Police Now Competencies
and Values Explained
Police Now assesses applicants against its own framework of ten competencies and four values, not the College of Policing's CVF. Here is each one in plain English, how it shows at each stage from the immersive assessment to the job, the behaviours that help and hurt, evidence ideas for graduates and career changers and a short original example outline.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 19 October 2026 · England and Wales unless stated
Ten competencies: take ownership, collaborate, support and inspire, resilient, analyse critically, culturally aware, innovative and open-minded, emotionally aware, motivational alignment and written communication. Four values: transparency, integrity, impartiality and public service. Six competency names match the College's 2024 CVF; the other four and all four values, are different from the current CVF.
Definitions are our own summaries of Police Now's What we look for page and help hub, read on 19 October 2026; we have not copied Police Now's wording. The stage-by-stage notes, behaviours, evidence ideas, self-audit and example outlines are PolicePay's own guidance and illustrations, not Police Now's assessment criteria. Police Now does not publish which competencies each exercise scores.
Police Now's framework at a glance
| Competency | What it means, in our words | Also a College CVF competency? |
|---|---|---|
| Take ownership | Make reasoned decisions, accept responsibility and learn from feedback and mistakes. | Yes |
| Collaborate | Build lasting partnerships towards shared goals, beyond your own organisation. | Yes |
| Support and inspire | Understand the vision and model the values for others. | Yes |
| Analyse critically | Weigh information and views to find the root causes of complex problems. | Yes |
| Innovative and open-minded | Stay curious, look for good practice and try creative methods. | Yes |
| Emotionally aware | Understand yourself and others and listen closely to people's needs. | Yes |
| Resilient | Stay calm under pressure and recover quickly from setbacks. | No |
| Culturally aware | Recognise that communities differ and adapt your approach. | No |
| Motivational alignment | Understand your role in Police Now's mission and show genuine commitment to it. | No |
| Written communication | Communicate clearly and concisely, with sound structure and grammar. | No |
| Value | What it means, in our words |
|---|---|
| Transparency | Being open in what you do, decide and communicate, with the people you work with and those you serve. |
| Integrity | Upholding the expected standards of professional behaviour and openly recognising both good and poor performance. |
| Impartiality | Being even-handed in every dealing with colleagues, partners and the public. |
| Public service | Acting in the best interests of society. |
Police Now's mission, which motivational alignment refers to, is described on the same page as making where we live safer, transforming communities, turning people into allies, serving the public and increasing their confidence.
How Police Now uses the framework
- Throughout selection. Police Now says applicants are assessed on whether their motivations align with its mission, whether they understand the realities of the role and whether they have the skills needed.
- No specific experience needed. Police Now says you do not need particular experience and welcomes graduates from any subject and career changers.
- At the assessment centre. Both assessment centre pages say you are assessed on alignment with the mission, competencies and values and recommend getting to know them first.
- Feedback. Police Now says assessment centre feedback is personalised and related to the competencies you were assessed against.
- What Police Now highlights. Its help hub says it assesses cultural awareness and resilience in recruitment and names being collaborative, empathetic and passionate about public service as helpful.
- In the job. The What we look for page also describes what each competency looks like in the role, which is useful for understanding what Police Now is selecting for.
Where each stage tests the framework
| Stage | What happens (Police Now) | Focus for your preparation |
|---|---|---|
| Immersive assessment (online) | Police Now says it measures cognitive, motivational and personality attributes in a scenario. It does not publish which competencies each part measures. | Know the competencies and values, then answer as yourself; Police Now advises going with your first response. |
| Assessment centre: interview | Motivation, connection to the mission, how you would handle situations, past experience. | Real examples for each competency; a specific motivation answer. |
| Assessment centre: written report | Incident summary (Neighbourhood) or investigative report (Detective routes). | Written communication and analysing critically. |
| Assessment centre: interactions | Community engagement interactions (Neighbourhood) or crime case interactions with a suspect and a community member (Detective routes). | Emotional and cultural awareness, resilience, identifying risk. |
| Assessment centre: team meeting | Neighbourhood only: assessing crimes and finding ways to help the community as a group. | Collaboration, analysis, supporting others. |
| Assessment centre: debrief | Reflecting on strengths, challenges and what you would do differently. | Taking ownership through honest reflection. |
| Professionalism in Policing meeting | After a conditional offer: about 15 minutes in person on courage, respect and empathy and public service. | The College's ethical policing principles, which sit close to Police Now's values. |
| In the job | Police Now's What we look for page describes what each competency looks like in the role. | The same behaviours, every shift. |
For exercise-by-exercise preparation, see our assessment centre guide and immersive assessment guide.
