37 replies to this topic

[AdamC]

Does anybody know when the next intake for BTP is to be expected?

I'm a Merseyside Special and missed out on last years intake due. My friend was successful and is now down in London having a ball, he is adamant that BTP will be having a second intake over 2012, any idea when it will be?

Thanks!

[HerrComm]

Your friend may be confusing it with at least 2 internal (i.e. current BTP police staff/specials) only intakes that are going ahead this year.

That's the only announced recruitment for PCs at present.

Edited by HerrComm, 26 February 2012 - 01:51 PM.

[Police Constable 1]

Your friend may be confusing it with at least 2 internal (i.e. current BTP police staff/specials) only intakes that are going ahead this year.

That's the only announced recruitment for PCs at present.

I thought there was only 1 planned internal recruitment not 2

but in answer to the OP its as HC says, it is internal only

[GJB]

As you're a serving special with another force, you should be able to apply for the transferee specials intake this year. But I expect you'd need to be out of your probation period and somewhat experienced.

[Police Constable 1]

As you're a serving special with another force, you should be able to apply for the transferee specials intake this year. But I expect you'd need to be out of your probation period and somewhat experienced.

I think thats only in London though

[HerrComm]

To clear some things up, the current "experienced SC transferee" vacancies are nationwide, and there are at least 2 internal only staff/SC to PC intakes planned for this year, if not a third.

[Truncheon]

I think thats only in London though

For the umpteenth time it is not just London, it is outside of London too!

[Police Constable 1]

For the umpteenth time it is not just London, it is outside of London too!

I do sincerely apologise, I had only seen the reference to outside London after I had posted my post, due to your post I have then gone to view topics about the SC transfer vacancies that I wouldn't normally view (as there is no need) where I have indeed seen it refereed to twice

I do hope that by me posting my post didnt upset you, I sense it might have done by your response

[Heimdall]

Rumours are exactly that. Rumours.

[fodfather]

and there are at least 2 internal only staff/SC to PC intakes planned for this year, if not a third.

Really..!? If so thatd be awesome for anyone currently with BTP Be interested to know where you heard about that, aside from the one intake we know about.

[HerrComm]

Really..!? If so thatd be awesome for anyone currently with BTP Be interested to know where you heard about that, aside from the one intake we know about.

I would PM you but it seems your inbox is full..

[Prae]

Does this mean that those "outsiders" who are awaiting an intake with everything passed are waiting in vain?

Edited by Prae, 01 March 2012 - 09:38 PM.

[d123]

Does this mean that those "outsiders" who are awaiting an intake with everything passed are waiting in vain?

Weren't you offered a position on the last intake?

[Police Constable 1]

Does this mean that those "outsiders" who are awaiting an intake with everything passed are waiting in vain?

I think you need to ring and ask them, but the recruitment is at the moment for London only and from what I remember (although I apologise if I am wrong) were reluctant to move there due to cost

Edited by Police Constable 1, 02 March 2012 - 01:31 AM.

[HerrComm]

Current employees only guys, current employees only. I really sympathise with people who applied and were deferrred, but this intake is for internal apps.

[marvelous2062]

All this new intake for internal applicants has done is give those internal applicants that failing in the recruitment drive last June another chance to apply again cause is now over six months. It's really not fair that people passed already and still waiting.

Just have to wait and see how many pass this time. And if not enough the waiting list may get a chance.

[Prae]

I was offered a place on the last two intakes but that's a whole other story!

I know from PM's that there are a lot of outsiders with everything passed just awaiting a start date so am just curious as to where they stand, unfortunately my interest in BTP has waned.

It does seem somewhat of a slap in the face for them to have X amount of suitable candidates ready to start and then say "Sorry guys, we're only taking on internal candidates now." and then run more assessments, medicals and vetting. Surely there is a cost to this?

I'm sure some of you will say that's life and I agree but if they are only recruiting internally they should tell the people who are awaiting a start date in vain so they can get in with finding another job.

[fodfather]

I for one am glad BTP are recruiting internally as I am internal! Ive done it for long enough now to have a good grasp on things and without setting off an 84 page topic rant I think its good BTP are doing this.

Esp. for me as I have passed an assessment with a HO force and cannot transfer it across!

For those that have passed and whos interest has wained then maybe thats a good thing as you may well have been one of those who join BTP to just jump ship after probation anyway? Its happened alot in the past and if that sort of thing puts you off then maybe 30 years of Policing the Railways isn't for you.

[marvelous2062]

I think that people like you should be no where near a police service and you come across really ignorant and selfish. You are in no place to judge anyone on what they would do after joining and if you truely like BTP so much, you should have never applied to a HO force.

I hope i never meet anyone who thinks like you in training and I hope people like me who are waiting get the chance jus to rub it in yr face.

For those that have passed and whos interest has wained then maybe thats a good thing as you may well have been one of those who join BTP to just jump ship after probation anyway? Its happened alot in the past and if that sort of thing puts you off then maybe 30 years of Policing the Railways isn't for you.

Edited by marvelous2062, 07 March 2012 - 02:34 PM.

[Prae]

I agree with marvelous 100%.

My interest in BTP wained because of the shocking treatment from HR, not because I had a fleeting interest in it or because I didn't know what the job was. Those of us who actually made it through the process (unlike plenty of BTP specials) had to demonstrate we know what the job entails.

Thanks for your concern though.

Edited by Prae, 07 March 2012 - 04:07 PM.

[Prae]

I don't have any issue with a force recruiting internally, in fact I'm hoping mine will sooner or later. My issue surrounds getting external people through the process, putting them on a waiting list and then starting to recruit internally. That isn't open and honest.

