Independent Patrol
Status Explained
Independent patrol status is the first big milestone for a student officer: the point at which you no longer need a tutor beside you. Here is what it means, when it usually comes, how you are assessed and what happens if you need longer.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 18 October 2026 · England and Wales unless stated
Independent patrol status (IPS) is sign-off that a student officer can patrol safely and lawfully without a tutor constable. The College of Policing's typical timeframe is within 10 months of joining, after initial training and a tutored patrol phase. You are assessed through your operational competence portfolio. You remain on probation afterwards, building towards full operational competence around two years in.
What independent patrol status is
Independent patrol status, usually shortened to IPS, is the point in your programme when you are signed off to patrol on your own. Up to then you patrol with a tutor constable. After it, you can be deployed without one, although you are still a student officer, still on probation and still being assessed.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What it is | Sign-off that you can patrol without a tutor constable beside you |
| Standard | Safe and lawful independent patrol (Wiltshire's wording) |
| Typical timing | Within 10 months of joining (College of Policing, April 2026) |
| Before it | Initial learning (typically within 5 to 6 months), then the tutored patrol phase |
| Evidence | Your operational competence portfolio (OCP) and the learning linked to independent patrol |
| After it | Mentoring on shift and evidence towards full operational competence, around two years in |
| Still on probation? | Yes. Two years, or three on the PCDA, unless extended |
It applies to every constable route. The College's April 2026 guide sets the same three milestones for PCDA, DHEP and PCEP students: initial learning, a tutored patrol phase and full operational competence. IPS is the end of the second.
When you normally get it
The College's guide gives typical timeframes rather than fixed dates: initial off-the-job learning within 5 to 6 months, and the tutored patrol phase within 10 months. Forces set their own schedules within that. Wiltshire Police publishes its own week-by-week journey, which is a useful example:
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| Weeks 1 to 24 | Initial learning, including two weeks' leave and six modules, plus IT, officer safety and driving courses |
| Weeks 25 to 36 | One-to-one tutoring, gathering evidence towards independent patrol status in the OCP |
| Week 36 (end of tutorship) | Supervisors and tutor assess and recommend whether you are safe and lawful for independent patrol |
| Weeks 37 to 52 (PCDA, DHEP) | Independent patrol phase: mentoring on shift and evidence towards full occupational competence. Gateway 1 at the end of year one |
| Weeks 37 to 90 (PCEP) | Independent patrol phase running to the week 90 final review |
Wiltshire's PCDA and DHEP students reach their first gateway at the end of year one: independent patrol plus the year's academic credits (120 at level 4 on the PCDA, 60 at level 6 on the DHEP). If you can show recognised prior learning, the tutorship can be shorter.
The tutor phase
In the tutor phase you work one-to-one with a tutor constable on your team. Wiltshire's procedure says all students are tutored by a trained tutor constable, and that during the 12 weeks you should be able to show you can operate independently at a level deemed safe and lawful, with competencies recorded in the portfolio.
- Before you start. North Yorkshire runs a final knowledge check at the end of initial training to confirm you have the knowledge to carry out accompanied patrol under a tutor constable, with a retake if you fail.
- Exposure. Wiltshire makes tutors and line managers responsible for giving you enough exposure across the role to meet your portfolio and academic criteria, with rotations across functions considered so every student has an equal chance.
- Underpinning learning. You must have completed all the learning linked to independent patrol before the final IPS assessment is made (Wiltshire).
How IPS is assessed and who decides
Assessment is through your operational competence portfolio and is holistic: Wiltshire's procedure describes an appropriate holistic (integrated) assessment of knowledge, understanding, skills, attitudes and behaviour.
- The recommendation. Towards the end of tutored patrol, the supervisors responsible for the tutor phase, with your tutor constable, assess your progress and recommend to the training and assessment team whether you can demonstrate safe and lawful independent patrol (Wiltshire 6.9.5).