The ten competencies, one by one
For each competency: what Police Now says (in our words), how it is likely to show at each stage, behaviours that show it and undermine it, evidence ideas and one short original STAR outline (situation, task, action, result). The outlines are fictional illustrations: build yours from your own life.
1. Take ownership
What Police Now says: Make reasoned decisions, accept responsibility and learn from feedback and mistakes.
- Immersive assessment: Scenario choices where you decide what to do and accept the consequences, rather than passing the problem on.
- Assessment centre: Every exercise, but most clearly the reflections after each interaction and the debrief, where you say what you would do differently. Also your recommendations in the written report.
- In the job: Police Now says new officers are relied on to make decisions and give guidance, balanced with humility and a willingness to act on feedback. It also describes assessing risk quickly and being willing to take and own a decision.
Shows it
- Making a decision with a clear reason
- Admitting a mistake and putting it right
- Asking for feedback and acting on it
- Following through on what you said you would do
Undermines it
- Blaming others or circumstances
- Avoiding a decision until someone else makes it
- Defensive reactions to feedback
Evidence ideas
- University: Taking over a failing group project; changing your study approach after poor feedback.
- Work: Owning a customer error and fixing it; a decision you made without a manager present.
- Volunteering: Stepping in when an organiser dropped out.
- Caring: Making care decisions for a relative and adjusting when they did not work.
Example outline (original, fictional): S: a shift where a stock order I placed was wrong. T: fix it before customers were affected. A: told my manager straight away, rang the supplier, rearranged the display. R: no lost sales; I added a check to the ordering process and still use it.
Also a College of Policing CVF competency.
2. Collaborate
What Police Now says: Build lasting partnerships towards shared goals, beyond your own organisation.
- Immersive assessment: Scenario choices about involving colleagues, partners or the community rather than working alone.
- Assessment centre: The Neighbourhood team meeting most directly, plus partner-focused recommendations in the written reports and agreeing actions in the interactions.
- In the job: Police Now's role description mentions working with partners and agencies such as social services and local authorities to solve problems and presenting your analysis clearly to different stakeholders.
Shows it
- Working with people outside your own team towards a shared aim
- Sharing information and credit
- Building relationships that last beyond one task
Undermines it
- Working in a silo
- Dominating a group or staying silent
- Treating partners as obstacles
Evidence ideas
- University: A project with another department, society or outside organisation.
- Work: Working with another team or supplier to fix a recurring problem.
- Volunteering: Coordinating with a council, school or charity.
- Caring: Coordinating with doctors, carers and family members.
Example outline (original, fictional): S: our society's charity event clashed with another society's. T: avoid splitting the audience. A: met their committee, proposed a joint event, agreed roles in writing. R: double the previous attendance; we ran it jointly again the next year.
Also a College of Policing CVF competency.
3. Support and inspire
What Police Now says: Understand the vision and model the values for others.
- Immersive assessment: Choices that show you understand the wider purpose and act as a positive example.
- Assessment centre: The team meeting (keeping the group focused, bringing others in) and the interview, when you explain how you motivate or help others.
- In the job: Police Now describes being organised, managing time well and delivering under conflicting priorities, leaving things better than you found them and modelling its values for colleagues.
Shows it
- Explaining the purpose behind a task
- Helping a colleague improve or stay motivated
- Setting an example through your own standards
Undermines it
- Doing the minimum
- Undermining others' efforts
- Losing sight of the bigger aim
Evidence ideas
- University: Mentoring a first-year student; captaining a team.
- Work: Training a new starter; keeping a team positive during a busy period.
- Volunteering: Leading a group of younger volunteers.
- Caring: Encouraging a family member through rehabilitation or a hard time.
Example outline (original, fictional): S: a new colleague was struggling and thinking of quitting. T: help her settle. A: buddied her on shifts, broke tasks down, shared how I had found it at first. R: she stayed and later trained the next new starter.
Also a College of Policing CVF competency.
4. Analyse critically
What Police Now says: Weigh information and views to find the root causes of complex problems.
- Immersive assessment: The cognitive element of the immersive assessment, which Police Now says it measures, together with scenario judgements.
- Assessment centre: The incident summary or investigative report (separating fact from opinion, finding causes), the team meeting and identifying risk in the crime case interactions.
