Meet - Thames Valley Police

The starting salaries for our apprentices are as follows:

• Police Officers: £32,907 (including a £3,000 South-East allowance). After seven years of service, the salary will exceed £51,000 (including the £3,000 South-East allowance).
• Police Community Support Officers: £31,611–£32,928 per annum (Band 2E) from the first day of training, including shift allowances, depending on location and shift pattern.
• 999/111 Call Handlers: £35,167.90 per annum (inclusive of a 33.5% shift allowance).
• Staff Roles: We also offer a wide range of staff positions across different departments, providing essential support to frontline policing.

Regardless of the apprenticeship role, you will be entitled to 24 days of annual leave.

As an apprentice with us, you will have access to a wide range of discounts for:

• retailers
• restaurants
• travel
• tickets

And more. Plus, eligibility for Blue Light Card membership.

We place a great deal of importance on the wellbeing of our officers, staff and volunteers. We have a number of professional departments providing help and support when it’s needed, including:

• Occupational Health
• Physical Development Services
• Our Chaplaincy service
• Our team of Blue Light Champions
• Dedicated Wellbeing team

In addition, we offer a range of sports and social clubs, including football, rugby, and netball, providing opportunities to stay active, connect with colleagues, and unwind outside of work.

We invest in our people to build a flexible, capable, and engaged workforce equipped with the skills, knowledge and qualifications to deliver outstanding policing services. We support you in achieving your goals and realising your potential.

We are a workforce that values and supports each other. We are proud to be the home of a diverse range of staff support networks and support groups.

Our peer-led networks and groups provide advice and support on a range of issues, including:

• Faith Gender
• Disability
• Neurodiversity
• Ethnicity

They act as a critical friend to the organisation, championing improvements to policies and practices that improve the working lives of those within the force.

Alongside our own networks, our force is also involved with several national groups, such as:

• British Association of Women in Policing
• National Black Police Association
• National Christian Police Association
• National LGBT Police Network
• National Association of Muslim Police
• The newly formed National Trans Police Association

The PCDA is a three-year Police Constable (PC) entry programme combining operational duties with academic learning, resulting in formal degree qualification.

Successful applicants will complete 21 weeks of initial training, which is a blend of practical experience and classroom-based learning, followed by 10 weeks of individual coached patrol and tutoring, followed by work-based learning at your base station. This will lead you to attain a L6 accreditation in BSc Professional Policing Practice.

To apply for a PCDA, you must be 18 by your first day in the role, have achieved English and maths GCSE (A*-C/9-4) or an equivalent Level 2 qualification (e.g. Functional Skills), and two A-Levels (A-E) or equivalent.

For more information on English and maths Level 2, please click here.

For an overview of the PCDA programme, please view our course diagram.

Our recently launched PCSOA takes approximately 15 months. As an apprentice PCSO, you will combine your on-the-job practical learning and academic learning, resulting in the award of a formal level 4 qualification – Diploma in Community Policing Practice.

To apply for a PCSOA, you must be 18 by your first day in the role, have achieved English and maths GCSE (A*-C/9-4) or an equivalent Level 2 qualification (e.g. Functional Skills).

To find out more about a PCSOA, please visit our PCSO webpage.

Our call handlers are the first point of contact for more than 1,000 emergency and 2,200 non-emergency phone calls, as well as hundreds more online interactions every day. As a Trainee Contact Management Centre Officer, you’ll play a critical role in our response to emergencies. As part of your initial development, you will complete an Emergency Service Contact Handler Apprenticeship.

If you haven’t got a grade 4-9 in English and maths before you start your apprenticeship, you will need to complete functional skills as part of your apprenticeship.

To find out more about our call handler roles, visit our Call handler roles webpage.

We are continuing to introduce new apprenticeships across Police Staff departments as we look to attract talent from all ages and backgrounds. The variety of opportunities available has never been greater; from Forensics to Finance, HR to Communications and Vehicle Technicians to ICT.

Please visit our careers page to view the current vacancies.

At Thames Valley Police, we are committed to better reflect the communities that we serve.

We encourage applications from our underrepresented communities, including all ethnic or religious backgrounds, LGBTQ+, and women.

Our Positive Action and Engagement Team provides support and guidance to anyone from an ethnically diverse background throughout the police officer recruitment process and advises on career development and progression. They can be contacted via: [email protected].