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Emergency Services

Police Community Support Officer (PCSO)

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Primary Secondary Post-16

Police Community Support Officers, or PCSOs, play a vital role in supporting police forces and helping to keep communities safe. PCSOs are uniformed staff who work alongside regular police officers, focusing on crime prevention, building relationships with local people, and providing reassurance. Their duties include patrolling neighbourhoods, dealing with minor offences, gathering information, and working with schools or local organisations. PCSOs do not have all the powers of a police officer, such as making arrests, but they can issue fixed penalty notices, confiscate alcohol or tobacco, and deal with anti-social behaviour. This role is ideal for individuals who are community-minded, approachable, and enjoy working with the public. PCSOs act as a visible presence in their communities, helping to reduce crime and provide support to residents.

Police Community Support Officer (PCSO)

📊 Statistics

Average starting salary

PCSOs in the UK typically earn between £20,000 and £25,000 per year, depending on location and experience.

Number of PCSOs

As of 2023, there are approximately 7,000 PCSOs working in England and Wales.

Typical working hours

PCSOs usually work 37 to 40 hours per week, often in shifts including weekends and evenings.

🚀 Careers in this path

School Liaison Officer

Works closely with schools to build positive relationships between young people and the police, delivering talks and helping with crime prevention initiatives.

Neighbourhood Policing Officer

Focuses on community engagement, crime prevention, and problem solving in specific local areas, working closely with residents and local groups.

Crime Prevention Officer

Advises individuals, businesses, and community groups on ways to reduce the risk of crime in their area, often running local safety campaigns and events.

Understand the PCSO Role

Research the Role of a PCSO

Find out what a PCSO does on a daily basis, including their responsibilities and the skills required.

Visit your local police force website or the national police recruitment site to read job descriptions and profiles. You can also look for videos or case studies online that show a day in the life of a PCSO. Try to speak to a serving PCSO if possible, either through school visits or community events.

Assess Your Suitability

Consider whether you have the right personal qualities for the job, such as good communication skills, empathy, and resilience.

Think about your experiences at school, in volunteering, or part-time work that show you can work with the public, stay calm under pressure, and solve problems. PCSOs need to be approachable and trustworthy, so consider how you demonstrate these traits in everyday life.

Meet Entry Requirements

Achieve Necessary Qualifications

Make sure you meet the minimum educational requirements, usually GCSEs (or equivalent) in English and maths.

Most police forces require at least a grade 4 or C in English and maths at GCSE level. If you do not have these, consider taking a functional skills qualification. Some forces may set their own requirements, so always check the recruitment pages for specific details.

Gain Relevant Experience

Get experience working with the public, such as volunteering, part-time work, or community involvement.

Experience in customer service, youth work, or volunteering with charities can all help. Some police forces offer work experience or cadet schemes for young people interested in policing. This can help you build confidence and understanding of the role.

Apply and Train

Apply to Your Chosen Police Force

Complete an online application form for a PCSO position with your local police force.

You will need to demonstrate your motivation and suitability for the role. Applications usually involve competency-based questions and may require references. Make sure you tailor your application to the specific requirements of the force.

Attend Assessments and Interview

Take part in selection assessments and interviews, which may include situational judgement tests and role-play exercises.

Assessments are designed to test your communication, decision-making, and ethical judgement. Prepare by practising interview questions and researching the values of the police force you are applying to.

Complete Initial PCSO Training

If successful, complete the training programme provided by the police force to learn the necessary skills and knowledge.

Training usually lasts several weeks and covers law, community engagement, personal safety, and first aid. You will also do on-the-job training with experienced PCSOs before starting independent patrols.

Career Progressions

This page showcases various career options and the pathways to reach them. Each career listed here shares transferable skills and knowledge, making it easier for individuals to transition between them.

Your current career is highlighted to help you see how it fits into the broader landscape of potential career choices. By clicking on any career, you can learn more about it, including the training and education required to pursue it.

Remember, progressing in your career often involves further learning and training. This page provides insights into future career options as well as those that can lead up to your current one.

These career progression decisions are informed by comparing the skills and knowledge needed for different occupations, along with data on how people move between them. Explore the possibilities and discover the exciting journey ahead in your career!

Sample Qualifications

A Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) works closely with police officers and the community to support policing activities, often focusing on local issues and public reassurance. Both roles require familiarity with law enforcement procedures, community engagement, and a commitment to public safety, making them closely related in terms of qualifications and responsibilities.

How to become

You can get into this job through:

  • a university course
  • a college course
  • an apprenticeship
  • working towards this role
  • applying directly
  • a rejoiner scheme

University

You can do a degree in any subject then apply for a place on one of the police entry programmes, such as:

Alternatively, you can complete a 3-year Professional Policing degree at a participating university.

You are not guaranteed a job at the end of the course. Instead, you have to apply for police constable roles within 5 years of completing this degree.

If you want to train to be a detective, you can apply for a place on the 2-year National Detective Programme (NDP).

You will need a degree and at least 2 A levels or equivalent qualifications to apply for the NDP.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

More Information

College

You could do a college course to prepare for a direct application for police officer training or a degree apprenticeship, though this is not essential.

Courses include:

  • uniformed protective services
  • public services

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

More Information

Apprenticeship

You could apply to do a Police Constable Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship. It's a 3-year work-based programme that leads to a degree in Professional Policing Practice.

If you want to work in non-emergency response situations you could apply for a place on a Serious and Complex Crime Investigator Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship.

This can lead to work with police forces and organisations like:

  • the National Crime Agency
  • HM Revenue and Customs
  • the Ministry of Defence

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a degree apprenticeship

More Information

Work

You could get paid work as a police community support officer (PCSO) before applying for police officer training.

Volunteering

You can get a taste of what it's like to work with the police by volunteering as a special constable.

Direct Application

You can apply directly through the 2-year Police Constable Entry Programme (PCEP).

You'll need 2 A levels or equivalent qualifications to apply. Relevant experience can also be taken into account. This might be from:

  • the armed forces
  • work as a police community support officer (PCSO)
  • the emergency services

You can search for forces that are recruiting for the PCEP. If your initial application is successful, you'll be invited to an assessment centre where you'll take written tests and have an interview.

Other Routes

If you're a former police officer, you could return to policing by contacting a participating force for details about their rejoiner scheme.

More Information

Career tips

If you're aged 13 to 18 you could become a police cadet. The skills you learn and experiences you gain will benefit you whatever career path you choose.

Further information

You can find information on routes into policing from Joining the Police.

You'll need to contact your local police force to apply, as each force has its own recruitment rules.

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