- In the job: Police Now's role description asks officers to notice what others do not, take a methodical approach to complex problems, be curious and objective, pull key points from different information sources and think laterally.
Shows it
- Separating facts from opinion
- Looking for root causes, not symptoms
- Weighing more than one source before deciding
- Testing your own assumptions
Undermines it
- Jumping to conclusions
- Treating all information as equally reliable
- Fixing symptoms only
Evidence ideas
- University: A dissertation where the data contradicted your hypothesis.
- Work: Finding why complaints or errors kept recurring.
- Volunteering: Working out why attendance was falling.
- Caring: Spotting a pattern in a relative's symptoms.
Example outline (original, fictional): S: returns at my shop doubled in a month. T: find out why. A: compared returns by product and day, spoke to staff, found one supplier's sizing had changed. R: flagged it, labels changed, returns fell back to normal.
Also a College of Policing CVF competency.
5. Innovative and open-minded
What Police Now says: Stay curious, look for good practice and try creative methods.
- Immersive assessment: Responses that show curiosity and willingness to consider other approaches.
- Assessment centre: Ideas in the team meeting and written recommendations; openness during the debrief and reflections.
- In the job: Police Now describes officers who are open to learning and feedback, thorough enough to spot small errors, willing to learn about cultural differences and ready to use new technology, methods and research to tackle changing crime.
Shows it
- Looking for better ways of doing things
- Learning from other organisations or sectors
- Being open to ideas that are not your own
- Trying something new and evaluating it
Undermines it
- 'We have always done it this way'
- Rejecting feedback
- Ideas with no thought about whether they would work
Evidence ideas
- University: Trying a new method in a project; changing your view after a debate.
- Work: Suggesting a process change; using a tool in a new way.
- Volunteering: Bringing an idea from another charity.
- Caring: Finding a new aid or service that made life easier.
Example outline (original, fictional): S: our team's rota caused constant swaps. T: reduce last-minute gaps. A: looked at how a friend's workplace did it, piloted a shared swap sheet for a month, asked for feedback. R: uncovered shifts fell noticeably and the manager adopted it.
Also a College of Policing CVF competency.
6. Emotionally aware
What Police Now says: Understand yourself and others and listen closely to people's needs.
- Immersive assessment: The personality element and responses to scenarios involving distressed or angry people.
- Assessment centre: Every interaction, especially reading the emotions of the community member or suspect; Police Now lists interpreting emotions among what assessors look for.
- In the job: Police Now describes an 'empathic connector' who builds relationships with a wide range of people, respects others' opinions and has the self-awareness and emotional control to handle emotionally charged situations.
Shows it
- Noticing how someone feels and responding to it
- Listening to understand, not to reply
- Managing your own emotions in a tense moment
- Knowing your own triggers
Undermines it
- Talking over people
- Showing irritation
- Ignoring the emotional side and focusing only on facts
Evidence ideas
- University: Supporting a friend through a crisis; peer mentoring.
- Work: Calming an upset customer or colleague.
- Volunteering: Helpline, befriending or youth work.
- Caring: Supporting someone with dementia or mental ill health.
Example outline (original, fictional): S: a customer started shouting at my colleague over a refund. T: calm the situation. A: stepped in, spoke quietly, acknowledged his frustration, asked what he needed. R: he calmed down and we resolved it; I checked on my colleague afterwards.
Also a College of Policing CVF competency.
7. Resilient
What Police Now says: Stay calm under pressure and recover quickly from setbacks.
- Immersive assessment: Responses that show composure and determination in challenging scenario moments. Police Now's help hub says it assesses resilience in recruitment.
- Assessment centre: Responding in a fast-moving environment, which Police Now lists among what it looks for; staying composed in a difficult role play; recovering from an exercise that did not go well.
- In the job: Police Now says officers need to bounce back quickly from difficult situations and setbacks, which can come from the public, from incidents or from inside the organisation and to stay calm, positive and determined.
Shows it
- Staying calm under pressure
- Recovering after a setback and learning from it
- Persisting towards an outcome
- Recognising your own stress and managing it
Undermines it
- Giving up after one knock
- Letting frustration show in how you treat people
- Denying that anything is hard
Evidence ideas
- University: Resitting an exam or recovering from a poor first-year result.
- Work: A difficult shift or an abusive customer.
- Volunteering: Keeping a project going after funding fell through.
- Caring: Managing study or work alongside caring responsibilities.
