2021/22 Detective Constable Met Police Grad Scheme

Original post by Ness1708

sorry what is PPST ? How early does the beep test come after the starting date ?

PPST aka OST Officer Safety Training. Fighting with people and also more critically your handcuffing skills / assessment, which you must pass.

The whole thing sounds a lot more dramatic than it really is and they show you some really dramatic videos - but frankly if you're a detective, certainly as a borough detective, you're probably going to stick your baton and handcuffs in your locker and forget about them for 364 out of 365 days of the year - and probably never wear your Metvest again.

There will be a lot of shouting and hitting things but really there's not that much to it other than showing that you're taking it all quite seriously.

The bleep test is done on the first day of OST and for most people in most units is done every year before their OST. OST is done in cycles, so it's entirely possible that you'll have another OST / bleep test very shortly after going to borough - depending on where they place you and where your unit / leave line is in the cycle.

Reply 1482

Original post by Ness1708

Thank you so much for this.

sorry what is PPST ? How early does the beep test come after the starting date ?

Also, how is the Uni schedule ? Is it normal hours and week days like général unis or is it different please ?

PPST is basically officer safety training, youll have 8 days of training, and 2 days emergency life support training, and your bleep test is on the first day of PPST, which is the second week of when you start at hendon. So make sure you put in some training before then, the bleep test will happen every 6 months, at the moment its 5.4 but this may go up to 5.8.

You will be assigned a uni which shouldnt be more than 1 and a half hours away, but for some like me, you may fall throough an admin crack and get put on the other side of london for borough and uni lol. Challange that straightaway if your travel time is over 90 minutes to uni or BCU. Usually, atleast at my uni, its a regular 9-5, and 1 day PPST which could be anywhere, i was lucky i had hendon for all my sessions, but others were at different places each week for ppst, but your uni will remain the same. PPST timings also differ you either get 7 - 2 or 2 - 10, but you will always finish early, depending on where you go.

With uni you are expected to be there at 8:45, thats just to condition you so when you go to bcu, your already in practice of parading 15 to half an hour before you start. depending on what uni you go to, if your class and other classes havnt done anything dodgy, you may get to go early. like at 4 30ish, but if someone does something stupid then they will get strict with the entire cohort will suffer.

On street duties it will all change and your roster will totally depend on the BCU your going to, you either go 2 earliers, 2 lates, and 2 nights with i think 3 days off, my BCU does 4 10 hour shifts and 3 off, 1 week earlies, 1 week lates. soo it really depends on the BCU on street duties.

I hope this helps! if you need more info just let me know :smile:

Reply 1483

Original post by moezzx

With uni you are expected to be there at 8:45, thats just to condition you so when you go to bcu, your already in practice of parading 15 to half an hour before you start.

Just a word on this, depending on how someone interprets this, as some people might be thinking they have to turn up an hour or more early to get ready for some unspecified reason.

There should be no expectation at all on anyone to "parade" early. It's also important to differentiate the terms "parade" and "arrive at work". "Parading" means the time at which you are actually required to be at work and the time you are booked on. On things like borough response team this is the time the daily briefing will start - and you must be there on time for this. However, you cannot be required to be in any earlier than this - although in practical terms for PCs, you will have to have some time to get changed etc - and you do have to be ready to deploy immediately. If anyone says that you have to be in 15 mins or 30 mins before your parade time - that is simply wrong. You just have to be at your briefing, in uniform with kit and ready to go.

There are a couple of exceptions to this, which will never be sprung on anyone. If you are parading somewhere other than your normal place of work, for example for aid or OT, unless you have made arrangements to be picked up, you will have to get yourself and your stuff to wherever it is - and yes, that will probably require you to turn up early to your normal station and then go to the parading station. The other is that some reliefs might have a system where one or two cars parade early to provide cover during the briefing.

For most detectives, parading and showing up to work will be the same thing, as it's overwhelmingly an office job and you don't have to get changed.

