Reasonable Adjustments - Request Process

Reasonable Adjustments - Request Process - Police Officer

1. Policy on requesting reasonable adjustment needs relating to a disability during the Deloitte Managed Stages of the recruitment process

Introduction

The Police Service of Northern Ireland welcomes applications from all and will consider any reasonable adjustment needs requests from applicants. As independent recruitment agent to the Police Service of Northern Ireland, Deloitte will process and where appropriate facilitate such requests.

This page outlines the steps you should take if you wish to request a reasonable adjustment relating to a disability or condition. (This includes hidden disabilities such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, and specific learning difficulties such as Dyslexia).

Any applicant with a disability will be considered individually on their merit.

Requests for reasonable adjustments will be considered in line with the Disability Discrimination Act.

For the effective operation of the recruitment process, we need you to tell us on your application form, if you have any adjustment needs that may require us to make reasonable adjustments so that you can participate. For example, you should make us aware of any communication or access needs that relate to a disability you may have. Please note that you are not required to tell us of any disability that you may have if you do not wish to do so. Any information declared will be used only to facilitate the scheduling and testing of applicants.

Any reasonable adjustments offered will apply to the Deloitte Managed Stages of recruitment (i.e. the Initial Selection Test / Assessment Centre).

Please follow the guidance provided in this page carefully so that your request for a reasonable adjustment can be considered efficiently.   

2. Reasonable Adjustment Needs - Declaration and Consideration Process

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  • Please refer to Appendix 1 at the bottom of this page for more details on the process that will be followed.

Step 1 - Declare

While completing the online application form you will be given the opportunity to declare any reasonable adjustment needs, which would allow you to participate fully in the recruitment process (including the Initial Selection Test and the Assessment Centre).

Applicants with ANY disability or condition who intend to seek an adjustment must use the space provided within the "Assessment / Education" section of the online application form.

Please summarise your specific needs in relation to your disability or condition. Please be succinct and use only a few words to explain (we will follow up with you after you have submitted supporting evidence if more detail is needed).

Step 2 - Provide Evidence

In addition to declaring your reasonable adjustment needs on the online application form you must follow up by supplying supporting diagnostic evidence, addressing exam adjustment needs, by email to info@joinpsni.co.uk as soon as possible after applying. The final deadline for receipt of complete evidence is 3pm on 19th November 2021. It is your responsibility to take action on this. 

Details on the evidence format Deloitte can accept can be found in section 3-6 of this page.

Step 3 - Review and facilitation

All requests and evidence will be reviewed by our specialist team and, if appropriate, reasonable adjustments to testing will be applied and you will be informed as such. In the case that your request for an adjustment is deemed inappropriate, you would be offered an opportunity to participate in non-adjusted testing (see Appendix 1 for further details). Discussion into or appeal against the decision of our specialist team will not be considered.   

Stipulations

  • Failure to declare reasonable adjustment needs requests (if applicable) on your online application form, or failure to provide full supporting evidence by the deadline set, will mean that we will not be in a position to consider any adjustment needs requests submitted later in the recruitment process (unless you can prove it would have been impossible to have known about the matter at the time of application stage*).

 * Dyslexia or Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLDs) and related adjustment needs must be declared and evidenced at application stage. Later consideration will not be possible

  • Please note that even if you have applied to the Police Service before and were granted an adjustment, you will be required to submit evidence again afresh this campaign. Due to data retention / data protection terms, Deloitte cannot refer to information relating to previous campaigns.
  • Applicants are expected to bear any expense relating to providing evidence in support of a reasonable adjustment request. Neither Deloitte nor the Police Service of Northern Ireland can provide financial support to applicants.
  • Neither Deloitte nor the Police Service of Northern Ireland can provide guidance or recommendations in relation to an applicant commissioning the preparation of evidence in support of their request for reasonable adjustment.
  • Applicants must follow instructions on how to supply evidence carefully. Failure to provide evidence in an acceptable manner may lead to the request for adjustment being rejected.
  • Any reasonable adjustment offered may differ from that proposed by the applicant or documented in their supporting evidence. Careful consideration of your needs will be made in the context of the tests and assessments in use. Note that, even if an adjustment is offered for the Initial Selection Test a different adjustment (or indeed no adjustment) may apply for the assessment centre. Discussion into or appeal specific to reasonable adjustment decisions cannot be considered. 
  • Any reasonable adjustment offered will apply to the Deloitte Managed Stages of recruitment. Notes on adjustment requests will be included on the merit list passed to the Police Service of Northern Ireland, but you must highlight your needs to PSNI again if they may apply to the PSNI Managed Stages of recruitment or the role itself. When PSNI contact you, please draw your reasonable adjustment needs to their attention.

