What we can offer you
When you join the MDP, you’ll be entitled to a competitive benefits package.
We offer a wide range of opportunities for learning and development and career progression, and you’ll have access to advice and flexible options to support your health, wellbeing and fitness.
Pay Rates
New recruits
The starting pay for newly recruited MDP Constables is £27,123. Thereafter, increases in pay are reviewed annually and linked to performance (including fitness and attendance). After completing six years’ service, you could be earning over £43,742.
Will you be seeking promotion during your MDP career? Our starting salary for Sergeants is £46,623. Take a look at our pay scales to see how your pay will increase if you choose to rise up the ranks.
New entrants from other police forces and serving officers
The starting salary for all serving and previously serving regular police officers who meet the eligibility criteria to apply, is determined by the length of their continuous police service. Take a look at our pay scales for more details.
As an example, a Constable who is in their 5th year of service will most likely join the MDP on Pay Point 5 of the MDP Constables’ pay scale (this can be checked by the Recruitment Team). Officers will retain their original pay increment date (police service entry date), providing that there is no break in their police service, otherwise their increment date will be their entry date to the MDP.
Location Allowances
Some locations attract annual location allowances on a pro-rata basis whilst you are based there. These are paid monthly in salary and are subject to the usual deductions.
These include:
- South East Allowance – Higher – £2,000 for posts based at the AWE Group near Reading
- South East Allowance – Lower rate – £1,000 for posts based at Portsmouth
- MDP London Weighting – £2505 for posts based at Whitehall in London
- MDP London Allowance – £3327 for posts based at Whitehall in London
Annual leave
New recruits
As a full-time police constable you will have 22 days paid annual holiday, rising to 30 days a year after 20 years’ service.
You can also expect other forms of leave, including maternity, paternity and adoption leave, special leave (with or without pay), and parental leave.
New entrants from other police forces and serving officers
Annual leave entitlements for serving or previously serving regular police officers, are awarded commensurate with total length of continuous police service, as shown below.
| Length in service | Leave entitlement |
|---|---|
| Less than 2 years | 22 days (176 hours) |
| 2 or more years | 25 days (200 hours) |
| 10 or more years | 27 days (216 hours) |
| 15 or more years | 28 days (224 hours) |
| 20 or more years | 30 days (240 hours) |
Pensions
Our officers and civilian staff are automatically opted into the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme (ALPHA). Alpha is a defined benefit scheme (Career Average) in which your pension builds up as a percentage of your actual pensionable earnings. You will contribute between 4.6% and 8.05% depending on your earnings and with contributions from the MOD starting at 26.6%, it is a generous and highly competitive scheme.
Find out more:
Discounts and offers
All members of the MDP are entitled to a range of discounts through the Defence Discount Service and/or Blue light Card scheme. Offers include cinema tickets, restaurants and even reduced prices on several car brands.
There are also several other benefits that may be available to you as part of the wider Civil Service, such as salary sacrifice schemes including Cycle to Work, salary advances and interest free travel loans.
Find out more:
Wellbeing and fitness
We’re committed to supporting the wellbeing of our people and we understand that people perform best when they feel comfortable and can be themselves.
We have:
- trained Mental Health First Aiders throughout the Force, to listen and signpost suitable guidance when staff need support
- the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) : a 24-hour helpline, available every day of the year, providing emotional support, guidance and advice on a wide range of issues
- Headfit: with online tools designed to help defence people stay mentally fit and on top of their game at work and at home
- an Occupational Health team, to provide guidance and advice in relation to the annual medical process and other health related issues for safety critical posts
- fitness provisions, including gyms, fitness instructors and a Force dietitian
- staff networks – find out more on our Diversity and inclusion page
- guidance, advice and support to represent your needs, available from the Defence Police Federation and, for civilian staff, Trade Unions – membership is offered to all staff
DOFit
Operational staff can access the Defence Occupational Fitness Programme (DOfit). This best practice health behaviour change support programme, developed in partnership with Public Health England (PHE), is designed to support MOD and Service personnel.
“DOFit offered me information and support and helped me realise that small changes can make a big difference. Since attending the course, I have lost weight and improved my fitness.”
Lifestyle
Standard working hours are 40 per week, but shift patterns vary from station-to-station. As a guide, a typical shift pattern would consist of four 12-hour shifts, followed by four days off. To note: Shift patterns are currently subject to review throughout the Force.
We have a culture that promotes healthy work-life balance and we use flexi-time and flexible working schemes, where duties and roles permit. MDP officers can be considered for alternative working arrangements, such as part-time working, after successful completion of the 2-year probationary period.
Sports
We encourage all our staff to keep fit and healthy and for our officers, fitness is an operational requirement.
Membership to CSSC Sports & Leisure (CSSC) is open to all in Defence and provides a number of ways to stay active, as well as savings on gym memberships.
Many stations have gym facilities and we have a Force Sports Association that offers support to staff taking part in competitive opportunities. Our officers take part in Police Sport UK initiatives and Defence sporting events, sometimes competing against their colleagues in the armed forces!
Learning and development
You will be provided with opportunities to acquire nationally recognised qualifications and external qualifications from professional institutes. Our Occupational Capability Centre offer support and advice for operational staff.
All staff have access to Civil Service Learning and the Defence Learning Environment. These online learning portals, accessible in and outside the workplace, offer a wealth of training materials and a great place to update your knowledge and skills.
The MDP recognised my existing skills and qualifications and I have been provided with great opportunities to develop these further.
Amy
Career progression
When you join the MDP, you’ll begin your journey in our police family and in the wider Civil Service.
Opportunities to progress in your policing and Civil Service career are wide and varied. Once you have completed your probationary period, there will be opportunities for you to further specialise and develop your career with us.
Our police officers and staff are offered ongoing training, guidance and support to help with personal and professional development. Those with a desire to progress will be guided and helped to move up into senior positions within the Force.
We also open some of our police promotion opportunities for officers joining us from other police forces.
Our rank structure
- Police Constable
- Sergeant
- Inspector
- Chief Inspector
- Superintendent
- Chief Superintendent
- Assistant Chief Constable
- Deputy Chief Constable
- Chief Constable