UK changes rules to help failed PSNI job seekers
UK police recruitment policies are to be revised in a bid to strengthen failed Northern Ireland applicants chances of joining another force, it was claimed today.
Changes to the UK's Home Office rules will also strike a blow against the 50:50 religious employment operated in the province, a Democratic Unionist MLA said.
The arrangements, where previous rejections only apply to forces in England and Wales, are to be emphasised to all recruitment managers.
Sir Hugh Orde, the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Chief Constable, and Sir Desmond Rea, chairman of the Northern Ireland Policing Board, have also been notified.
British government officials took action after the DUP’s Ian Paisley Jr lobbied for clarification.
He had been contacted by Protestants who made it into the PSNI merit pool but were not accepted because of the quota rules.
“On average it takes a Protestant three applications to get in,” the Policing Board representative said.
“People came to me and said they couldn’t get in.
“In the meantime they had applied to the likes of the Met and Strathclyde.
“But with up to three refusals under their belt from the PSNI theseother forces were saying no too.”
After the government was alerted to his concerns, the Home Office confirmed a circular issued to all police chiefs in England and Wales made clear that previous applicants can try again six months on from receiving a rejection letter.
This was drawn up, however, only for those who had undergone the Police Search process used by the National Recruit Assessment Centre.
Its aim is to prevent candidates from becoming familiar with the questions and being selected on the basis of trial and error.
But the Home Office has confirmed in a letter: “As PSNI does not operate the Police Search process, unsuccessful candidates to PSNI should be eligible to undertake the Police Search process, as used by the Home office forces of England and Wales.
“The Home Office circular is currently being reviewed in the light of other developments and we will take the opportunity to make it explicit that the circular applies only to rejections from forces in England and Wales.
“In the meantime, we will issue a reminder to force recruitment managers.”
Mr Paisley described the development as a boost in his party’s campaign against the religious recruitment policies.
“This highlights once again the preposterous nature of 50:50,” he said.
“All recruitment throughout the UK now has to acknowledge that a refusal from the PSNI does not count in their recruitment processes.”