3. General instructions on how to provide evidence

ALL applicants wishing to request a reasonable adjustment must follow instructions on this page. Then; depending on your disability or condition please refer to sections 4 or 5 of this page for further specific instructions.

If you have more than one disability or condition in relation to which you would like to request adjustments, please provide evidence relating to all matters.

All Applicants wishing to request reasonable adjustment needs, having declared these needs on the online application form, must follow up by email to info@joinpsni.co.uk as soon as possible and by no later than 3pm on 19th November 2021, attaching complete, valid, supporting diagnostic evidence, addressing exam adjustment needs. Specific instructions and details of the format in which evidence should be supplied must be followed in full or evidence may not be accepted.

Evidence should be scanned as one single document and emailed to info@joinpsni.co.uk. When providing evidence by email you must include:

  • Your name
  • Your date of birth
  • Details of the time and date you made your online application

Mobile phone photos of documentation will be accepted as an alternative to scans, providing they are clear and the order of pages included is obvious and numbered.

✓  Applicants with Dyslexia or a Specific Learning Difficulty (SpLD) should also refer to section 4 of this page for additional instructions.

✓  Applicants with other disabilities or conditions (including hidden disabilities such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, ASD) should also refer to section 5 of this page for additional instructions.    

4. Providing evidence relating to adjustment needs arising from Dyslexia or SpLD

ALL applicants should follow instructions in section 3 of this page. In addition, applicants with Dyslexia / SpLDs should follow instructions on this page.

If you have Dyslexia or other Specific Learning Difficulty (SpLD) and would like adjustments to be considered, you must submit your most recent diagnostic report, addressing exam adjustment needs, prepared by a qualified educational psychologist or other suitably qualified professional (e.g. certain chartered psychologists or in some circumstances specialist teachers with a current Practicing Certificate in SpLD Assessment).

The following requirements must be met in full (by the final deadline of 3pm on 19th November 2021) in order for the report to be considered:

  • An individual dyslexia diagnostic report (and not a dyslexia screen or profile) is required.
  • The report must be complete with no pages missing.
  • The report itself must be submitted and not a commentary on the report by a third party.
  • If a follow-up report or reports are available, both the follow-up and the original report should be provided.    

5. Providing evidence relating to adjustment needs arising from other Disabilities or Conditions. (This includes hidden disabilities such as Autism Spectrum Disorder)

ALL applicants should follow instructions in section 3 of this page. In addition, applicants with other disabilities or conditions should follow instructions of this page.

If you have a disability or other condition (other than Dyslexia / SpLD) and would like a reasonable adjustment, so that we can fully consider your request, we require further detail on the needs that you are declaring. You must submit your most recent evidence relating to your condition prepared by your doctor or other appropriate professional.

The evidence must include a written statement outlining the details of your condition and setting out the professional recommendation for appropriate adjustments to examination conditions.

The following requirements must be met in full (by the final deadline of 3pm on 19th November 2021) in order for evidence to be considered:

  • The evidence must be complete with no pages missing.
  • The original evidence itself must be submitted and not a commentary on the report by a third party.
  •  If a follow-up report or reports are available, both the follow-up and the original report should be provided.
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Appendix 1. Illustration of Reasonable Adjustment Needs - Declaration and Consideration Process

Application phase and opportunity to submit evidence of disability related adjustment needs:  

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Appendix 1 Continued: IIIustration of Reasonable Adjustment Needs - Declaration and Consideration Process 

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