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Contact Centre Officers serve as a vital front-line point of contact between the public and the police, responding to reports of incidents and crime from across Surrey.
The force's mission is for people to be safe and feel safe. One moment you may be dealing with a victim of a burglary, the next you could be recording intelligence being offered by the community about a drug dealer, before then taking a call about a serious road traffic accident.
This role requires strong communication and inter-personal skills to handle a wide range of calls, including emergency and non-emergency situations, with professionalism and composure.
The Contact Centre Officer role demands a combination of interpersonal, technical, and organisational skills. Officers play a critical role in providing essential services during emergencies and require the ability to remain calm, empathetic, and methodical in challenging situations. The ideal candidate should be adaptable, a strong communicator, and committed to maintaining the highest standards of professionalism and service.
Chief Constables' Message
We really welcome your interest in joining our Police Force. It is a privilege to lead the teams in Surrey Police and Sussex Police who continuously work selflessly and tirelessly in order to keep people in our counties safe.
We are looking for talented and inspirational people who put the needs of the public at the heart of everything that they do and who want to make a difference. If you feel you are that person then we want to hear from you.
We wish you all the very best with your application.
Chief Constable Tim De Meyer & Chief Constable Jo Shiner
The Role and Key Responsibilities
1. Effective Communication: The ability to communicate clearly and empathetically is essential, especially when delivering difficult messages or dealing with individuals in distress. Officers must convey information effectively and confidently, including managing expectations, and remain calm under pressure when handling emotionally charged interactions.
2. Resilience: Emotional resilience and a thick skin is crucial for Contact Centre Officers, who will have to manage challenging situations and distressed callers. Staying calm under pressure is vital, as the job often involves traumatic and emotive situations, including 999 calls during people's worst moments. Officers must be able to take charge of a call, maintain control and handle disrespect or poor behaviour without intimidation.
3. Empathy: Good people skills are essential. Demonstrating appropriate levels of empathy and understanding towards callers is crucial. Officers should provide reassurance and support even when immediate assistance cannot be dispatched.
4. Initiative: The ideal candidate should be organised, independent, and able to multi-task and work with minimal supervision when required. They must be able to work and make good decisions under pressure. The role involves reading between the lines, understanding tone and emotions to recognise when someone is not okay even if they say they are, and asking the right questions to gather as much information as possible.
5. IT Competency: Typing skills, including the ability to type at a minimum of 30 words-per-minute and navigate computer systems efficiently, are crucial. Information must be recorded accurately. It is essential that candidates are conversant with Microsoft Windows 10, including use of the Microsoft Office suite of packages. Being able to adapt to and learn other new IT systems is also key, as the job involves using multiple unique software systems. With the training given, recruits are empowered to risk assess and prioritise each incident, ensuring an appropriate response.
6. Flexibility: The role involves shift work and adapting to changing schedules. Candidates should be willing to work very varied hours, including nights and weekends. This also includes public holidays and celebrations such as Christmas and New Year's Eve. Planned and unplanned events can place additional demand on our service, this can mean restrictions on any additional leave being granted during such periods or flexibility required around hours worked or adjustment of schedules. Many current post holders enjoy the balance of having four days off every six days worked. With a new shift pattern currently being considered this may change to four days off for every four worked. This pattern involves a mixture of 10, 11 and 12 hour shifts; covering the 24/7 period.
Skills & Experience
While not considered critical, having a background in customer service or people-facing roles, and experience talking on the phone are qualities beneficial for the position. The ideal candidate should be able to work with people from all walks of life and have the ability to engage in conversations politely and effectively.
Being able to relate to those from different backgrounds and communities is an essential part of the role. We support victims in bringing offenders of crime to justice and work to protect some of the most vulnerable within society. This requires an open mind to be able to see things from their unique perspective, adapting communication styles, and dealing with some very sensitive and often distressing situations.
Education: There are no essential requirements, but it is desirable that candidates are educated to QCF Level 2 in English and Maths. It's also desirable, but not essential, that applicants have a typing or keyboard qualification (RSA or equivalent) or an IT qualification such as ITQ/ECDL/CLAIT.