Example outline (original, fictional): S: I failed a key second-year module. T: pass the resit and protect my degree. A: asked the tutor for feedback, made a revision plan, joined a study group. R: passed with a higher mark; I now plan work backwards from deadlines.
Not a College of Policing CVF competency: prepare for it specifically.
8. Culturally aware
What Police Now says: Recognise that communities differ and adapt your approach.
- Immersive assessment: Scenario choices that recognise differing needs rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. Police Now's help hub says it assesses cultural awareness in recruitment.
- Assessment centre: The community engagement interactions, the written report's community actions and how you talk about communities in the interview.
- In the job: Police Now says communities contain different groups with different needs and officers should tailor their approach while staying impartial and working to gain people's trust, adapting as situations unfold.
Shows it
- Recognising that groups experience things differently
- Adapting your communication to the person
- Learning about cultures and communities you do not know
- Avoiding stereotypes
Undermines it
- Treating everyone identically regardless of need
- Assumptions based on background
- Dismissing concerns you do not share
Evidence ideas
- University: Working in a diverse group or studying abroad.
- Work: Serving customers with different languages, ages or needs.
- Volunteering: Work with refugees, older people or young people.
- Caring: Supporting a relative with a disability and adapting how others communicate with them.
Example outline (original, fictional): S: older customers at my bank branch struggled with the new app. T: help them without making them feel patronised. A: ran short drop-in sessions, wrote a large-print guide, asked what they found confusing. R: complaints dropped and two customers volunteered to help others.
Not a College of Policing CVF competency: prepare for it specifically.
9. Motivational alignment
What Police Now says: Understand your role in Police Now's mission and show genuine commitment to it.
- Immersive assessment: The motivational element, which Police Now says the immersive assessment measures.
- Assessment centre: The interview, which Police Now says covers your motivation and connection to its mission and your overall engagement with the Ashview scenarios.
- In the job: Police Now says it wants people who understand its mission (safer places, transformed communities, people turned into allies, public service and confidence), want to contribute and can explain why they want this role over others.
Shows it
- A specific, personal reason for policing
- Knowing Police Now's mission in your own words
- A realistic view of the job
- A clear reason for your specialism
Undermines it
- Generic answers about helping people
- Seeing it mainly as a fast track or a graduate scheme on a CV
- Not knowing what the job involves
Evidence ideas
- University: Modules, projects or societies linked to communities, justice or public service.
- Work: Roles where you served the public and found it meaningful.
- Volunteering: Community work that showed you the impact of crime or disorder.
- Caring: Experiences that showed you the value of public services.
Example outline (original, fictional): S: I volunteered at a food bank. T: help run Saturday sessions. A: got to know regulars, saw how anti-social behaviour on the estate affected them, joined a residents' meeting where the neighbourhood officer spoke. R: it showed me the difference local policing makes and is why I am applying.
Not a College of Policing CVF competency: prepare for it specifically.
10. Written communication
What Police Now says: Communicate clearly and concisely, with sound structure and grammar.
- Immersive assessment: Not described by Police Now as an element of the immersive assessment.
- Assessment centre: The incident summary (Neighbourhood) or investigative report (Detective routes).
- In the job: Police Now says officers need to write well-structured reports that follow policing procedures, presenting information logically and concisely. Its role description also mentions statements, crime reports and handover information.
Shows it
- Clear structure: purpose, facts, issues, recommendations
- Short sentences in plain English
- Accurate spelling and grammar
- Writing for the reader, not to impress
Undermines it
- Long, unstructured paragraphs
- Jargon and padding
- Errors left unchecked
Evidence ideas
- University: Dissertation, reports, writing for a non-specialist audience.
- Work: Incident reports, emails to customers, handover notes.
- Volunteering: Newsletters, funding bids, minutes.
- Caring: Letters to services on someone's behalf.
Example outline (original, fictional): S: my manager needed a summary of a customer complaint for head office. T: write it clearly by the end of the day. A: set out the facts, the customer's concerns, what we had done and three recommendations. R: head office used it as a template for other branches.
Not a College of Policing CVF competency: prepare for it specifically.
Written one of your examples out? Check its structure with the free STAR answer checker, then say it out loud. For the College of Policing framework that six of these competencies overlap with, see the CVF explained.
The four values
Police Now's values are transparency, integrity, impartiality, public service. Its What we look for page gives a one-line definition of each and a "what it takes" section that links impartiality, transparency and accountability to the realities of the job.
