Assessment Centre - COVID-19 FAQS

2021 Police Officer Recruitment: COVID-19 Specific FAQS for Assessment Centre (AC) stage

1. When will I receive details of my Assessment Centre venue?

Initial Assessment Centre invitations will include details of the date and time of your of appointment only. You will receive a separate, follow-up email with venue details in the days prior to your appointment (the venue will be located in the central Belfast area). Please note, particularly due to COVID-19, appointments / venue locations are subject to change with short notice. As such, in the lead up to your appointment, check your email and the Recruitment News section of  https://www.joinpsni.co.uk/police-officer in case of any enforced changes. We appreciate your patience and understanding if you are subject to such a change. 

2. Am I required to bring anything to the Assessment Centre?

  • Photo ID;
  • Printed invitation email with UID (if you do not have access to a printer, please write your UID number clearly on a piece of paper and bring this with you as you must quote your UID number at various points in the session);
  • For those aged over 18, evidence to confirm your COVID Status - vaccination certificate or valid exemption;
  • A pen, pencil and rubber (these items will not be provided for health and safety reasons in light of COVID-19); and 
  • Tea / coffee / water etc. will not be provided to facilitate physical distancing. Candidates are encouraged to bring their own bottled water.       

3. Due to COVID-19, will the Assessment Centre be different from what has been explained on the recruitment website / Guidance for Applicants booklet?

The assessment design has not changed (the Assessment Centre will still consist of a number of different exercises which include written exercises and role plays). You will be tested against the Competency Values Framework (CVF) for Policing Professionals in a simulated policing environment. The IST re-test may be conducted on a randomised basis. 

Candidate experience this year will however be slightly different given specific measures are being put in place to protect the health and safety of candidates and staff in line with government guidance. We would advise you to try not to worry about the additional measures in place, and focus on doing your best at the assessment.

4. What measures have been put in place to protect my health and safety whilst attending the Assessment Centre?

Sessions will operate in-line with government guidance and with full regard to applicable current COVID-19 regulations. The venue's assessment centre facility has been risk-assessed and deemed appropriate for use. We want you to remain safe while at your appointment, so we have put in place some important measures* to allow you to attend your session without worry. These include:

  • Reduced number of candidates will be invited to each session;
  • Physical distancing;
  • A larger space is being used;
  • Staff will wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) where appropriate;
  • Hand sanitising stations will be provided;
  • Candidates will be handwriting reports, and not using laptops;
  • Screening at registration;
  • Where possible we will be opening windows and doors to allow ventilation;
  • Candidates / staff asked not to attend if they are displaying symptoms of COVID-19 or have recently tested positive for COVID-19 (within 10 days);
  • Candidates / staff asked to wear face coverings while in the assessment venue, unless exempt. (N.B. You are permitted to remove your face coverings during the role play exercises if you wish to do so. If you choose to keep your face covering on, please make sure to speak clearly so that you can be heard and understood by the role play actor and assessors);
  • Attendees proving they are eligible to attend the assessment facility by showing evidence of their COVID Status. 

*Measures applied may change during the course of the Assessment Centre phase, as guidance and regulations change.

5. Will PPE be provided for candidates?

In the main, no. However, feel free to wear / bring your own PPE. (Some masks will be available for those who forget their own).

6. If I (or someone in my household) is sick, displays Coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms, or have tested positive for Coronavirus, what should I do?

If you are due to attend your AC within 10 days of you, or household members having contracted the virus or are displaying symptoms, please contact the Recruitment Team via info@joinpsni.co.uk as soon as possible and request a reschedule. Follow the advice of the NI government with regards to self-isolating. (Although official rules around self-isolating may differ from the 10-day rule we suggest; for enhanced protection we will apply it throughout upcoming 2021 recruitment Assessment Centre phase. If this approach changes during the phase (in advance of your appointment), we will notify you).

7. I (or someone in my household) am more vulnerable or live with someone more vulnerable (and were previously required to 'shield'). Can I still attend the Assessment Centre?

We will follow applicable current government guidance in this regard. You should consult with your GP before attending your assessment and follow their advice. If you are concerned about attending your scheduled appointment, please contact the recruitment team and request an alternative date.

8. What do I do if I feel unwell with the symptoms of Coronavirus at the Assessment Centre?

If you believe you are beginning to suffer the symptoms of Coronavirus you must alert the on-site Recruitment Team as soon as possible, giving your exact symptoms. We will ask you to leave the Assessment Centre. Once home, you must contact the recruitment team (via infojoinpsni.co.uk) within 7 days to arrange a follow-up appointment, where you will recommence your assessment from the point at which you stopped. Details on the symptoms of COVID-19 can be found here. 

9. How will I know where to go when at the Assessment Centre, particularly given physical distancing will be a concern for everyone?

Instructions of where to report on the day of your AC will be clearly communicated to you in your 'venue' email. There will be appropriate signage directing you where to go, and staff will be marshalling the corridor area of the AC to ensure candidates do not gather. These actions are deliberate to maintain health and safety. Please ask for assistance and we will endeavour to help you.

10. What is the current advice for candidates who need to travel from abroad? Do I need to adhere to any government quarantine rules?

Personal travel is at your discretion and must be within the context of both NI government guidance as well as your own local guidance. We strongly recommend you make an informed decision by taking into consideration all the external advice available. An alternative date within the planned AC period can be requested if that makes travel plans easier. All government guidelines in relation to quarantine rules will need to be adhered to.

11. I cannot make the date I have been given due to childcare arrangements (e.g. I am a single parent / my partner is a key worker).

