When applications are open, you are able to complete and submit your form online. You should look to include as much relevant experience, knowledge and skills as you can within the space provided. Where possible, you should do this using examples of where you have carried out similar responsibilities in your work. If you are unable to provide work examples, you may use instances from other aspects of your life, but be sure to keep them relevant. Try also to use only fairly recent examples, avoiding anything that seems old or outdated.

Simply referring to your skills and experience isn’t always enough. Remember that the assessor does not know you or your capabilities, or how effectively you may perform on a daily basis. All they have to go on is what you say in your application. You, therefore, need to make sure you really sell yourself, taking every opportunity to fill in any potential gaps in the assessor’s picture of you.

If you find that you don’t have specific examples that will highlight your ability to do the job, do all you can to link the experience that you do have with the role you are applying for. You might also use other examples to indicate your willingness and ability to learn new skills or refresh old ones.

Make sure you read the application form carefully and provide full answers to all the questions. Sell yourself. The best way to structure your answers and to demonstrate clearly how you meet the criteria is by following the STAR format.

Set the scene

When and what is the example about? What was the scenario situation that you faced?

Task

What did you identify needed to be done? What were you tasked to do? What was your role?

Action/Approach

What did you do? Why? Were there options? Why did you select that particular course of action?

Result

How did it go? Was it successful? Why? With hindsight, would you have done things differently? If your example relates to a specific individual, please retain their anonymity to ensure compliance with data protection. You can find lots of information and examples on the internet about how to structure a STAR answer for an application form.

Once we receive your completed form, we will check it against our standard recruitment criteria – e.g. convictions and nationality. If you are eligible to work for Lancashire Constabulary, your application will move on to the next stage.

Following the initial sift your application will be assessed by the department to which you are applying. They will check and score your evidence against the criteria as detailed on the candidate specification. If your application is unsuccessful at this stage, we will contact you by email to let you know.

At this stage you will be invited to attend an interview and/or assessment.

If your application passes the initial stages we will contact you to arrange an interview. The interview questions will be based around the same criteria as detailed on the candidate specification and will seek to find out how you would perform in the job in question. We would also suggest visiting other section of our website for information on our values and force priorities. 

Sometimes you may be asked to prepare a presentation at your interview (you will be notified of this with your interview invitation).

If you are successful at the interview, we will send you a conditional offer of employment together with details of the next steps. This offer will be subject to security, health and reference checks.

A Health Declaration form will be sent to you for completion which our Health Services team will screen. It is imperative that you complete the form accurately and do not withhold any information. In some cases they may need further information (for example from GP’s or specialists) and you will be medically pended while this is being obtained. The Equality Act 2010 covers all positions in Lancashire Constabulary . If you have a disability, adjustments will be made if it is reasonable to do so.

During this process you will be required to undertake a Substance Misuse Test and for some specific roles you also have to provide a DNA sample (mouth swab) and have your fingerprints taken.

Before anyone joins Lancashire Constabulary we need to undertake a series of vetting checks to help identify and assess any identified risks.  To help us do this we ask you to complete a detailed vetting form which asks for details of your family members and any criminal associates.  You must let  anyone whose details you have provided know that they will be looked into as part of your pre-employment checks. Legislative constraints mean that we’re unable to disclose the results of enquiries on third parties.

Criminal Convictions

If you have convictions or cautions this doesn’t necessarily mean that we won’t be able to appoint you. It depends on the role you’ve applied for and the nature of the offence. Under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 all police staff applicants have to declare previous convictions and cautions which would ordinarily be considered ‘spent’.

However, the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exemptions) Order 1975, provides that if you’re applying for a police staff role you do NOT have to declare any information in relation to a PROTECTED caution or a PROTECTED conviction.

A protected conviction is one where ALL the following applies:

• It is not for a ‘listed offence’* under Article 2A(5) of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975
• No custodial sentence was imposed
• The individual has not been convicted of any other offence at any time
• 11 years or more have passed since the conviction, if the individual was aged 18 or over at the time of conviction, or 51/2 years or more have passed since the conviction if the individual was under 18 at the time ¬¬of the conviction.

A protected caution is one where ALL the following applies:

• It is not for a ‘listed offence’ * under Article 2A(5) of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975;
• 6 years or more have passed since the caution, if the individual was aged 18 years or over at the time the caution was given, or 2 years or more have passed since the caution if the individual was under 18 at the time the caution was given.

* Listed offences include serious, violent and sexual offences and offences that are of specific relevance to the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults, and will never be filtered or protected. There is a a list of offences which will never be filtered or protected.

As an applicant, you are responsible for understanding if you have a protected caution or conviction and to complete the vetting form correctly. If in doubt, contact our vetting unit for advice.

Lancashire Constabulary apply the criminal convictions guidance contained in the College of Policing Vetting Code of Practice and associated Authorised Professional Practice (APP) to all police staff applications and will reject applications in all cases where: 

• offences were committed as an adult or juvenile that resulted in a prison sentence (including custodial, suspended or deferred sentence and sentences served at a young offenders’ institution or community home);

• the applicant is, or has been, a registered sex offender or is subject to a registration requirement in respect of any other conviction.

For all other convictions or cautions we will reject applications where any of the following apply:

• offences where vulnerable people were targeted
• offences motivated by hate or discrimination
• offences of domestic abuse

We take particular care where an applicant has been convicted of (or cautioned for) offences of dishonesty, corrupt practice or violence, which will also likely result in rejection.

We consider each case on its own merits and, whilst you should presume convictions, cautions or other sanctions will lead to your application being rejected, there may be occasions where this will not be the case. 

There may also be circumstances where your suspected involvement in crime, or criminal associations make an offer of employment inappropriate. 

Financial Status

We run a credit reference check on all applicants. Police staff have access to privileged and highly sensitive information, which may make them vulnerable to corruption, so it’s important for us to understand applicants’ financial situation. Applicants to the police service should normally be free from serious debt or liability and be able to manage existing loans. We place our emphasis on managing debt sensibly.

If you have existing County Court Judgement’s outstanding or have been registered as bankrupt and have not discharged your bankruptcy we’ll be unable to consider your application. If you have been registered as bankrupt and have discharged their bankruptcy debts you won’t be considered until three years after your discharge of the debt. Debt Relief Orders (DRO) are treated in the same way as bankruptcy.

We will consider your application carefully if a credit reference check reveals you have a current individual voluntary arrangement (IVA). We don’t make clearance decisions until we’ve seen evidence that you’ve maintained regular IVA repayments over a number of months and taking into consideration also the size of the debt. The same principle applies where you have defaulted on accounts.

If you can show you have and are adhering to debt management arrangements you may be considered. We’ll need to see documentary evidence to demonstrate your commitment and adherence to any debt management arrangements and will consider each case on its own merits.

Open Source Checks – We will check content on publicly available social media sites.

Vetting Decisions – If your vetting is successful, our vetting unit will let the recruiting department know. If your clearance is declined our vetting unit will notify you personally and provide as much information as we can as to the reason. There may be occasions where we are unable to provide a detailed explanation.  There is an appeal process available.

After all of the above has taken place you will be given a formal offer of employment and you discuss start dates for your exciting new career!