All I would say is that you should always be punctual, and it is inevitable that people will end up being some time early due to travel arrangements etc - but I'd repeat that there should never be an expectation for you to actually start work before your parade time. You won't get booked on, and you won't get paid any more - it's bad enough that you have to do more than 30mins over before you get paid OT, so don't give away any more time than that.

Obv, training school is a completely different situation and any time you lose by being expected to show up early, you will inevitably get back with early finishes.

(edited 1 year ago)

Reply 1484

Original post by Trinculo

Just a word on this, depending on how someone interprets this, as some people might be thinking they have to turn up an hour or more early to get ready for some unspecified reason.

There should be no expectation at all on anyone to "parade" early. It's also important to differentiate the terms "parade" and "arrive at work". "Parading" means the time at which you are actually required to be at work and the time you are booked on. On things like borough response team this is the time the daily briefing will start - and you must be there on time for this. However, you cannot be required to be in any earlier than this - although in practical terms for PCs, you will have to have some time to get changed etc - and you do have to be ready to deploy immediately. If anyone says that you have to be in 15 mins or 30 mins before your parade time - that is simply wrong. You just have to be at your briefing, in uniform with kit and ready to go.

There are a couple of exceptions to this, which will never be sprung on anyone. If you are parading somewhere other than your normal place of work, for example for aid or OT, unless you have made arrangements to be picked up, you will have to get yourself and your stuff to wherever it is - and yes, that will probably require you to turn up early to your normal station and then go to the parading station. The other is that some reliefs might have a system where one or two cars parade early to provide cover during the briefing.

For most detectives, parading and showing up to work will be the same thing, as it's overwhelmingly an office job and you don't have to get changed.

All I would say is that you should always be punctual, and it is inevitable that people will end up being some time early due to travel arrangements etc - but I'd repeat that there should never be an expectation for you to actually start work before your parade time. You won't get booked on, and you won't get paid any more - it's bad enough that you have to do more than 30mins over before you get paid OT, so don't give away any more time than that.

Obv, training school is a completely different situation and any time you lose by being expected to show up early, you will inevitably get back with early finishes.

Thank you for this info, currently at uni, if anyone is 1 minute late after 8:45 they get chewed up lol, they drilled in our heads that we 'have to' be there half an hour before on bcu, and how its good for everyone and your colleagues. They said, you can also relieve your friends so they dont take a call 10 minutes before end of shift for them, and you may leave early.

I usually arrive at uni an hour early because i am so scared of traffic conditions that i may be a minute late to class. I dont think its healthy.

So basically just make sure your read to go out at whatever time your shift starts?

Reply 1485

Original post by moezzx

Thank you for this info, currently at uni, if anyone is 1 minute late after 8:45 they get chewed up lol, they drilled in our heads that we 'have to' be there half an hour before on bcu, and how its good for everyone and your colleagues. They said, you can also relieve your friends so they dont take a call 10 minutes before end of shift for them, and you may leave early.

I usually arrive at uni an hour early because i am so scared of traffic conditions that i may be a minute late to class. I dont think its healthy.

So basically just make sure your read to go out at whatever time your shift starts?

From what you say, it sounds like they’re just using it as a method of trying to instil some quantum of discipline and routine in the cohort. Not the best idea I’ve heard of, but not the worst either.

As I said before you have to separate the requirements from what is practical. No, nobody is required to be at work before their parade time under normal circumstances. However,in a realistic and practical sense, of course there will be a minimum time required to arrive and get changed and be presentable and ready to work. So - yes in practice as a PC on Borough you should be aiming to be in around 30 mins before your parade / briefing time - simply as a matter of habit and timing - but you can’t realistically be required to work, answer emails or anything until you’re booked on.

