Successful completion of this full cycle of training will lead to authorisation for independent patrol, subject to confirmation of satisfactory performance during beat duties. The training you receive is something you will have with you forever. The more involved you become in learning, the more responsibility you will be allowed and the more practical experience you will gain, enabling a greater sense of achievement and satisfaction from your duties as a special constable. Course content also takes into account Area requirements. For example, forthcoming policing operations and the resulting training needs aretackled in order to gain input from special constables.
Sessions vary in format and involve lectures, group work, action-learning and simulation exercises.
From time to time, quest speakers are also invited to talk about specialist areas within the police service. Training is reinforced out on patrol where you will be under the supervision of a regular officer or a more experienced special constable. This enables you to learn about the practical aspects of policing and start to put the theory into practice. Specials find supervised patrol very worthwhile, where they are seeing new situations, adapting their knowledge and benefiting from the experiences of colleagues. Likewise, each special constable has a unique mix of skills, knowledge and experience which can be invaluable to their colleagues.