PC Conditional Offer and PE Checks FAQs
| What are the Fitness test requirements to be a Police Officer? | We are looking for no more than the minimum standard needed to enable you to work effectively as a police officer. This is Level 5 Stage 4 on the 15 metre shuttle bleep test. You will be given help to improve your fitness and if you prepare yourself properly, there is no reason for you to fail. |
| How will my medical history impact my application? | The medical requirements include height and weight to ascertain the applicants BMI, hearing, eyesight, drug test, lung capacity tests and previous medical history is scrutinised by the occupational health nurse. |
| Should I hand my notice into my current employer at the Conditional Offer stage? | No, you strongly advised not to hand your notice into your current employer until you have received your Formal Offer. Successful candidates will receive their Formal Offer of Employment once all pre-employment checks have been successfully completed and an intake date confirmed. |
| How will I be assigned to an intake? | Candidates are required to successfully pass all stages of the recruitment process in order to be issued with a final offer. Candidates will be progressed for an intake as an when pre-employment checks are complete, any delays in these checks may result in your application being deferred to a later intake date. |
| If vetting is refused, can I appeal? | If vetting clearance is refused you will be advised, although specific reasons will not normally be given to protect the confidentiality of others and the security of Cheshire Constabulary. However, you can request a review, which is carried out by a person independent of the vetting decision marker. |
| Will you ask for references? | Yes we will ask for two years of employment and/or education references. This will only be done after you have accepted a conditional offer of employment and confirmed you are happy for the Constabulary to contact your referees. |
| Can I have more information on SMP and what does this mean for my application? | The SMP process refers to new recruits ill-health benefit entitlements. When assessed at the medical stage, your risk to potential early retirement is reviewed. If you have an underlying health condition that could put you at risk, you will be referred to an SMP (Selected Medical Praticitioner). The SMP will review your case to determine what impacts this will have on you in this role and what level of pension contribution you will be entitled to as a result of this. Whilst being referred to an SMP is not a failure of the medical check in isolation, due to the specialist nature of the review, it can cause significant delay to your application. This is something Cheshire Constabulary will always work to minimise. |
| What forms are needed ahead of my medical appointment? | Prior to your medical appointment, you will need to complete a GP Declaration form, Opticians Form and an Audiometry form. The GP Declaration form does not initially need to be signed by a GP however, if there are further enquiries needed from your appointment, then you will need to obtain these signatures. You will need to attend an opticians appointment and have your Opticians form signed before your medical can be signed off as complete. These signatures will normally incur a charge that cannot be re-imbursed and will vary depending on the GP or Optician to which you are registered. |
| What assessments will I need to pay for? | You will initially need to pay for a signature on your Opticians forms. The GP Declaration form does not require a signature however, If following your medical appointment, further information is required from your GP, then you will be required to have your medical documents signed by your GP respectively. Unfortunately when obtaining a signature for your medical documentation such as the GP Declaration and Opticians form, a charge is normally incurred. This cannot be re-imbursed from the force and it is important to clarify with your respective GP Surgery how much this will cost as it will vary between different surgeries. Please note that you will not need to pay for an audiometry form to be signed. |
| What can you do to prevent any pre-employment delays? | To minimise delays in progressing your pre-employment checks, it is imperative that you book onto appointments as soon as possible and alert the Talent Acquisition team if you cannot attend any of the dates provided. You must also ensure all paperwork is completed promptly and checks such as references are chased up regularly. |
| What is invloved in a pre-employment day? | A pre-employment day is a number of checks completed on one day. The checks involved are a fitness test, drugs, biometrics (including fingerprints & DNA), a drugs screening, BMI assessment and a uniform fitting. This will take place over the course of 2-3 hours so please allow plenty of time in your calendar for this event. |
| What do I wear when attending a pre-employment day? | Casual dress is acceptable but you will be completing a fitness test as part of the pre-employment day so gymwear will be required. You will also be providing fingerprint samples using ink so we would recommend you avoid long sleeve tops. |
| What happens if I fail the fitness test? | If you are unsuccessful at the fitness test, your application will still continue in the recruitment process but you will be offered two further tests to reach the required standard. If you are unsuccessful on these two additional attempts then your application will no longer be progressed and we would advise that you re-apply when you are in a position to meet the fitness requirements. |
| Why would I miss an intake? | Candidates can miss an intake for numerous reasons. Most commons causes are delays in returning your paperwork such as medical and vetting forms, not attending pre-employment checks and further investigations into particular checks. What happens if I miss an intake date? If you were unfortunate to miss an intake date, then your application will be re-assessed to see how best to progress your application. |