A flexible rescheduling policy is in place. If the original date does not suit, simply contact the team via info@joinpsni.co.uk and request an alternative date.

12. I do not have a COVID vaccine. Am I ruled out from attending the Assessment Centre?

No, people who have not taken the vaccine may attend. While it is not a pre-requisite for applying to PSNI; because we intend to use a conference facility in which to stage Assessment Centres, all attendees (aged 18 and over) will be required to show evidence of their COVID Status at the venue to qualify to attend the conference facility. If you have not taken a COVID vaccine, or do not have a valid exemption, you may prove your eligibility to attend the venue by presenting evidence (NHS email / SMS text) of a recent negative COVID lateral flow test result. (The negative test should have been taken on the day of or day before your appointment). Remember, do not present the actual test device. We will only consider formal test results provided in written form through formal reporting systems, e.g., NHS email / SMS text notification.

Please note, on-site lateral flow testing will not be available at the assessment venue.

13. I am confused as to how to show evidence of my COVID Status to allow me to attend the assessment venue. 

The same system for conducting COVID Status checks will be in place at the assessment venue, as it currently in place at the likes of cinemas, licenced restaurants, pubs etc., so the system may be familiar to you.

Please consider the updated COVID regulations (as amended 29/11/21 and 9/12/21) and NI Government Guidance for full details. 

In summary, you are required to show one of the following forms of evidence to prove your COVID Status. (Where applicable, your photo ID will be checked at the same time as the COVID Status check):

  • COVID vaccine certificate on the Domestic App with QR Code and photo visible;
  • COVID vaccine certificate on the Travel App with QR Code and name visible;
  • Domestic vaccine certificate on paper;
  • Republic of Ireland / EU / International vaccine certificate on paper / App;
  • Proof of recent natural immunity from a positive PCR COVID test dated between 30 and 180 days prior to attendance;
  • Proof of participation in a government registered clinical trial;
  • Proof of being exempt on medical grounds;
  • Proof via text message or email confirmation form the NHS reporting system of a negative rapid antigen test (commonly known as lateral flow device (LFD) test) taken on the day of or day before your appointment.        

14. I am concerned about my personal data if COVID Status checks are conducted using an App.

Use of the App with QR code is voluntary and there are other methods to prove your COVID Status available. The check will be conducted by Deloitte Assessment Centre staff in a secure manner and in line with our Privacy Policy. Attendees intending to present evidence of their COVID Status via a official HSC Check NI app on a mobile device at registration. As per government guidance, use of the recovery certificates will be recognised in the app. The app scans the 2D barcode in the individual's HSC COVIDCert to make sure it is valid. It does not store or transmit any personal data that can be traced back to individuals.

15. What if I cannot show evidence of my COVID Status when I attend?

If you attend and in the case that your COVID Status cannot be confirmed, by law we will be obliged to ask you to leave the venue. If you are asked to leave, please return home and make contact with us immediately by email to info@joinpsni.co.uk to discuss options. Subject to availability, we may be able to offer you an alternative appointment, at which you can present valid evidence to confirm your COVID Status to allow you to attend. Please note however that appointments are limited, so we ask you to do your best to be prepared to meet this stipulation at your original appointment.

We would ask for your understanding and patience while our staff conduct the COVID Status check. Please be respectful to our staff in this regard.

16. What will happen in the case of further COVID-19 restrictions being laid down?

The PSNI and Deloitte Recruitment Team will follow government guidelines. If the need arises whereby Assessment Centres must pause, then we will do so. All candidates must check their email and 'Recruitment News' both the night before, and day of your AC in case of an emergency update.

17. Why are Assessment Centres not being delivered remotely / virtually?

Whilst the situation presented by COVID-19 creates a number of challenges in relation to delivering the Assessment Centre, our aim is to ensure the exercises are delivered in a manner that is fair and consistent for all candidates. Delivering the assessment in this way (via socially distanced assessment centre) will help us to ensure we continue to meet the same quality standards whilst prioritising candidate safety in line with national guidelines.

18. I am uncomfortable using public transport. Will any financial support to help with parking costs be provided?

No, expenses will not be covered by the PSNI.

19. What if I test positive after attending my Assessment Centre?

It should be noted that special arrangements to protect the identity of staff and candidates attending police recruitment events are in place, in the case that contact tracing is necessary. If, having attended the Assessment Centre, you test positive for COVID-19 please contact us via info@joinpsni.co.uk for advice on the Public Health Agency (PHA) / PSNI secure contact tracing process. If engaging with the PHA yourself, following the positive result, you should only provide details of close contact you have had with family members, friends and associates. In order to protect your personals security, it is important that you do not identify yourself as a Police Service of Northern Ireland applicant or disclose that you have attended a Police Service of Northern Ireland recruitment event. It is also important that you do not provide any details of other candidates or Assessment Centre staff to the PHA. Instead, after contacting us we will make arrangements with the internal PSNI Contract Tracing Team, who will trace any individuals you have had close contact with during the recruitment event. (While this is an entirely voluntary process, successful contact tracing relies on candidate participation, and we encourage you to engage with us if you receive a positive COVID-19 test result).

20. What is the best way to contact the Recruitment Team?

Email info@joinpsni.co.uk with any queries, and regularly check the 'Recruitment News' section on the homepage of https://www.joinpsni.co.uk/police-officer for updates regarding the recruitment process.

Please note: these FAQs have been prepared based on government guidance as of 16th January 2022 and may be subject to change.