Why Work With Us?
What we offer you.
While this can be a challenging role, there are many benefits, including the variety the work provides, camaraderie within a supportive environment, working outside the usual 9-5 and the resultant work-life balance. We strive for officers to feel valued and to enjoy a personal sense of achievement through helping people. We recognise how hard our employees work and we aim to provide opportunities for career progression as well as a competitive salary.
Our site is a former stately home which enjoys views out across the Surrey Hills. The extensive grounds allow for walking and relaxation. There is also a free on-site gym which is open 24 hours.
During office hours there is a canteen serving hot and cold food as well as a Costa Coffee outlet. At all times we offer a fully equipped kitchen to store or prepare meals along with vending machines.
Once out of training there is the opportunity to continue to develop, through taking on additional skills and responsibilities such as becoming a point of contact for other colleagues in a particular area of policing or becoming a coach or mentor.
• Starting salary of £31,956 (this is the salary for working a range of shifts across the 24hr period on weekdays and weekends, with a shift allowance of £5,847 built in)
• 180 hours annual leave, rising to 209 hours depending on your length of service.
• Progressive approach to flexible working, enhanced maternity and paternity leave and potential for a career break (after two years' service).
• Great training and development opportunities that support future career progression.
• Opportunity to join various support networks, staff associations and sports clubs.
• Access to discounts / savings / cash-back rewards including the Blue Light Card which provides its members with access to more than 15,000 discounts from large national retailers to local businesses across categories such as holidays, cars, days out, fashion gifts, insurance, phones and many more.
The role is based at our Headquarters site which is on the outskirts of Guildford, in Artington (approx. 1.5 mile outside of Guildford Town Centre), own transport is desirable as public transport is not readily available around shift times. You'll need to be able to work shifts, including nights, weekends and bank holidays.
We take pride in being an inclusive workforce and promote flexible working to accommodate a working pattern which balances home and work life. The opportunity to submit a flexible working pattern is available upon completion of your initial training period.
Are you eligible?
• You must be 18 years or over on the day you submit your application - there is no upper age limit.
• You must have lived in the UK for three continuous years immediately prior to application.
• Have leave to enter or leave to remain and work in the UK for an indefinite period.
• Not be a current or previous member of a proscribed terrorist organisation or group.
• Not have served a prison sentence.
• Not applied for the role previously within the last 6 months.
Diversity Statement
We are only as good as our people. It's really important that our officers and staff can be themselves in the workplace and we know that as an organisation we'll grow from the variety of thinking, approach and skills that diversity brings; all of which help us to deliver a better policing service. We strive to ensure how we deliver our services, provide information and how we recruit is open and accessible to all.
We have multiple staff support groups who help to improve our understanding of minority issues and ensure they are reflected in our work. We are proud members of the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index and Disability Confident, a signatory of the Race at Work Charter and aligned with the Armed Forces Covenant and the HeForShe movement.
We value the differences that people bring from all backgrounds and communities. Regardless of age, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, disability, social status or religious belief, we would love to hear from you.
Please use the following links to find out more on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at Surrey Police and Sussex Police
Further Information
We are looking for successful applicants to join on our June 2024 intake and would need to be available for the duration of the training course which is anticipated to run up until 9th August. On successful completion of vetting and medical clearances candidates are offered the next available space on a course. Should the June course be filled remaining candidates will remain in a 'pool' and be offered a place on the next available course later in 2024.
Successful candidates will be offered a 8 weeks' classroom-based training course. This is full time, Monday to Friday with a working pattern of the hours between 8am and 4pm. This is followed by a 16-week coaching period working the 24/7 shift pattern.
The probationary period for this role is 12 months and progress assessments take place at regular intervals during this period.
The role of Contact Centre Officer is tenured for 24 months, meaning that you will not be able to start a new position within Force during this time. You may however be able to apply for roles with longer recruitment time frames e.g. Police Constable.
For more information about the proposed Contact Centre Officer Shift pattern see the attached document.