Transparency
What Police Now says: Being open in what you do, decide and communicate, with the people you work with and those you serve.
In the job: Police Now's 'what it takes' section links transparency to declaring all previous convictions, cautions and similar matters, regardless of severity.
Shows it
- Explaining your reasons openly
- Telling people what will happen next
- Declaring anything that must be declared
Undermines it
- Hiding mistakes
- Vague answers to avoid scrutiny
- Leaving things off your application
Evidence ideas: Times you were open about a decision or a mistake when you could have kept quiet.
Example outline (original, fictional): S: I gave a customer the wrong price. T: put it right. A: told them and my manager straight away, honoured the price. R: the customer thanked me for being honest.
Integrity
What Police Now says: Upholding the expected standards of professional behaviour and openly recognising both good and poor performance.
In the job: Police Now describes upholding the law with integrity and humanity and building community trust through your actions.
Shows it
- Doing the right thing when no one is watching
- Recognising others' good work
- Raising poor performance or behaviour appropriately
Undermines it
- Cutting corners
- Covering for a colleague's misconduct
- Taking credit for others' work
Evidence ideas: Times you held to a standard under pressure, or challenged something wrong.
Example outline (original, fictional): S: a teammate copied part of a group report. T: protect the group and be fair to him. A: spoke to him privately, then together to the tutor. R: the section was rewritten; he thanked me later for not going behind his back.
Impartiality
What Police Now says: Being even-handed in every dealing with colleagues, partners and the public.
In the job: Police Now says officers deal with people of all ages, ethnicities and cultures, some with attitudes that challenge their own values and must treat everyone with dignity and respect.
Shows it
- Fair treatment regardless of background or attitude
- Listening to both sides
- Separating personal views from decisions
Undermines it
- Favouring people you like
- Letting views on a group affect how you treat individuals
- Pre-judging a suspect
Evidence ideas: Times you treated someone fairly despite disagreeing with or disliking them.
Example outline (original, fictional): S: two flatmates in a dispute both wanted me on their side. T: help sort it fairly. A: heard each separately, set out the facts, suggested a compromise. R: they agreed a rota and both said I had been fair.
Public service
What Police Now says: Acting in the best interests of society.
In the job: Police Now links its mission to serving the public and increasing confidence and its help hub names a passion for public service as helpful in recruitment.
Shows it
- Putting the needs of the people you serve first
- Going beyond the minimum to help
- Thinking about the wider community, not just one case
Undermines it
- Treating the public as an inconvenience
- Doing only what is required
- Serving your own interests
Evidence ideas: Times you helped someone with no obligation to, or improved a service for others.
Example outline (original, fictional): S: an elderly neighbour was isolated during winter. T: help her stay safe. A: did weekly shopping, set up a phone tree with other neighbours, told her about local support. R: she was connected to a befriending service and still uses it.
Values show in how you treat people: staying impartial with a suspect in the Detective interactions, being open in the debrief about what went wrong and putting a vulnerable person first in a written report. After a conditional offer, the Professionalism in Policing meeting tests a different set: the College of Policing's ethical policing principles of courage, respect and empathy and public service. Prepare for both.
Police Now's 'what it takes' realities
Below the competencies, Police Now's What we look for page sets out the realities of the job and asks whether you can meet them. It is a useful honesty check before you apply and each one links to the framework:
| Reality | What Police Now says, in our words | Linked competency or value |
|---|---|---|
| Working hours | Policing is 24/7: early, late and night shifts, weekends and bank holidays, sometimes overtime, covering colleagues or changing shift pattern. Shift patterns often give several days off in a row. | Resilient; motivational alignment |
| Resilience | You will see people in distress, deal with vulnerable people, mental health issues, domestic abuse and death and may face verbal and physical assaults. You need to stay professional, recover well and stay calm. | Resilient; emotionally aware |
| Impartiality | You will deal with people of all ages, ethnicities and cultures, some whose attitudes challenge your own values and must treat everyone with dignity and respect. | Impartiality; culturally aware |
| Transparency | You must declare all convictions, cautions, out of court disposals, arrests and reprimands, however minor; failing to do so invalidates your application. | Transparency; integrity |
| Accountability | Upholding and enforcing the law with integrity and humanity and building community trust through your actions. | Integrity; public service; take ownership |
If any of these gives you pause, it is better to think it through now than at the academy. Our is Police Now worth it? guide weighs the programme's benefits and drawbacks and the eligibility guide covers the declaration rules in detail.
