Police staff applications: using the Competency and Values Framework (CVF) in your statement

Updated · By the Tick the Spec team

Police forces in England and Wales assess police staff and officer applicants against the College of Policing's Competency and Values Framework (CVF), alongside the role's own person specification. The current version, published in 2024, has three values (courage and integrity, respect and empathy, and public service) and six competencies, each described at three levels. For a police staff application, such as a call handler, investigator, analyst, detention officer or administrator, give specific examples that match the competencies and values the advert lists, at the level for the role, and show you understand the ethical standards expected in policing.

The CVF in brief

Values

  • Courage and integrity: doing the right thing even when it is difficult, being honest and accountable, challenging unprofessional behaviour and discrimination.
  • Respect and empathy: treating people with dignity, understanding their perspectives and needs.
  • Public service: acting in the public interest, using authority responsibly, learning and improving to serve communities better.

Competencies

  • We are emotionally aware
  • We take ownership
  • We collaborate
  • We support and inspire
  • We analyse critically
  • We are innovative and open-minded

Each competency has three levels, broadly: level 1 for practitioners (most police staff and constables), level 2 for supervisors and middle managers, and level 3 for senior managers and executives. Levels are cumulative. The values apply to everyone, whatever the level. The College of Policing gave forces until 1 May 2025 to move to the 2024 version, so older guides using the 2016 values (such as impartiality and transparency) may be out of date.

How police staff applications usually work

  • An online application on the force's recruitment site, with questions asking for examples against named competencies or values, often with word limits.
  • A role profile or person specification listing essential and desirable criteria, which may include qualifications, typing speed, or a driving licence.
  • Vetting: all police staff go through security vetting, and some roles need higher levels. Answer vetting and declaration questions honestly; non-disclosure is treated seriously.
  • Assessments may include tests, role plays or interviews, depending on the role.

Step by step

  1. Find which competencies and values the advert asks about, and at which level.
  2. Read the behavioural indicators for that level in the CVF document and choose examples that fit them.
  3. Use a STAR structure: brief situation, what you did and why, the result. See STAR method examples.
  4. Show judgement and ethics: policing places a strong emphasis on integrity, fairness and challenging poor behaviour.
  5. Stay within word limits and answer the question asked.

Worked example (fictional)

This is an invented example. The applicant, organisation and details are fictional. For a police staff contact handler role, competency: "We are emotionally aware" (level 1), about 230 words.

Situation. I work in a utility company's contact centre, handling calls about supply problems. One evening a caller rang about a power cut; she was elderly, lived alone and became very distressed because she relied on an electric oxygen concentrator.

Action. I noticed her breathing was fast and she was struggling to follow my questions, so I slowed down, used short sentences and reassured her that I would stay on the line. I asked whether she had a back-up oxygen supply and whether she felt unwell. She said she had a cylinder but was frightened. Following our vulnerable customer procedure, I flagged her on the priority services register, arranged an emergency welfare call from our field team, and, because she said she felt faint, advised her to call 999 and offered to stay on while she did. I recorded everything clearly and handed over to my team leader at the end of my shift so the case would be followed up.

Result. She told me she felt calmer. The field team visited within the hour, and power was restored later that night. Afterwards I reflected that recognising her distress early changed how I handled the call, and I now check in on how callers are feeling before going through standard questions.

The example shows understanding others' emotions, adapting communication, managing the applicant's own response, and acting on welfare: all relevant to the competency at level 1.

Common mistakes

  • Using the 2016 CVF values and competency wording without checking the current version.
  • Examples pitched at the wrong level, such as level 2 leadership claims for a level 1 role, or the reverse.
  • No ethical dimension where a values question is asked.
  • Going over the word limit or answering a different question.
  • Incomplete declarations on vetting forms.

Tick the Spec can read the role profile and list the criteria and competencies it assesses, then show which of your experiences cover each one, free. For the general method, see how to write a supporting statement.

Sources

All guides