Operational Policing

Work based learning with the Police

The University of South Wales supports police officer training in multiple Police Forces across England and Wales ensuring by the end of their training, officers will be educated to degree level, whichever route they choose.

Dependent on their qualifications when joining the police, new police officers and police community support officers will be required to commit to study through a combined work and study route within their local constabulary.  There is also an option to study a pre-join degree before applying to the police service.

PCDA LOGO
Police Education
Qualifications and Training

What qualifications and training are required in the Police?

The College of Policing, whose purpose is to develop police standards, have begun to implement a Policing Education Qualifications Framework which includes nationally recognised and accredited qualifications for the police service.

The University of South Wales are a licenced to deliver these qualifications in the workplace, which include a degree apprenticeship and graduate diploma in Professional Policing Practice for serving Police Officers and the Certificate in Community Policing for employed Police Community Support Officers.

Degree Apprenticeship

Professional Policing Teaching.jpg

Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA)

If you join the police without a degree-level qualification, you can follow a three-year professional degree apprenticeship known as the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA).

This study route includes on and off-the-job learning. On completion, you will gain a BSc (Hons) Professional Policing Practice degree.

Your learning journey will consist of academic modules that has practical elements integrated into them. You will be required to evidence practical competency by completing an Occupational Competency Portfolio (OCP) of the skills you have demonstrated in the workplace.

You will need to achieve Independent Patrol Status (IPS) by the end of your first year and complete the portfolio by the end of year 2. To successfully complete your 3 year probationary period and attain the qualification you will need to have evidenced all practice based competencies, passed all academic modules and (where not already achieved) attained the equivalent of Functional Skills Level 2 in English and Mathematics as prescribed in the College of Policing requirements for this qualification.

Year One

  • Role of the Police I
  • Responding to Incidents I
  • Continuous Improvement I
  • Working with Communities I
  • Prevention and Protection I
  • Evidence and Investigation I

Year Two

  • Role of the Police II
  • Responding to Incidents II
  • Continuous Improvement II
  • Working with Communities II
  • Prevention and Protection II
  • Evidence and Investigation II

Year Three

  • Modern Policing and Investigations
  • Intelligence Led Policing
  • Management in Policing
  • Occupational Competency Portfolio Review (EPA)
  • Evidence Based Project (EPA) (40 credits)

Please note: All modules are worth 20 credits unless otherwise stated.

Graduate Diploma

Gloucestershire Police

Degree-holder Entry Programme (DHEP)

If you already have a degree when you join the police, you can join and follow a two-year work-based programme known as the Degree-holder Entry Programme (DHEP).

This study route is supported by off-the-job learning. On completion, you will gain a Graduate Diploma in Professional Policing Practice

Your learning journey will consist of academic modules that has practical elements integrated into them. You will be required to evidence practical competency by completing an Occupational Competency Portfolio (OCP) of the skills you have demonstrated in the workplace.

You will need to achieve Independent Patrol Status (IPS) by the end of your first year and complete the portfolio by the end of year 2. To successfully complete your 2 year probationary period and attain the qualification you will need to have evidenced all practice based competencies and passed all academic modules.

Year One

  • Role of the Police
  • Responding to Incidents
  • Continuous Improvement
  • Working with Communities
  • Prevention and Protection
  • Evidence and Investigation

Year Two

  • Response Policing (Advanced) 
  • Community Policing (Advanced) 
  • Modern Investigations (Advanced)

Please note: In year one, all modules are 10 credits and in year two each module is 20 credits.


Higher Education Certificate

Level 4 Higher Education Certificate Community Policing Practice

Within the overall professional context of Policing Vision 2025 the College of Policing, as the professional body for the police service, has developed new entry routes into the policing profession for the role of Police Community Support Officer (PCSO), as part of the ongoing development of the Policing Education Qualifications Framework (PEQF). The PEQF is a standardised national framework setting professionally-related qualification levels for the police service, by rank or organisational level of responsibility.

  • A Level 4 PCSO Apprenticeship entry programme (England and Wales), and
  • A Level 4 PCSO Non-Apprenticeship entry programme (England and Wales)

Important: In order to enrol on this course you will need to be employed as a PCSO with one of our partner forces. Details of PCSO recruitment process and eligibility criteria is available on our partner force websites.

Your learning journey will consist of academic modules that has practical elements. You will be required to evidence practical competency by completing an Operational Competence Portfolio (OCP) of the skills you have demonstrated in the workplace.

To successfully complete your probationary period and attain the qualification you will need to have evidenced all practice-based competencies, passed all academic modules. Apprentices will need to attain Functional Skills Level 2 in English and Mathematics (where not already attained the equivalent) as prescribed in the College of Policing requirements for the apprenticeship route. 

Modules


  • Principle and Standards in Policing 
  • Personal Skills and Practices
  • Engaging with the Community
  • Modern Day Policing
  • Safe and Lawful Patrol
  • Community Based Project
  • Full Operational Competence


Admissions Advice and Eligibility

To be eligible to study the degree apprenticeship or graduate diploma in professional policing you need to be a serving police officer in one of our partner constabularies. Serving police officers satisfy the academic entry requirements having passed the recruitment and selection process to join the police.

Partner Constabularies

Devon Police
Devon and Cornwall Police
Dorset Police Logo
Dorset Police
Dyfed Powys Police Logo
HEDDLU DYFED POWYS POLICE
Gloucestershire Police
GLOUCESTERSHIRE CONSTABULARY
Wiltshire Police logo
WILTSHIRE POLICE

SUBCONTRACTORS

The use of subcontractors in the delivery of degree apprenticeships are sometimes essential to ensuring the learning and experience meet the requirements of the relevant outcomes and standards.  Subcontractors are only used where they are better placed to provide specific learning opportunities or have expertise enhancing the delivery of the programme. 

The financial value of the subcontracting arrangement is based on the time resource required and the amount of support required to ensure that regulatory body standards and funding rules are adhered to. 
As the lead provider University South Wales (USW) will provide subcontracting partners with the support, tools and resource to monitor enrolment, quality, progression, assessment and contractual compliance. 
 
USW will ensure that the subcontractor is subject to a rigorous Due Diligence process and:

  • delivers a high quality service; 
  • will not further subcontract provision to other colleges or training organisations;
  • employs high calibre staff to deliver to learners and informs NSCG if these staff change;
  • complies with USW’s policies and procedures;
  • complies with the law e.g. Health and Safety, Data Protection, Equality and Diversity
  • has been risk assessed. 
  • Is registered with the UK Register of Learning Providers,
  • Is registered with the Register of Training Organisations (ROTO) or the Register of Apprenticeship Training Providers (RoATP), should the subcontractor require a contract value in excess of £100,000 per year.
  • is aware of the clear lines of responsibility and understands the consequences of any breach of contract.

Subcontractors will participate in: 

  • Safeguarding learners (including Prevent responsibilities)
  • Equality and Diversity, 
  • Regular unannounced quality assurance checks,
  • Short notice audit visits,
  • Observation of teaching and learning, 
  • Performance meetings, 
  • Learner satisfaction surveys. 
Apprentices throughout the duration of the PCDA remain students with USW and as such have access to all services.