Anyway, good luck to anyone who applies or is still waiting.

[Loudand]

I agree with marvelous 100%.

My interest in BTP warned because of the shocking treatment from HR, not because I had a fleeting interest in it or because I didn't know what the job was. Those of us who actually made it through the process (unlike plenty of BTP specials) had to demonstrate we know what the job entails.

Thanks for your concern though.

The subject of very few serving BTP specials and PCSO's not getting a chance at the 2011 recruitment drive was/is a very touchy subject within BTP, a lot of experienced BTP officers didn’t even get past the paper sift stage and in a lot of cases they had put forward applications that should of been worthy of an invite to the A/C at the very least, as a serving BTP SC I didn’t expect any sort of easy ride on the last drive and I certainly know that being a SC doesn’t give you the right over Joe public when it comes to full time jobs, but after speaking with other officers the general consensus in my area at least is that they felt very disheartened by the process and that Joe public had the advantage over BTP SC’s and PCSO’s. These feelings must have found a way to the top because one day BTP would only have open recruitment and the next it went to internal only on this occasion.



I do feel for you though Prae and I would be feeling exactly the same if I was in your shoes.

[marvelous2062]

How did MOP's get an advantage over serving specials?

I have nothing against specials and i do think that if you good enough to be a special then you good enough to do the job, But if you made a bad applicition why should you be given an assesment day. If its to hard for you to pass an application which you are doing in the comfort of your own home or wherever. what makes you think that these people who did not pass the paper sift would do any better when under pressure during the assessment day.

People yes i know you maybe sticking up for your SC colleagues but please try to be fair.

The subject of very few serving BTP specials and PCSO's not getting a chance at the 2011 recruitment drive was/is a very touchy subject within BTP, a lot of experienced BTP officers didn't even get past the paper sift stage and in a lot of cases they had put forward applications that should of been worthy of an invite to the A/C at the very least, as a serving BTP SC I didn't expect any sort of easy ride on the last drive and I certainly know that being a SC doesn't give you the right over Joe public when it comes to full time jobs, but after speaking with other officers the general consensus in my area at least is that they felt very disheartened by the process and that Joe public had the advantage over BTP SC's and PCSO's. These feelings must have found a way to the top because one day BTP would only have open recruitment and the next it went to internal only on this occasion.



I do feel for you though Prae and I would be feeling exactly the same if I was in your shoes.

Edited by marvelous2062, 07 March 2012 - 04:43 PM.

[Loudand]

How did MOP's get an advantage over serving specials?

I have nothing against specials and i do think that if you good enough to be a special then you good enough to do the job, But if you made a bad applicition why should you be given an assesment day. If its to hard for you to pass an application which you are doing in the comfort of your own home or wherever. what makes you think that these people who did not pass the paper sift would do any better when under pressure during the assessment day.

People yes i know you maybe sticking up for your SC colleagues but please try to be fair.

I don’t think you get what I mean; maybe I didn’t put it across correctly,



Basically I know of numerous officers that thought that BTP had the attitude of ‘well there doing it for free, why should we pay them’ and therefore went for external applicants rather then internal, I’m not saying that this was the thinking behind it but internal officers were disheartened by how it was handled. For example a new intake of SC’s last year just about to finish training when the drive opened up, most applied, one even got invited to the A/C then that invite was retracted, each one of them got the same letter which was sent to the same place and the letter wasn’t even addressed to each individually.



I am fully aware that there were most likely a high number of internal applications (including my own) that wasn’t up to the standard, the competition was very high. It’s not a case of sticking up for anyone I was trying to put across our feelings on the last drive just as others have put there’s across.

,

[Fry]

How did MOP's get an advantage over serving specials?

I have nothing against specials and i do think that if you good enough to be a special then you good enough to do the job, But if you made a bad applicition why should you be given an assesment day. If its to hard for you to pass an application which you are doing in the comfort of your own home or wherever. what makes you think that these people who did not pass the paper sift would do any better when under pressure during the assessment day.

People yes i know you maybe sticking up for your SC colleagues but please try to be fair.

The external advantage was because of when they were planning the intakes, they said they would take the first 'X' number of applicants with a view of processing them in time for the first intake. Internal applicants needed to get a line managers approval which would take a couple of days/a week, whereas external applicants could (and quite likely did) apply on the day it opened therefore, putting internal applicants at an instant disadvantage; I can't remember exactly what they were recruiting, but in general terms it's easier to be the best 20 out of 400 than the best 80 out of 4500.

A number of people had previously applied to other forces but then got rejected during the whole economic OMG-lets-not-recruit-to-save-money that happened in 2010ish, and having used similar answers that were previously successful, got rejected by the BTP. The rejection letter gave a really generic and non-specific reason, and included an unimaginative 1 page of A4 giving generic advice I think they copied off the internet. Personally, I wouldn't mind getting told "Because of numbers we ended up looking for the top 90%, but you were 70%", but getting told "Yeah, your answers weren't good enough at all, here's something I googled" would be a bit of a kick in the teeth. For operational staff, such as PCSOs and SCs, there was a feeling that the force would rather keep them on as PCSOs/specials because of numbers required for the Olympics.

I don't have any issue with a force recruiting internally, in fact I'm hoping mine will sooner or later. My issue surrounds getting external people through the process, putting them on a waiting list and then starting to recruit internally. That isn't open and honest.

Anyway, good luck to anyone who applies or is still waiting.

I'm guessing here, but I imagine this would be down to where the vacancies are versus where those who are on a waiting list have said they want to go. For example, if they've got a load of vacancies in London, but there are people are on a waiting list, but they want to work at Liverpool, then it's not going to work out.