- The standard. Independent patrol status is achieved on satisfactory completion of the relevant portfolio criteria (Wiltshire 6.9.4).
- The record. Feedback and development documents are stored in the electronic portfolio, so the evidence behind the decision is visible to you.
Wiltshire calls its training team SOTAT (student officer training and assessment team); North Yorkshire refers to a professional development unit, or PDU. The function is the same: the team that manages your portfolio and assessment.
If you are not ready at the end of the tutor phase
Not being signed off on the first date is not automatically the end. Wiltshire's procedure sets out what happens next:
| Stage | Who is involved | Possible outcomes |
|---|---|---|
| First meeting (end of 12 weeks) | Convened by the training manager with all relevant parties, including you | Extend tutorship for up to 6 weeks with a support plan (early sign-off possible), or recommend dismissal under regulation 13 |
| Second meeting (end of extension) | Chaired by the training manager | Further tutored patrol of up to 6 weeks with a development plan if progress justifies it, or recommend dismissal under regulation 13 |
On Wiltshire's detective constable entry programme, the procedure says that if a student does not reach independent patrol in the allotted time, it is at the organisation's discretion to extend the learning period or start regulation 13.
North Yorkshire's review meetings consider remedies including further training or re-tutoring, double crewing, mentoring and attachments, alongside support for personal issues and reasonable adjustments.
Ask for the support plan in writing, with the specific criteria you need to evidence and the review dates. Bring a Police Federation representative to any formal meeting. If something outside your control limited your exposure, put it on the record. Our regulation 13 guide explains the wider process.
After independent patrol
Wiltshire describes the period after IPS as mentoring on shift while you gather evidence towards full occupational competence. Its PCDA and DHEP students continue their academic assignments, and the portfolio is due to be complete by the end of year two (week 104), with a final review at week 90 for DHEP, PCEP and pre-join students.
The College's guide says you can be signed off as fully competent in operational duties around two years after joining. On the PCDA, the completed portfolio is also a gateway requirement for the end-point assessment.
What IPS does not mean
- It is not the end of probation. Probation is two years, or three on the PCDA, under Annex C, and the chief officer can extend it.
- It does not end regulation 13. The chief officer can dispense with a probationer's services at any time during probation. Wiltshire's procedure says that once you are on independent patrol, failing to meet required performance at reviews can still lead to the regulation 13 procedure.
- It is not full competence. Full operational competence comes later and is assessed separately.
- It does not change your pay. Pay moves on the anniversary of your appointment, not on IPS. See student officer pay.
Getting to independent patrol: practical steps
These are our suggestions, based on how the procedures we read assess students. They are not a College standard.
- Read the portfolio criteria in your first week of tutorship, not your last. Map each criterion to the kinds of incident that will evidence it.
- Ask your tutor which criteria you have not yet had the chance to evidence, and tell your sergeant. Wiltshire's procedure makes it the tutors' and line manager's job to give you enough exposure, including rotations where needed.
- Write up evidence while it is fresh. A portfolio entry written a fortnight later is weaker and harder to verify.
- Treat feedback as evidence of progress. A record showing you acted on feedback helps at any review meeting.
- If your shifts or crewing are limiting what you can evidence, raise it early and in writing.
- If something is affecting your performance, such as health, caring responsibilities or a difficult tutor relationship, say so before the end of the tutor phase so it can be considered.
About tutor constables
Your tutor matters a great deal at this stage. Wiltshire requires tutors to be confirmed constables, recommended by their line manager, who have completed a tutor course and annual development events. That is not a national standard. The Police Leadership Commission (July 2026) reported concerns that tutor selection and training is inconsistent and ineffective, quoting a 2021 Police Federation survey of 28 forces in which 22 required no formal selection process and training ranged from under a day to six days. It also noted there is no national allowance for tutor constables.
The Commission recommended a senior constable rank that would incorporate the tutor role, with consistent selection, training and reward. That is a recommendation only. See the Commission report explained.