My advice to anybody would be to go along with whatever they want you to do at uni / training because there is no harm in it and you aren’t losing out. But as a borough PC being super early isnt really that helpful. Sure, you could get on a computer and look at your work file but you’re working for free. You’re all going to brief together and depending on how your relief runs you probably won’t even know who you’re working with until after that, nor what your posting is. Then you have to wait for a car to be available and there will probably be a queue to draw tasers out - so chances are no one is going anywhere for a while in any case as these things can’t really be done before parade.

Most people reading this will be detectives in any case and this will cease to be relevant after street duties

Reply 1486

Ness1708

5

Original post by moezzx

PPST is basically officer safety training, youll have 8 days of training, and 2 days emergency life support training, and your bleep test is on the first day of PPST, which is the second week of when you start at hendon. So make sure you put in some training before then, the bleep test will happen every 6 months, at the moment its 5.4 but this may go up to 5.8.

You will be assigned a uni which shouldnt be more than 1 and a half hours away, but for some like me, you may fall throough an admin crack and get put on the other side of london for borough and uni lol. Challange that straightaway if your travel time is over 90 minutes to uni or BCU. Usually, atleast at my uni, its a regular 9-5, and 1 day PPST which could be anywhere, i was lucky i had hendon for all my sessions, but others were at different places each week for ppst, but your uni will remain the same. PPST timings also differ you either get 7 - 2 or 2 - 10, but you will always finish early, depending on where you go.

With uni you are expected to be there at 8:45, thats just to condition you so when you go to bcu, your already in practice of parading 15 to half an hour before you start. depending on what uni you go to, if your class and other classes havnt done anything dodgy, you may get to go early. like at 4 30ish, but if someone does something stupid then they will get strict with the entire cohort will suffer.

On street duties it will all change and your roster will totally depend on the BCU your going to, you either go 2 earliers, 2 lates, and 2 nights with i think 3 days off, my BCU does 4 10 hour shifts and 3 off, 1 week earlies, 1 week lates. soo it really depends on the BCU on street duties.

I hope this helps! if you need more info just let me know :smile:

Thank you so much ! So I should expect the beep test just a few weeks after my starting date ( the one on the job offer) ?

how long do we have uni before street duties ? Do we go back to uni after street duty weeks ?

Reply 1487

Original post by Ness1708

Thank you so much ! So I should expect the beep test just a few weeks after my starting date ( the one on the job offer) ?

how long do we have uni before street duties ? Do we go back to uni after street duty weeks ?

Hi there, Your welcome :smile:

, So yes your bleep test will be on the second week sometime depending on when your Day1 PPST will be, your first week will be 3 days hendon 2 days uni, first day at uni is induction, second day is your first lecture.

Uni will be about 17 weeks, 1 of which will be something called familiarisation week at your BCU. Depending on where your going youll have talks from different people in different departments, some role plays, you also get your kit! If your a PC youll get your full kit, if you are a DC then you will get a harness rather than a Belt. So its like the American detectives except its not for guns lol, its for baton pava cuffs etc. On Fam week you will also get 1 day public order training. Basically they will teach you how to do cordons etc at events, you will also see level 2 and level 1 training, those guys get fire bombs and stuff thrown at them, Its pretty fun.

Uni will get old after week 13, the content becomes unrelated and deflating, stuff more senior officers should know about, stuff you can only know when your actually there in person doing it. Also you get ALOT of presentations, now i am at week 17, its REALLY tiresome. So be prepared for that, if you have confidence issues presenting infront of people like i do, prepare your self and find your style quickly. I think we had one on the second day of uni aswell.

After week 17, its street duties which is 10 weeks (PC's) and 16 weeks (DC'S) and when that is done, you go back to uni for 3 weeks, from here DC's and PC's will have different material to learn. I am not sure for the PC's but for the DC's there will be alot of assighnments coming up, they will be VERRRYY vague about it. You will know the ins and outs about the first 17 weeks but post street duties its like mythical stories and hearsay. You will have to dig out dates and assigment deadlines from a website you will sign up to when you start. but your first 17 weeks, although there is ALOT of work, MCQ's and an exam. there are only 2 things that are assessed, a 2000 word OCP which they will tell you all about and a 2 hour open book exam.