How the framework applies by specialism
Every specialism is assessed against the same ten competencies and four values. Police Now's specialism pages add what each kind of work needs, which tells you where to put extra emphasis:
| Specialism | What Police Now highlights | Competencies to emphasise |
|---|---|---|
| Neighbourhood | Problem solving in one community, a community impact stage and leadership development | Culturally aware; collaborate; analyse critically; support and inspire |
| Detective | Skills such as leadership, resilience, analytical thinking, clear communication (interviews, findings, reports), empathy with victims, attention to detail, adaptability and problem solving | Analyse critically; written communication; emotionally aware; resilient |
| Economic Crime | Understanding economic crime and cyber threats and their impact on victims; an interest in data, finance and technology; managing large amounts of data; spotting patterns and anomalies; working with partner agencies | Analyse critically; innovative and open-minded; collaborate |
| Counter Terrorism | Understanding counter terrorism and current threats; an interest in global affairs and politics while staying politically neutral; discretion with sensitive information; building trust quickly while keeping information confidential | Impartiality; integrity; emotionally aware; culturally aware |
For the detective routes in more depth, see the Police Now detective programme guide.
Competencies that are easy to confuse
- Emotionally aware vs culturally aware. Emotional awareness is about individuals: reading and responding to how one person feels and managing your own emotions. Cultural awareness is about groups and communities: recognising that different communities have different needs and adapting your approach. A good community interaction often shows both.
- Take ownership vs support and inspire. Ownership is about your own decisions and learning. Support and inspire is about the effect you have on others: helping them understand the purpose, setting an example, helping them do their best.
- Analyse critically vs innovative and open-minded. Analysis is working out what is really going on from the evidence. Innovation is finding a better way to respond, often by learning from elsewhere. In a written report, analysis drives your summary of the problem and innovation shows in your recommendations.
- Collaborate vs support and inspire. Police Now's collaboration is about lasting partnerships around shared aims, often with other organisations. Support and inspire is closer to role-modelling within your own team.
- Resilient vs emotionally aware. Resilience is staying calm and recovering from setbacks; emotional awareness includes knowing your own reactions. A resilience answer is stronger when it shows you noticed how you felt and dealt with it, not that you felt nothing.
Compared with the College of Policing CVF
Most force routes (PCDA, DHEP, PCEP) assess against the College of Policing's Competency and Values Framework (CVF). The current version was published in 2024 and has three values (courage; respect and empathy; public service) and six competencies. Police Now has its own framework. How they line up:
| Police Now competency | In the 2024 CVF? | Difference in emphasis (our reading) |
|---|---|---|
| Take ownership | Yes: we take ownership | Police Now stresses decisions with a clear rationale, plus feedback and reflection |
| Collaborate | Yes: we collaborate | Police Now stresses lasting partnerships beyond your own organisation |
| Support and inspire | Yes: we support and inspire | Similar focus on understanding purpose and setting an example |
| Analyse critically | Yes: we analyse critically | Both focus on evidence and root causes |
| Innovative and open-minded | Yes: we are innovative and open-minded | Both stress curiosity and good practice from elsewhere |
| Emotionally aware | Yes: we are emotionally aware | Both cover understanding yourself and others |
| Resilient | No | Police Now's own; the CVF covers some of this under emotionally aware |
| Culturally aware | No | Police Now's own; the CVF's respect and empathy value covers related ground |
| Motivational alignment | No | Police Now's own: commitment to its mission |
| Written communication | No | Police Now's own; tested through its written report |
| Framework | Values |
|---|---|
| Police Now (current) | Transparency, integrity, impartiality, public service |
| College CVF 2016 (replaced) | Integrity, impartiality, public service, transparency |
| College CVF 2024 (current) | Courage, respect and empathy, public service |
| Police Now's Professionalism in Policing meeting | Courage, respect and empathy, public service (the College's ethical policing principles) |
- The values are the old CVF set. Police Now's four values are the same four as the College's 2016 CVF. The 2024 CVF replaced them with three values drawn from the Code of Ethics' ethical policing principles and forces had until 1 May 2025 to move across. Police Now does not explain the overlap.
- Two sets of values in one process. Police Now's own four values run through selection, while its Professionalism in Policing meeting uses the 2024 principles.
- No levels. The CVF describes competencies at three levels and uses level 1 for initial recruitment. Police Now's page describes no levels.
