Grade: PCSO Level 2

Salary: £23,361 - £24,759 per annum 

Are you looking for a new career where you can make a real difference to the communities of the West Midlands?

Do you have excellent communication skills and enjoy working in partnership with others? 

Can you see yourself as a Police Community Support Officer with West Midlands Police?

About the role:

Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) are the crucial link between the local neighbourhoods and the police. We are recruiting PCSOs throughout the eight Neighbourhood Policing Units of the West Midlands.  

West Midlands Police is the second largest police force in the country, covering an area of 348 square miles and serving a population of almost 2.8 million. The force deals with more than 2,000 emergency calls for help every day, as well as patrolling the streets and responding to incidents 24-hours-a-day, seven days a week.

PCSOs provide an increased visible police presence within their local communities by conducting patrols to help prevent crime, keep people safe from harm and increase community trust and confidence in West Midlands Police. Within the role you’ll become an integral member of the community you work within. 

Trained to calm heated situations, PCSOs defuse hostility and provide that all important reassurance to help make our communities safer.

These are full time posts and hours are based on a 36.5 hour week spanning Monday to Sunday which requires applicants to work a shift pattern including some evening and weekend work. Shift patterns vary with cover between 08:00hrs - 00:00hrs.

Key Responsibilities:

As a PCSO you will:  

• Engage with communities, empowering and encouraging them to become more involved with the policing of their area. As part of this you will represent West Midlands Police at local events, conduct meetings within the community and deliver presentations at schools
• Identify and understand key issues and crimes and work with the public to remove and prevent these 
• Understand the diversity and demographics of your community and find ways to engage with harder to reach community members 
• Build and maintain community relationships to create trust between the public and the police
• Be able to talk to community members about the issues affecting them
• Maximise opportunities to gather intelligence about harm and criminality through enhanced relationships with the community, partners and colleagues
• Work with partners to deliver agreed objectives
• Deliver an excellent service to the community in which you are based

About you 

The ideal candidate for the role of PCSO will be a confident decision maker with excellent communication skills. You will have experience of working under your own initiative and with external partners and communities. You’ll be able to demonstrate your ability to remain calm under pressure and collaborate with communities and partners to deliver services and positive outcomes. 

You’ll be committed to delivering excellent customer service and always looking for opportunities where improvements can be implemented. You will have demonstrable experience of working with Microsoft packages coupled with a proactive approach to problem solving.  You will also be able to write in a clear, concise and accurate manner. 

Click here to view additional information on the eligibility criteria and the selection process. 

We anticipate face-to-face assessments will take place April 2019. Candidates who successfully complete the selection process will be required to undertake an appropriately stringent vetting procedure; we anticipate a start date in this role from mid-2019 onwards. 

Please note that this role carries a tenure agreement – PCSOs are unable to apply for a different role within West Midlands Police for two years following their start date.  

WMP is a large and diverse organisation where you can develop your skills, knowledge and career in an encouraging and flexible environment. We're able to offer you a comprehensive range of rewards and benefits including:

• 24 days annual leave (plus bank holidays); increasing to 31 days after five years’ service
• Access to a Corporate Health Cash Plan and wellbeing website
• The opportunity to save on travel costs through a Corporate Travel Scheme
• The option to join a generous Local Government pension scheme

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.