Complaints against officers

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You've done the hard work, you've filled in the application form, you've actually been given a date to attend one of many assessment centres scattered across the UK.....! Hurrah! 

What's next?

Well a good place to start is the PIRT & Recruitment Interview Forum!

Feel free to post questions, give advice, share your experiences etc.

We've heard good reports about the below course.

How To Become A Police Officer

Police Oracle38943.5545717593

[Kiki 0]

Hi!

Glad I found this page....!!

I have indeed been given a date for the assessment day and am starting to get a bit nervous....

I already have a book called 'how to pass....' so I can get prepared for the tests.

But I do not have a lot of infromation about the scenarios and the interview...

Can anybody help?

Very much appreciated!!

Cheers

Kiki

[Salsoul 0]

As someone who is heavily involved in Police recruitment, the best advice I can give is as follows:-

1 Read the Westshire Welcome Pack and Info for Candidates throughly before hand, it contains everything you will need to know.

2 Your role for the purposes of the interactive exercises (Role Plays) is as a Customer Services Officer at a ficticious shopping and leisure centre called the Westshire Centre. The scenarios are Customer Service type situations which could reasonably found in any Shopping Centre, you will be expected to try and resolve whatever problem you are faced with.

3 Use the Prep time for the Role Plays, the relevant parts of the Westshire Pack will be available to you during the prep time and you can make notes to take into the Role Play.

4 In the Role Play, take the initiative, if you don't speak, neither will the role actor.

5 Take responsibility for sorting out the problem in the Role Play, don't pass the buck, by stating you will pass the matter to a supervisor etc.

6 Be wary what other candidates say about the scenarios, that is their interpretation of what they faced, if give too much weight to their opinion, you may become unstuck when it doesn't go the way you expect.

7 Be confident, don't dwell on the previous exercise if you think you didn't perform well, the main competencies are assessed across all the exercises.

8 The interview is not like a traditional interview, you will be asked 4 experiential questions, you will have 5 minutes to answer each one. The interviewer will be timing you with a stop watch, don't expect any smiles or nodding or encouragement, the interviewer cannot do this. Only if you dry up they will ask prompt questions. You cannot leave the room until the full 20 minutes are up.

9 Finally speak to your candidate co-ordinator they are there to help.

Hope this helps

__________________
Salsoul

[rosie1545925491 0]

kiki,

where do i get my mits on the book you have, called "how to pass"

 

many thanks

 

rosie

[Truncheon1545925479 0]

Excellent all round advice Salsoul.

 

[Kiki 0]

ROSIE

There are two books:

1. HOW TO PASS THE PIRT (ISBN 0-7494-2134-7)

2. a second edition, called HOW TO PASS THE POLICE SELECTION SYSTEM as the process has lightly changed.(ISBN 0-7494-4192-5)

I bought my books at Amazon.co.uk as I they were sliglty cheaper than in the bookshop.

I find them both extremely helpful, but I think the 2nd book on it´s own woul be enough.

Did you receive an invitation for the assessment?

Good Luck!

Cheers

Kiki

 

[rosie1545925491 0]

Hi Kiki,

Yes i have recieved my letter to attend the assessment day for Thames Valley which will be on the 16th December.

It has taken neally three months to hear anything from when i posted my application but i understand that some forces have longer waiting scheldules than others and TV is a large force.

A little time to wait but i look at it as time to practice and brush up my skills. I know that i will recieve all the info in my pre-assessment pack but i want to give myself the best possible chance.

When is your assessment day?

rosie

 

 

 

 

 

[rosie1545925491 0]

kiki,

forgot tp say thanks for the book info...im going on amazon right now!

;-)

[Kiki 0]

Hey Rosie,

I have my assessment on the 16th of December too (TV)!!!

I suppose I will see you there then :-))

Same as you, I don´t want to rely on the information they send you as an only source, so I am surfing the net to find you more.

I am quite confident about the math and verbal/writing tests, but very worried about the scenarios and the interview.

Also, I will start training next week to get fit for the fitness test. I was told it would take place approx.2-3 weeks after the assessment, so I don´t want to leave it to the last minute.

Where abouts in TV would you like to be serving?

I want to be in Milton Keynes, let´s hope I get a choice... :-))

Did you manage to get the books?

Good luck with your preparation!

Cheers

Kiki 

[rosie1545925491 0]

Hi kiki,

Isn't that great that you will be there too on the assessment day!

Thanks for surfing the net to find us some more information out.As far as the fitness test goes i think i will be fine, if i get to that stage that is!

I run around four times a week with a running club and i also do lots of mountain biking which i really enjoy.From doing the mountain biking i hope to think that i have good upper body strength and the running will give me good stamina.

Do you do much in the way of exercises? if you need help with your fitness plan i would be more than happy to help. They recommend you do twenty minutes of exercises three times a week to prepare for the fitness test but personally if you want to have continued fitness it would be and idea to up that to four times a week or take longer sessions.

It would be great to meet up on the sixteenth.how far do you have to travel? I am coming from Egham in Surrey.

I would like to be posted around the windsor or reading area.I dont mind as long as its not too much of a commute in the mornings, an hour max really.

 

Take care,

Rosie

 

 

[Kiki 0]

Hi Rosie!

Sorry for the late reply! I have exams next week so I haven´t got  much time at the moment, other than studying :-))

As per multimap.com it will take me approx. 1.5 hours most to get to Ryton (Coventry). That´s not too bad I suppose. Whatever time the want me to be there, I willmake sure to be there at least 30 minutes earlier,just in case. :-)

I do a lot of horse riding, but I am very worried about the bleeb test, my condition/stamina is really crap! That´s why I wanted to get started on the fitness asap after my exams to give me more time. I honestly think 3x 20 min won´t be enough to get me where I should be, so I need to work out a fitness plan for 2 hours a day or something :-)) I also thought about doing some dancing or aerobic classes to make it less boring ( I am really not a gym type of person)

Do you have any suggestions on how to turn a cooked spaghetti into a strong fresh celery in 4 weeks?? :-))

If you like you can write to my direct e-mail [email protected], I suppose that is a lot easier than returning to this page to answer.

After Tuesday next week all my time will be donated to the Awareness Day and the Police, I promise! :-))

Cheers

Kiki

[Salsoul 0]

Good luck too you both, Be confident, use the prep time productively and take responsibility in the interactives, check your spelling in the written exercises. Please remember that Respect for Race and Diversity and Communication are being assessed in all exercises (except PIRT) so don't just think about the obvious such as Racism, Sexism etc, diversity is a much wider subject these days.

Finally make sure you've read the Welcome Pack and Info, turn up in plenty of time and please please make sure you have the right ID with you.

One again good luck

[rosie1545925491 0]

Thanks salsoul

I really appreciate your words of encouragement.

I will try my best

rosie

[Birdie 0]

How come I have my fitness test before the written and role play interviews?  Im going for my test next week ---- eeekkkk!

[Kiki 0]

Birdie,

 

what force are you applying for?

I always thought they have all the same procedure, but seem they don´t.

Anyway, good luck! Will keep my fingers crossed for you!!

Let us know how you got on and give us some insight of the test!

 

Cheers

Kiki