- Four extra competencies. Resilient, culturally aware, motivational alignment and written communication are Police Now's own, so CVF-only preparation misses them.
For the CVF in full, see our CVF 2024 explained guide. If you are applying to Police Now and a force at the same time, which Police Now allows, prepare examples that work for both frameworks.
Self-audit: where is your evidence?
For each line, ask whether you have a real example that shows the behaviour, then rate it: none, one, or two strong examples. Aim for at least one strong example for every competency and value and two for resilience and cultural awareness, which Police Now's help hub says it assesses in recruitment.
| Competency or value | Can I show this? | My rating |
|---|---|---|
| Take ownership | Making a decision with a clear reason | None / one / two strong examples |
| Collaborate | Working with people outside your own team towards a shared aim | None / one / two strong examples |
| Support and inspire | Explaining the purpose behind a task | None / one / two strong examples |
| Analyse critically | Separating facts from opinion | None / one / two strong examples |
| Innovative and open-minded | Looking for better ways of doing things | None / one / two strong examples |
| Emotionally aware | Noticing how someone feels and responding to it | None / one / two strong examples |
| Resilient | Staying calm under pressure | None / one / two strong examples |
| Culturally aware | Recognising that groups experience things differently | None / one / two strong examples |
| Motivational alignment | A specific, personal reason for policing | None / one / two strong examples |
| Written communication | Clear structure: purpose, facts, issues, recommendations | None / one / two strong examples |
| Transparency (value) | Explaining your reasons openly | None / one / two strong examples |
| Integrity (value) | Doing the right thing when no one is watching | None / one / two strong examples |
| Impartiality (value) | Fair treatment regardless of background or attitude | None / one / two strong examples |
| Public service (value) | Putting the needs of the people you serve first | None / one / two strong examples |
Where you have no example, look wider: university, part-time work, volunteering, sport, caring and family life all count. If you still have nothing, that is useful to know: it tells you where to focus between now and the next window, which Police Now says opens early next year for the March 2028 start.
Building your evidence: graduates and career changers
| Source | Graduates | Career changers |
|---|---|---|
| Study | Group projects, dissertations, presentations, resits | Professional qualifications, part-time study |
| Work | Part-time and holiday jobs, internships | Managing people, customers, budgets, complaints and change |
| Volunteering | Societies, student union roles, charity work | Governor, trustee, coach, special constable or community roles |
| Caring | Supporting family alongside study | Caring for children, parents or a partner alongside work |
| Setbacks | Failed exams, rejected applications, injuries | Redundancy, career change, business difficulties |
- List experiences, not competencies. Write down ten things you have done that were difficult or meaningful.
- Map them. Use the self-audit above to see which competencies each one shows.
- Outline each in STAR. Two or three lines per letter, focused on what you did.
- Add a reflection. What you learned or would change: Police Now's take ownership competency includes reflecting to improve.
- Practise out loud. See our Police Now interview questions for practice questions per competency.
Mistakes to avoid
- Preparing only for the CVF. It misses four Police Now competencies and all four of its values.
- Reciting definitions. Naming a competency is not evidence. Show it through what you did.
- One example for everything. Assessors notice. Build a bank of six to eight.
- Ignoring motivational alignment. It is a competency in its own right, not a warm-up question.
- Forgetting written communication. It is assessed through a written report, so practise writing, not just speaking.
- Inventing examples. Follow-up questions expose them and honesty is at the heart of Police Now's transparency and integrity values.
- Mixing up the two sets of values. Police Now's own four for selection; courage, respect and empathy and public service for the Professionalism in Policing meeting.
What we could not verify
- How each competency is scored or weighted and which exercises assess which competencies. Police Now does not publish this; our stage notes are our reading.
- What the immersive assessment measures competency by competency. Police Now describes cognitive, motivational and personality elements only.
- The longer "in the role" descriptions. On Police Now's page, some headings in that section do not match the text beneath them (for example, a "take ownership" heading over text about credibility and resilience). We summarised them by content, not by heading.
- Why Police Now's values match the 2016 CVF and whether it plans to change them.
- Whether levels apply. Police Now's page describes none.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are Police Now's competencies?
Police Now lists ten: take ownership, collaborate, support and inspire, resilient, analyse critically, culturally aware, innovative and open-minded, emotionally aware, motivational alignment and written communication. They are set out on its What we look for page, read on 19 October 2026.
What are Police Now's values?
