual basis with issues such as size, nature, prominence, and military context/references taken into consideration.

Tattoos which could reasonably be interpreted as discriminatory or offensive and/or indicate attitudes or views inconsistent with the College of Policing’s Code of Ethics and the Standards of Professional Behaviour will always be deemed unacceptable and will prevent you from being able to join us.

Whilst not exhaustive, we have the following guiding principles:

• visible tattoos of weapons (such as images of knives, firearms etc) are unlikely to be acceptable
• visible tattoos depicting controlled drugs (such as cannabis leaves, spliffs etc) are unlikely to be acceptable
• visible tattoos depicting violence, suffering or death are unlikely to be acceptable (simple images of skulls will not usually fall within this category)
• visible tattoos in the style of ‘el dia de los muertos’ (The Day of the Dead) are unlikely to be acceptable if they fall in to one of the above categories, however not all tattoos in this style will necessarily be unacceptable (examples of unacceptable tattoos in this style would include women with their lips stitched together and images of decomposing features)
• visible tattoos which indicate political support are unlikely to be acceptable
• visible tattoos which are sexually explicit or depict nudity are unlikely to be acceptable
• tattoos on the hands, face and neck will only be approved by exception
• a higher tolerance threshold will be applied to tattoos which are not visible in standard uniform dress, however tattoos which are considered incompatible with Kent Police values will still not be acceptable

Body piercings

If you have a body piercing or other body modification you may be considered eligible to apply.

We'll check it to make sure it doesn't breach the Standard of Professional Behaviour for serving police officers or constitute a risk to health and safety.

Ideally, you shouldn't have a criminal conviction or cautions record. If you do have one, eligibility will depend on the age and nature of the offence.

We're unable to confirm whether your convictions record will affect your application before you apply, but will determine this from information provided during the recruitment and selection process.

If you don't tell us about any cautions, investigations or criminal convictions, your application could be refused.

If in any doubt, disclose the information.

For more information please view our vetting guidance.

It's important that you're not under pressure from un-discharged debts or liabilities and that you can manage loans and debts sensibly.

You will not qualify for vetting clearance if you:

• have existing county court judgments (CCJs) outstanding
• have been registered bankrupt and have not discharged your bankruptcy. You will not be considered until three years after the discharge of the debt. Debt Relief Orders (DRO) are treated in the same way as bankruptcy
• if you refuse to discuss a relevant matter or engage with the vetting process

For more information please view the vetting guidance.