What we could not verify
- A national IPS definition. We could not open a College of Policing document that defines independent patrol status or sets a national deadline. This page uses the College's typical timeframes and two forces' procedures.
- Other forces' extension rules. The two extension periods of up to 6 weeks are Wiltshire's. Other forces may allow more or less time.
- Pass rates. We found no published figures for how many students reach independent patrol on time, and we do not estimate one.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does independent patrol status mean in the police?
It means a student officer has been assessed as competent to patrol without a tutor constable alongside them. Wiltshire Police's procedure describes the standard as safe and lawful independent patrol. You remain a student officer on probation, and you keep building evidence towards full operational competence afterwards.
How long does it take to get independent patrol status?
The College of Policing's April 2026 joining guide gives a typical timeframe of within 10 months of joining for the tutored patrol phase, after an initial learning phase of within 5 to 6 months. Forces set their own schedules: Wiltshire runs a 12-week tutorship from week 25 to week 36 of year one.
Who signs off independent patrol status?
It depends on the force. In Wiltshire, towards the end of the tutored patrol the supervisors overseeing the tutor phase, with the tutor constable, assess progress and recommend to the student officer training and assessment team whether the student can patrol safely and lawfully on their own.
What happens if I do not get independent patrol status in time?
In Wiltshire's procedure, a meeting is held with all parties and the outcome is either an extension of up to 6 weeks with a support plan or a recommendation of dismissal under regulation 13. If you are still not signed off after the extension, a further period of up to 6 weeks is possible if your progress justifies it. Other forces set their own rules.
Is independent patrol status the same as passing probation?
No. It is a milestone within probation. Probation lasts two years, or three on the PCDA, and full operational competence is typically signed off around two years after joining. Regulation 13 continues to apply until you are confirmed.
Do PCEP students get independent patrol status at the same point as PCDA and DHEP students?
In Wiltshire's published journeys, all three routes have the same initial learning period (weeks 1 to 24) and tutoring phase (weeks 25 to 36). What differs is the academic work running alongside, and what comes after. Your own force's schedule may differ.
Sources and how we checked them
Every factual claim on this page was written from the sources below, read on 18 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.
- College of Policing: Guide to joining the police service (PDF, April 2026) : key milestones: initial off-the-job learning within 5 to 6 months, tutored patrol phase within 10 months, full operational competence around 2 years; evidence portfolio; operational patrol supported by experienced officers (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Wiltshire Police: Training and Probationary Procedural Guidance for Student Officers (PDF, version 4.0, 2 October 2025) : the 12-week tutorship, IPS assessment and sign-off, extensions of up to 6 weeks, the regulation 13 option, the IPS phase and gateways, tutor requirements. One force's procedure (accessed 18 October 2026)
- North Yorkshire Police: Regulation 13 for Student Officers procedure (PDF, 2025) : final knowledge check before accompanied patrol with a tutor constable, retake, remedies such as re-tutoring and double crewing at review meetings (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Skills England: Police constable (integrated degree) end-point assessment plan, ST0304 : the operational competence portfolio as a gateway requirement for the PCDA end-point assessment (accessed 18 October 2026)
- The Police Regulations 2003, regulation 13 (legislation.gov.uk) : the test for dispensing with a probationer's services during probation (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Home Office Circular 009/2024: Annex C, probation (18 December 2024) : probation of two years, three on the PCDA (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Police Leadership Commission report (PDF, July 2026), paragraph 175 and recommendation 13 : tutor constable selection and training inconsistency, the 2021 Federation survey figures, no national tutor allowance, the proposed senior constable rank incorporating the tutor role (accessed 18 October 2026)
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Disclaimer
PolicePay.co.uk is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with the College of Policing, the Home Office, any university or any police force. Training programmes, timings, assessment and probation procedures are set nationally but delivered locally, so your force's own policy and your offer letter decide how they apply to you. This is general information, not legal advice: if your probation is extended or you are served a regulation 13 notice, speak to your Police Federation representative. Details are as checked on 18 October 2026.