Four: transparency, integrity, impartiality and public service. Police Now describes them as openness in actions and decisions, upholding professional behaviour and recognising good and poor performance, even-handedness with everyone and acting in society's best interests.
Does Police Now use the College of Policing CVF?
No. It uses its own framework. Six of its ten competency names match the College's 2024 CVF competencies, but resilient, culturally aware, motivational alignment and written communication are its own and its four values differ from the CVF's three (courage, respect and empathy, public service).
Why are Police Now's values the same as the old CVF values?
Police Now's four values (transparency, integrity, impartiality, public service) match the four values in the College of Policing's 2016 CVF, which the 2024 version replaced with courage, respect and empathy and public service. Police Now does not explain the link on its pages, so we cannot say why it kept them.
Which Police Now competencies matter most?
Police Now does not weight them publicly. Its help hub says it assesses cultural awareness and resilience in its recruitment and that being collaborative, empathetic and passionate about public service helps. Motivational alignment matters at every stage because Police Now asks how your motivation fits its mission.
How do I show motivational alignment?
Know Police Now's mission well enough to put it in your own words, give a specific, personal reason for policing and for your specialism, show you understand what the job involves and explain why you want this role over others, which Police Now's What we look for page mentions directly.
Can I use examples from outside work?
Yes. Police Now says you do not need specific experience, welcomes graduates from any subject and career changers and says experiences from university, part-time jobs, volunteering and team activities build relevant skills. Caring responsibilities, sport and societies can all provide good evidence.
How is written communication assessed at Police Now?
Through the written report at the assessment centre: an incident summary for Neighbourhood candidates or an investigative report for Detective route candidates. Police Now's definition asks for clear, concise language, an appropriate structure and correct grammar.
What is the Professionalism in Policing meeting assessed against?
Police Now's FAQ says it assesses your understanding of three of the College of Policing's ethical policing principles: courage, respect and empathy and public service. These are the same three as the 2024 CVF values, not Police Now's own four values.
Are there levels in Police Now's framework like the CVF?
Police Now's What we look for page does not describe levels. The College's CVF has three levels and uses level 1 for initial police recruitment. Police Now gives one description per competency plus a longer description of what it looks like in the role.
Sources and how we checked them
Every factual claim on this page was written from the sources below, read on 19 October 2026. Rules and figures change, so check the source for the date you are reading this. Where we could not confirm something from an official or independent source, the page says so rather than guessing. Spotted something out of date? See our corrections policy.
- Police Now: What we look for : the ten competencies and four values with definitions; what each looks like in the role; the mission; 'what it takes' (impartiality, transparency, accountability); no specific experience needed (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Police Now: Help hub : assesses cultural awareness and resilience in recruitment; collaborative, empathetic, passion for public service; career changers; Professionalism in Policing meeting (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Police Now: Neighbourhood assessment centre : exercises and what assessors look for; assessed against mission, competencies and values (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Police Now: Detective assessment centre : Detective route exercises; support, rapport, risk and safeguarding in crime case interactions (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Police Now: Neighbourhood immersive assessment : cognitive, motivational and personality elements; go with your first response (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Police Now FAQ: What is the Professionalism in Policing meeting? : three College of Policing ethical policing principles; about 15 minutes, in person (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Police Now: Economic Crime : experiences from university, part-time jobs, volunteering or team activities build relevant skills; detective skills list; what Police Now looks for in Economic Crime candidates (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Police Now: Detective specialism : skills Police Now highlights for detectives (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Police Now: Counter Terrorism : what Police Now looks for in Counter Terrorism candidates: understanding, interest in global affairs while politically neutral, discretion, rapport with confidentiality (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Police Now: Neighbourhood specialism : neighbourhood focus: problem solving, community impact and leadership development (accessed 19 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Competency and values framework (2024) : three values and six competencies; levels; used in recruitment (accessed 19 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Competency and Values Framework (2016, historical) : the four 2016 values: impartiality, integrity, public service, transparency (accessed 19 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Ethical policing principles (Code of Ethics) : courage, respect and empathy, public service (accessed 19 October 2026)
On this topic elsewhere
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Disclaimer
PolicePay.co.uk is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with Police Now, the College of Policing or any police force. It does not recruit or assess applicants. Police Now sets its own eligibility, selection and programme content and changes them between cohorts: check Police Now's own pages and your invitation before relying on anything here. Practice material on this page is original PolicePay material, not Police Now's. Details are as checked on 19 October 2026.