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Dorset Police
Force Command Centre

Call Handlers at work

Can you answer our call?

In our Command Centres we are at the front line of policing, providing that vital first point of contact between the public we serve and our operational Police Officers.

Ahead of our next recruitment campaign launching 30th August , we will be running recruitment awareness events on the 24th August and 9th September . To sign up to one of these, click the appropriate button below!

24th August 9th September

No 'average' call!

Last year, 401,000 calls were received from members of the public of which 73,000 were 999 emergencies. There is no ‘average’ call. Each caller is treated equally, and each situation is taken on its own merits. We are here for those that need us 24/7, 365 days per year dealing with both emergency and non-emergency calls.

It is a challenging role but working part of a team that will feel like a family in no time at all is all in a day's work.

Some calls will be challenging and sometimes difficult and will rely on your ingenuity and resiliance but there are always team members on hand to support you and provide 'time out' to talk about any issues that arise.

Working on a shift system, we are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Although a highly pressured role, the rewards are equally as high.

There are two core roles available in our Force Command Centre. To find out more about them, read the below.

Non-Emergency Contact Officer

Force Command Centre Staff taking a selfie
A Non-Emergency Contact Officer is the first point of contact for a caller to Dorset Police. What you say and how you say it will not only help in resolving the caller’s query, but will also influence how they feel about Dorset Police once the call has been completed.

Do you:
  • Enjoy each day bringing a new challenge?
  • Communicate effectively?
  • Have good listening skills?
  • Like working in a busy team?
  • Have the confidence to say no if required?
  • Want to go home each day having helped over 40 members of the public? Then the role of Non-Emergency Contact Officer may be for you! The focus of role is on making every contact count by ‘getting it right first time’ and ensuring that as many calls as possible are dealt with at the first point of contact and as efficiently as possible. This means we can provide the best possible service to members of the public who need to call Dorset Police.
A unique job for a unique person, it demands friendly patience, a broad mind and a positive attitude. You must be able to work as part of a close knit, supportive team and make decisions in situations which may be frustrating or distressing for the caller.

The role of a Non-Emergency Contact Officer requires you to;
  • Type and capture information, quickly and accurately
  • Communicate in a concise and accurate manner
  • Provide a high quality customer service
  • Listen effectively and extract specific information to determine the correct response
  • Demonstrate an aptitude for quick decision making and effective problem solving
  • Learn and retain information
  • Work effectively and enthusiastically as part of a team
The commencing salary will be within Scale C which is £22,175 per annum pro rata, rising by yearly increments to £23,604 per annum pro rata. Salary is inclusive of 14% shift allowance.

An enhancement can also be claimed for hours worked at weekend which accumulates to approximately £2,000 per annum pro rata.
The hours are 37 hours on a rolling shift pattern which includes weekends - 6 shifts on and 4 off - between the hours of 0830 and 0030hrs.

We also offer part time working which is a set shift pattern of either 24.67 hours or 18.50 hours on a rolling pattern. Shift patterns are advertised in our brochure
Date Stage
3rd June 2021 Eligibility and Application to apply via e recruitment opens
11th June 2021 18:30 - 19:30 and 14th June 2021 18:30 - 19:30 Online Awareness events
Midday 17th June 2021 Eligibility and Application closes
17th June 2021 Situational Judgement Test sent via email
Midday 1st July 2021 Situational Judgement Test closes
1st July 2021 Complete online virtual assessment centre
Midnight 12th July 2021 Closing date for virtual assessment centre
24th/25th July 2021 Final interview & telephone assessment

101 and 999 Contact Officer / Radio Operator

As a 101 and 999 Contact Officer / Radio Operator you will be the first point of contact in answering and responding to calls of either an emergency or non-emergency nature and provide the vital link between members of the public and operational police officers.

You will participate in the efficient, effective operation of the Force’s Command Centre and provide a high quality service to members of the public, police officers and police staff.

The focus of the Force Command Centre is on making every contact count by ‘getting it right first time’ and ensuring an efficient and effective customer journey as well as seeking to address the maximum number of calls at the first point of contact within a 24 hour capability. You will also be responsible for directing officers to the scenes of incidents and controlling incidents via radio and other forms of digital communication.
A unique job for a unique person, it demands friendly patience, a broad mind and a positive attitude. You must be able to work as part of a close knit, supportive team and make decisions in situations which may be frustrating or distressing for the caller. The role of a 101 and 999 Contact Officer / Radio Operator requires you to;

  • Type and capture information, quickly and accurately
  • Communicate in a concise and accurate manner
  • Provide a high quality customer service
  • Listen effectively and extract specific information to determine the correct response
  • Demonstrate an aptitude for quick decision making and effective problem solving
  • Learn and retain information
  • Work effectively and enthusiastically as part of a team
  • You must be able to deal with disturbing situations, keep your cool and think on your feet, cope with bad language and abuse
  • The role will also require you to work a 24/7 shift pattern including some weekends and bank holidays
  • We’d especially like to hear from you if you speak any of the following languages: Arabic, Bengali, Bulgarian, Kurdish, Lithuanian, Mandarin, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Turkish
Commencing salary will be within Scale D which is £24,742 per annum pro rata, rising by yearly increments to £27,399 per annum pro rata. Salary is inclusive of 20% shift allowance.

An enhancement can also be claimed for hours worked at weekend which accumulates to approximately £2,000 per annum pro rata.
The hours are 37 hours 24/7 on a rolling shift pattern. We also offer part time working which is a set shift pattern of either 24.67 hours or 18.50 hours on a rolling pattern. Shift patterns are advertised in our brochure.
Generally you will receive 22 to 30 days per annum.

A workforce that reflects our communities

Our ability to build trust, understand problems and support our communities across a range of policing matters, relies on us having a workforce that is reflective of our communities and all the unique individuals that exist within them. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity within our workforce and to eliminating discrimination.

We are very keen to encourage applications from those that have never considered policing as a career. Representation within our workforce from black and minority ethnic communities and females is currently much lower than we want it to be; by improving this we will be better able to serve our local communities and our work place will benefit from all the differences in thinking, points of view, and approaches that diversity brings.

In order to achieve this we are proud to pursue a policy of ‘positive action’.

For further information and to register for this scheme please click the button below.

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