Degree Holder Entry Programme (DHEP)
Applying to join as a police constable is still very much about on-the-job training, but with the added benefit of gaining a Graduate Diploma in Professional Policing from Anglia Ruskin University. There is no cost to you - Kent Police will cover all qualification fees.
Please note should this police officer entry route be oversubscribed; it may be necessary for us to make changes to your entry route based on your eligibility to secure your optimum joining date. If this is the case, we will contact you.
You will start your training at our training college with some classroom-based learning. You will also join an operational policing team who you will work alongside in operational day-to-day policing.
The programme will cover a wide range of policing topics including:
- policing, police law and police powers
- protection, vulnerability and public protection
- policing communities, response policing and investigating crime
- police leadership, coaching and mentoring
- officer safety training
- emergency life support
- safeguarding
- crime investigation and operational policing skills
You will undertake a number of operational, written and practical assessments throughout the programme to demonstrate your ability to carry out your policing responsibilities. In addition, you will also be required to complete a portfolio in which you will record your achievements and provide evidence of your progress in order to pass your operational assessments against a range of critical policing skills.
You will be fully supported throughout the process, helping you to develop and enhance the skills and experience you need for this challenging but rewarding role.
You will need to successfully complete both operational and academic assessments before being awarded the diploma.
Many people fail the vetting process because they withhold information.
You will not qualify for vetting clearance if you:
- have any 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
- refuse to discuss a relevant matter or engage with the vetting process
If you have applied for a police officer role (including special constable) or as a member of support staff and you are in the evidential chain, your application will be rejected where:
- offences were committed as an adult or juvenile which resulted in a prison sentence (including custodial, suspended or deferred sentence and sentences served at a young offender's institution or community home) or
- you are a registered sex offender or are subject to a registration requirement in respect of any other conviction
View the full vetting guidance.