PCDA programme

I’m starting the PCDA programme with greater manchester police on November 10th. Reach out if anyone else is on the same intake.

Reply 1

chrizzyG

Original post

by Georgina.otero

I’m starting the PCDA programme with greater manchester police on November 10th. Reach out if anyone else is on the same intake.

Im doing my gcses this year. I have spoken to a few officers at this SY Policing event. But im wondering how you got on to the course and also what your loking forward too!

Reply 2

JR02BUL

Original post

by chrizzyG

Im doing my gcses this year. I have spoken to a few officers at this SY Policing event. But im wondering how you got on to the course and also what your loking forward too!

Hey, I am about to start the PCDA with the Met Police November 17th and may be able to offer some guidance on the process / how someone can get on the course - feel free to ask me any questions.
. Essentially, you would complete your GCSEs before anything else. Regarding formal qualifications you then need one further aspect, perhaps two A levels at an E or above, or a level 3 qualification.
. You would then begin your application before the 'Day 1 Assessment'. This is several basic online tests which you should comfortably pass, and there isn't really anything you can do to study for these.
. 'Day 1' - You will then be invited to a 'Day 1' online assessment which consists of a written response to a random given scenario, e.g. write a letter to X to advise on how you would deal with Y set of problems at a housing block (e.g. vandalism, vulnerable residents, etc.). You will also do an online verbal / visual assessment where you are presented with a scenario (e.g. late night youth drinking / party) and answer a set of questions one at a time into your camera on what you would do in response to the situation. This is done by yourself then reviewed by the Recruitment team, rather than an active interview with a member of Recruitment.
. 'Day 2' (Fitness, Medical, Final Interview Stage) - Upon completing Day 1 you will be invited to a 'Day 2'.
This includes a fitness test which requires you to achieve a 5.4 in the Bleep Test - I had to do this twice due to my first test elapsing and there were several unfit and out of shape people there with me, and everybody managed to pass so this is not much of an issue.
The medical aspect is straightforward: fingerprints taken, eyesight and hearing measured, hair sample taken to test for substances in blood over the last 4 months, weight taken, etc. All standard stuff.
The Assessment aspect here is broken down into two parts:
Role Play - Here, you are given a short period of time alone in a room to consider how you would deal with the scenario presented to you on a piece of paper. This could be a dispute between neighbours, or some other similar basic dispute. After the time elapses, you will then go to a room with an actor / actors who act out the scenario on the paper, and you have (I'm pretty sure) 10 minutes to do your best to act like a police officer and deal with the situation. An assessor is also present in the room watching and taking notes. You are not expected to be perfect or know the law, just act confident and assertive, and attempt to deescalate and find a peaceful resolution. You will almost certainly use all the time, as the actors will prolong the task.
In-person Interview - 20-30 minutes long. You will be asked several open-ended questions about yourself and how your personal experiences align with the Police's values. There are usually two interviewers who will make notes as you answer the five or six questions + follow ups. I found this quite a relaxing experience actually, and was told to make my time with the answers and made to feel under little pressure.
. Vetting + Pre-employment checks: Within a few weeks of passing Day 2 you will be sent an email asking you to log on to a vetting portal and submit information. This includes addresses, family members information, whether you have any links to crime, social media, and a whole bunch of other stuff. It is straightforward enough, just make sure you disclose all relevant information. The pre-employment checks are personal references and proof of your qualifications. For me this was proof of my record at university, and 2 character references. This is also straightforward.
*Additional Thoughts -
In my experience there was a hold up with Occupational Health due to a surgery I had which caused a few months delay in my application. This in turn meant I had to do a another fitness test and redo vetting, which made my application take one year longer than it should have.
Also, I am in the November intake which is the last one until April next year (for London anyway), so you could face additional delays quite easily. Be patient with the process and try and get a job to earn some money after your qualifications in case this happens.

Feel free to ask anything else.