Over the 2 years you will come back at certain times to uni where they will teach you a few things, and set you an assignment. from what i gathered these are: 6 more assignments other than the 2 you will have on first 17 weeks. these range from essays to portfolios to assessed presentations.

I believe your BCU will set you aside some study time while working. I dont know how this works, if they actually give you a shift off to do an assignment, or allocate a rest day for you to do your work. I dont know how many days of those they will give you either. Like i said, extremely vague. Its hard work! Always remind your self why you joined. for me i left a job that paid more for less hours and can work from home, coming to this job where you work more hours than a regular job and less pay and at times you will think why am i putting my self through this? So the reason what made you join, always keep it in mind, almost frame it if you have to lol. it will be tough, but i believe its worth it in the end!

Sorry my replies are far too long.

Reply 1488

Student0926

2

Hey, does anyone know if we have weekends off when training?

Yes

Original post by moezzx

Hi there, Your welcome :smile:

, So yes your bleep test will be on the second week sometime depending on when your Day1 PPST will be, your first week will be 3 days hendon 2 days uni, first day at uni is induction, second day is your first lecture.

Uni will be about 17 weeks, 1 of which will be something called familiarisation week at your BCU. Depending on where your going youll have talks from different people in different departments, some role plays, you also get your kit! If your a PC youll get your full kit, if you are a DC then you will get a harness rather than a Belt. So its like the American detectives except its not for guns lol, its for baton pava cuffs etc. On Fam week you will also get 1 day public order training. Basically they will teach you how to do cordons etc at events, you will also see level 2 and level 1 training, those guys get fire bombs and stuff thrown at them, Its pretty fun.

Uni will get old after week 13, the content becomes unrelated and deflating, stuff more senior officers should know about, stuff you can only know when your actually there in person doing it. Also you get ALOT of presentations, now i am at week 17, its REALLY tiresome. So be prepared for that, if you have confidence issues presenting infront of people like i do, prepare your self and find your style quickly. I think we had one on the second day of uni aswell.

After week 17, its street duties which is 10 weeks (PC's) and 16 weeks (DC'S) and when that is done, you go back to uni for 3 weeks, from here DC's and PC's will have different material to learn. I am not sure for the PC's but for the DC's there will be alot of assighnments coming up, they will be VERRRYY vague about it. You will know the ins and outs about the first 17 weeks but post street duties its like mythical stories and hearsay. You will have to dig out dates and assigment deadlines from a website you will sign up to when you start. but your first 17 weeks, although there is ALOT of work, MCQ's and an exam. there are only 2 things that are assessed, a 2000 word OCP which they will tell you all about and a 2 hour open book exam.

Over the 2 years you will come back at certain times to uni where they will teach you a few things, and set you an assignment. from what i gathered these are: 6 more assignments other than the 2 you will have on first 17 weeks. these range from essays to portfolios to assessed presentations.

I believe your BCU will set you aside some study time while working. I dont know how this works, if they actually give you a shift off to do an assignment, or allocate a rest day for you to do your work. I dont know how many days of those they will give you either. Like i said, extremely vague. Its hard work! Always remind your self why you joined. for me i left a job that paid more for less hours and can work from home, coming to this job where you work more hours than a regular job and less pay and at times you will think why am i putting my self through this? So the reason what made you join, always keep it in mind, almost frame it if you have to lol. it will be tough, but i believe its worth it in the end!

Sorry my replies are far too long.

3 month update, how's it going? Do tell!

Reply 1491

Original post by noisewind

3 month update, how's it going? Do tell!

Hi there sorry for the delayed response!

I am about to start MIST next week! I finished street duties and to be honest its different borough to borough but WA was really good for me specially detective street duties. Loved it.

