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Dispatcher / Contact Officer

Employer
West Midlands Police
Location
Please see on the advert
Salary
Salary: £20,115 to £24,759
Closing date
27 Jul 2019
Reference
190000BF

Job Details

Grade: Band C Lower

Salary: £20,115 to £24,759

Closing Date: 31st July 2019

Previous applicants: Previous applicants who have not previously been successful for this role in the last 6 months are not eligible to apply on this occasion. 

About the role:


If you would like to be at the exciting and invigorating frontline of policing and enjoy a varied week, where no two days are the same, then our opportunities in Force Contact could be for you.

We welcome your application to join West Midlands Police as a Contact Officer or Dispatcher with roles available in Coventry, West Bromwich and Birmingham.

Preventing crime, protecting the public and helping those in need is vital to the service West Midlands Police delivers daily to those who live and work in the West Midlands area. As a Contact Officer or Dispatcher you will play a pivotal role in ensuring we deliver this service from the moment you take that call or control of an incident.

The roles:
 

Dispatchers (Locations: Bournville and Willenhall in Coventry)


Our Dispatchers need to be ready to manage calls for service 24/7. Our resources need as much information as possible to deliver the force vision to the public and you’ll have the crucial task of communicating with front line officers and ensuring calls for service are appropriately prioritised and managed. In Force Contact, the actions you take during those critical first minutes of an incident will shape the Force’s initial response and directly impact on the eventual outcome.
 

We are looking for calm, strong decision makers with exceptional communication and prioritisation skills. If you are looking to develop yourself, and demonstrate leadership in critical, sometimes life and death, situations, then this could definitely be the opportunity you’ve been waiting for.
As a Dispatcher you will also provide resilience to the 999 emergency call handling function.

You will work within a friendly inclusive team of professionals who work together to deliver an excellent service.

We will support you to learn the skills and systems required to be a Dispatcher and continue to invest in your development once in post.

Contact Officer (Locations: Central Birmingham and West Bromwich)
 

We are the second largest police force in the country serving a population of almost 2.8 million; we handle over 3 million calls to our 101 Non-Emergency and 999 Emergency numbers each year. As a Contact Officer you’ll play a critical role in delivering the vision of West Midlands Police to the communities that we serve by being the trust and support at the end of the phone or other contact method.
 

We are looking for motivated individuals with exceptional communication and customer service skills and experience of providing a service to members of the public. There will be occasions when callers are distressed and their situation critical; as a Contact Officer you will take control and give reassurance, be empathetic, compassionate and supportive, whilst remaining professional.
 

Our Contact Officers are ready to deal with 999 and 101 calls from members of the public 24/7. Our resources require as much information as possible to deliver the force vision to the public and you’ll have the crucial task of communicating with callers and carefully recording this detail. In Force Contact, the actions you take during those critical first minutes of an incident will shape the Force’s initial response and give guidance to the subsequent allocation of resources. You will also handle non-urgent enquiries and provide advice to public over the telephone and via email.

You will work within a friendly inclusive team of professionals who work together to deliver an excellent service.

We will support you to learn the skills and systems required to be a Contact Officer and continue to invest in your development once in post.
 

Both Dispatchers and Contact Officers are full time posts which require applicants to work a shift pattern with staggered start times covering 24/7, 365 days a year. 

 

You can find out more information about shift patterns and allowance here https://wmp.referrals.selectminds.com/default1180_draft/page/careers-in-force-contact-12

 

Knowledge, Experience & Skills

We are looking for you to have the following skills and attributes that will complement the training programme you will receive to excel in this role.


Essential:

  • Computer literate
  • Accurate keyboard skills, minimum 25 wpm
  • Accurate verbal and written language skills
  • Able to prioritise and multi-task under pressure, achieves deadlines, whilst maintaining quality
  • Proven decision maker
  • Highly developed problem solving skills
  • Organisational skills and ability to prioritise 
  • Ability to transcribe and accurately record information in a timely manner.
  • To remain professional at all times in relation to behaviour and communication with the public and staff
  • The ability to deal with callers who are distressed, angry, upset or aggressive in an effective professional manner using influencing and verbal communication skills.
  • Displays emotional intelligence
  • Ability to work independently and as part of a team where necessary 
  • Demonstrable experience of delivering excellent customer service 
  • Customer focused 
  • Experience of dealing directly with the public
  • Desirable:
  • Experience of call centre / control room environments 
  • Knowledge and understanding of Home Office Counting Rules, National Standards of Incident Recording, National Call Handling Standards and Force Contact Call Handling Standards
  • Previous experience of working in Emergency Services, ideally policing.
  • Post Holders will have a nominated base location of work, but may be required to work at different locations across the force area within reason and to ensure business continuity.
      Please note that this role carries a tenure agreement – employees within Force Contact are unable to apply for roles within West Midlands Police outside of the department for two years following their start date.

    Successful candidates are required to undertake an appropriately stringent vetting procedure; we anticipate a start date in this role from Spring/Summer 2019.

    Diversity and Inclusion Vision: Maximise the potential of people from all backgrounds through a culture of fairness and inclusion to deliver the best service for our communities.   West Midlands Police are currently undertaking a long term review of staff pay and conditions.  The grade, pay and other terms of employment are therefore subject to review and may change in the future. 

Company

The West Midlands Police is made up of people like you who want crime to be reduced in our communities and for them to protected. Join us! To continue making a difference in the West Midlands region.

Company info
Website
Telephone
0121 626 5100
Location
Police Headquarters
West Midlands Police
Lloyd House, Colmore Circus
Birmingham
West Midlands
B4 6NQ
United Kingdom

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