Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) Apprenticeship Programme in Sheffield

Location: Various locations across the South Yorkshire Police Force Area (Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham & Sheffield)

Salary: £28,914 - £31,749

Hours: 37

Contract Type: Permanent (Please note permanency in this role is dependent on completion of the PCSO Apprenticeship programme)

Applications are invited for our PCSO Apprenticeship Programme for a planned start date of 7th September 2026. The programme is approximately 15 months in length and once all areas have been successfully completed you will be awarded with a Level 4 Diploma in Community Policing Practice qualification.

This is a vital role here in South Yorkshire Police and one which serves as a bridge between the police force and the communities and people living within the force area.

To be eligible to apply you must be able to demonstrate the following:

• Residency: You must have resided in the UK for three continuous years immediately prior to application. If you have been abroad during the last three years while serving in the UK Armed Forces or working for the UK Government your application will still be considered.
• Citizenship: You must be either a British citizen, a citizen of the EU or other states in the EEA, or a Commonwealth citizen or foreign national with indefinite leave to remain in the UK.
• Qualifications: Candidates who currently hold a level 2 in Functional Skills / English & Maths GCSE or equivalent will be asked to provide proof of this as part of the initial application stage. Candidates who do not currently hold this level of qualification will need to have secured Level 2 qualification in Functional Skills by the end point assessment stage of the apprenticeship programme. This will be completed alongside the apprenticeship programme.
• Age: You must be 17 at the time of application and 18 at the time of appointment.
• Driving Licence: You must hold a full manual driving licence.

Key responsibilities:

• Deployment at locations throughout the South Yorkshire Police area.
• Work a shift pattern and Saturday working.
• Perform duties outdoors and in all weather conditions.
• Maintain a highly visible community presence in the local area needs to address issues of public concern and act as a deterrent.
• Develop personal, detailed, comprehensive, professional knowledge and understanding of the local community in which they operate.
• Use appropriate communication methodologies for fostering, promoting, and maintaining channels of communication.
• Support ongoing Police operations undertaking community-based activities as directed to gather, handle, and submit information and intelligence.
• Support South Yorkshire Police in initial front-line response to incidents.
• Develop close working relationships with key community contacts.
• Develop effective relationships with individuals, including the vulnerable and at risk across the community.
• Where appropriate, assist South Yorkshire Police to manage complex incidents, acting to contain, assess needs and/or provide support to ensure immediate public safety.
• Maintain awareness of potential and actual risks to individuals, escalating potential threats to public.
• Support the identification and exploration of new ways of working and innovation in community policing.
• Support the implementation of evidence based policing initiatives.
• Apply personal safety tactics and the use of equipment where required.
• Attend court and give witness testimony in relation to any incidents where they have personal knowledge or involvement.

Skills and experience:

• Able to demonstrate alignment with the ethics and values of the police service.
• Previous experience of working with members of the public.
• Verbal communication skills with the ability to listen to others, reason and defuse situations, particularly in potential confrontational circumstances.
• Ability to work on own initiative with minimal supervision and the ability to plan and prioritise own work.
• Ability to make decisions in tight timescales in an assertive and unbiased manner.
• Team working skills demonstrating awareness of individual differences.
• IT skills and experience of using systems and/or databases.

What we offer:

• A highly competitive salary and access to a generous pension scheme.
• Generous annual leave allowance.
• A wide range of family friendly policies including enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave.
• Flexible working arrangements including flexi-time and hybrid working.
• A transparent and collaborative team culture underpinned by our core values of Fairness, Integrity & Trust.
• Comprehensive range of development and leadership courses to develop your career with South Yorkshire Police.
• Employee Assistant Programme (accessible 24/7) offering confidential support and advice.
• Flexible lifestyle benefits such as: Blue Light Card, Company Shop, Cycle to work scheme.
• Membership to the Sports and Social Club.
• Access to a wide range of staff support groups and networks.

Appearance & Standards: South Yorkshire Police is committed to striking a proportionate balance between self-expression and the need to maintain role sensitive professional standards in dress and appearance. Officers, staff, and volunteers of South Yorkshire Police are permitted to have tattoos visible whilst on duty provided the tattoo is not considered to be unacceptable or otherwise inappropriate. Tattoos will be reviewed as part of the recruitment and selection process.

Health: Police community support officers may encounter difficult situations, trauma, physical confrontation and work long hours on shifts. They need to be resilient enough to cope with the demands and pressures of police work. Applicants must be in good health mentally and physically to undertake the duties of the role. You will undergo a medical examination to ensure that you meet the health standards required.

Substance misuse & Biometric Testing: If you are currently using any illegal drugs this will automatically rule you out of the recruitment process. On application, you must agree to have a drugs test, as well as having a DNA sample and fingerprints taken for the purpose of conducting a speculative search against the national database.

Diversity & Inclusion: Applications are particularly welcome from female and ethnic minority candidates. It is really important to us that the department represents the community we serve, in order for us to provide the best service, utilising a range of backgrounds, experience and skills. We support and value all officers and staff and the unique experiences they bring to the role. We strongly encourage and welcome applications from these valuable underrepresented groups.

Contact details: For further information about the role, please contact the Recruitment Team by email.

Closing Date: 22nd March 2026

Recruitment Timeline: Please make sure you are available for dates within all stages of the recruitment process as alternatives may not be able to be accommodated. Dates are subject to change.

Candidate Information: Please note that, should you be successful at the interview stage and before appointment, the relevant pre-employment checks are required. These include references, medical clearance, vetting clearance and sickness absence criteria check.