We had to return to uni for 3 weeks where we did absolutly nothing, a collosal waste of time. I really believe that babcock is scamming the mps as the content was recycled from week 17 and we spent some days sitting in class with no lectures and did absolutly nothing. Ofcourse most of us were revising for the NIE and just catching up with some casefiles. You will find the more time you spend on borough the more you realise what a waste of time uni is, but its the only way right now to get in.

Unlike PC's your street duties will be about 16 weeks, where you will do IPS which is really easy, and PIP1 which is slightly more difficult as they want you to do slightly more than just throw on a CRIS or a MERLIN. E.G. for CRIS on IPS you just create it and do the dets, for PIP1 you need to do enquires and investigation until you reach a resolution. For PIP1 its also 2 of each. Two seearches, two initial response, two interviews etc. So if you finish IPS i would recommend you ask to be put on team so you can gather all the stuff you would find difficult if you are on DC attachments.

With that being said, its easy to get it all done just be proactive. Dont shy away from stuff and stick your hand up for everything.

Now for post street duties, You will be placed on MIST straight away. MIST is pretty much a mystery for everyone until your a few weeks away. What it entails is you will be on shift, which is likely to be 2 earlies 2 lates and 2 nights with some day shifts (8 to 5) peppered about. You will have Crimes on your cris to deal with but at the same time, you will be given a prisoner each day to deal with. So that means doing up your connect file, booking solicitor etc and interviewing then charging bailing whatever, you basically need to deal with that prisoner before the end of PACE clock. This while having about 20 crimes in your file to deal with lol. So its hectic and you will be tested.

You will do 4 months of MIST before moving to CSU which is basically dealing with domestics every day. Your mission there is to safeguard the victim as much as you want to go after the suspect and put them away. your victories are in making sure the victim is safe. Between MIST and CSU you will return to uni for more lovely Uni work which contributes towards your Diploma which nobody wants, but there are three weeks which is basically met led to train you for PIP2.

After Your IPS, PIP1 and FOC will open up for you, i suggest you complete as you go along, your PIP2 and FOC will need to be completed before end of your probation so you will have alot of time. But pretty much from mist you will be working a normal job and you will have the random nuisance from uni.

Reply 1492

Original post by moezzx

Now for post street duties, You will be placed on MIST straight away. MIST is pretty much a mystery for everyone until your a few weeks away. What it entails is you will be on shift, which is likely to be 2 earlies 2 lates and 2 nights with some day shifts (8 to 5) peppered about. You will have Crimes on your cris to deal with but at the same time, you will be given a prisoner each day to deal with. So that means doing up your connect file, booking solicitor etc and interviewing then charging bailing whatever, you basically need to deal with that prisoner before the end of PACE clock. This while having about 20 crimes in your file to deal with lol. So its hectic and you will be tested.

You will do 4 months of MIST before moving to CSU which is basically dealing with domestics every day. Your mission there is to safeguard the victim as much as you want to go after the suspect and put them away. your victories are in making sure the victim is safe. Between MIST and CSU you will return to uni for more lovely Uni work which contributes towards your Diploma which nobody wants, but there are three weeks which is basically met led to train you for PIP2.

The above does depend very heavily on your borough and local policy, and even how each individual response team works, as each MIST is attached to a particular team.

I would also say this is a rather optimistic assessment of CSU. A lot of people go in to Safeguarding wanting to protect vulnerable people, and 2 months later are so drained and desensitised to it all. I did Sapphire (or SSOT as its now called) and by the end I came to realise half the victims are worse than the suspects, and a large number of victims make it impossible to help them.

The comment about being proactive and volunteering for everything. If you have the energy for this - it does actually work. There was someone from this actual forum who was very keen and very proactive, worked hard and didn't let the work get him into a rut and pretty soon a lot of opportunities came his way to move to cool squads. There's a lot of writing in this job and your names goes on everything so people can see who has done what. Contrary to what they are saying, we are still massively short of people so there are going to be cool opportunities for those that chase them.

I will try and get that forum member to come on and give some of their experience.

(edited 8 months ago)

Reply 1493