Register your Interest - Emergency Contact Handler Apprenticeship

Applications are currently closed for our contact handler role however if you are interested in joining on our next intake, register your interest below and we will be in touch when applications go live again.

(Please note: this is not a job application)

Location: Ponteland or South Shields (Please note, we are unable to guarantee which of the two locations you will be based at)

Hours/Shift Pattern – 37 hours, click here to view the shift pattern.

Salary: Band 6, £29,055 - £31,296 (Plus you will be entitled shift and enhanced allowance)

Working for #TeamNP

Our purpose at Team NP is simple: to keep people safe and to fight crime. But it takes more than officers alone to do the job – and that’s where our 2,000-strong team of police staff and 200 volunteers come in.

As one of the largest police forces in England we have a huge variety of departments and specialisms offering you endless opportunities. From mentoring and coaching schemes and online soft skills courses to leadership development programmes; we’ll give you the support, training and time to carve out the career you always wanted.

As one of the top 50 UK inclusive employers and a disability confident employer, we promote a culture of respect in the workplace so everyone can feel seen, heard and valued.

Whether you’re a member of staff or a volunteer, you can also expect first-rate support to manage your health and wellbeing. With year-round events, a 24/7 welfare support hotline and a leading approach to neurodiversity, our initiatives enable you to be at your best.

Above all else, here at Team NP, we can offer you a career that is so much more than just a job, it’s a chance to be part of something that really matters.

Learn about our full benefits package

The role

Here at Northumbria Police, we think our region is amazing! It takes a great deal of people from different backgrounds, with diverse skills and experience to serve our force area effectively, think you have what it takes to help us make a difference? This could be the perfect time for you to join us in our Communications Department as an Emergency Contact Handler.

Do you want to be the voice that can help in someone’s time of need? As the first point of call we rely on your ability to stay calm, focused, and professional in your response. Then why not join us? There really hasn’t been a better time to kick start your career with us in our fast-paced, customer-focused Communications Centre.

You’ll have the opportunity to earn while you learn whilst playing a critical role in our ability to respond to emergencies. You will receive structured on and off the job training, personalised tutoring and all the encouragement and support you need through our comprehensive Emergency Contact Handler Apprenticeship programme. This will result in you being able to appropriately respond to incoming calls and evaluate the urgency of an incident in what could be a life critical situation. On successful completion of the apprenticeship programme you will be confirmed in post and receive a nationally recognised certificate in emergency contact handling.

What you’ll do

Working towards a level 3 apprenticeship you will be trained as an Emergency Contact Handler; you will perform one of the most rewarding roles in the force and one which is key to inspiring confidence in the community.

You will gather information from callers by using your excellent communication skills, recording key messages whilst maintaining a professional manner. You will be trained to accurately input data into various police IT systems and gather information from force databases to support our frontline police officers. Using your experience, training, and judgement you will assess vulnerability and provide a high quality of service, ensuring the needs of victims and customers are at the heart of what we do. Calls will include 999 emergency, 101 non-emergency, and contact made our digital platforms.

Successful candidates will work a range of day, late and night shifts as per the documented patterns, if you’re interested in discussing flexibility around hours, then please discuss at interview.

Sound interesting? For further information, and to support your application, please visit our ECH application guide and the job description.

What you’ll bring

Qualifications:

For entry onto the apprenticeship, you are required to have Maths & English at one of the following standards:

Level 2 qualifications in both English and Maths for example a GCSE or iGCSE at level 4 (grade C) or above, Functional Skills Level 2, Key Skills Level 2 (Communication and / or Literacy) or Adult Numeracy / Literacy Plus Copies of certificates will be required. If you are currently working towards obtaining any of the above qualifications, we will require certification before progressing your application to final offer stage.

Skills and Experience:

Excellent communication and listening skills.
Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to build rapport quickly.
A passion for problem-solving.
The ability to assess and understand key information.
Confidence to multitask, recording information accurately with attention to detail.
IT competence across a range of applications.

We know it's important for you to feel that you're not only part of a great team, but part of a community. We welcome applications from suitably qualified people from all sections of the community, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.

Harnessing these differences creates a productive environment in which everyone feels valued, and their talents are fully utilised. Appointments are based on merit alone.

What we offer

26 days’ leave (increasing to 30 days for 5 years+ service) plus 8 bank holidays
NHS Fleet Solutions Car Lease Scheme
Enhanced maternity, shared parental and adoption leave
Fantastic market-leading public sector pension scheme with up to 16% employer contribution
Corporate travel schemes – local rail, bus services and metro discounts
Access to private healthcare and eye test vouchers
Discounts on shopping and eating out thanks to the Blue Light Card and Blue Light Tickets
We’ve invested in extensive paid sick leave, trained mental health first aiders on-site, an employee advice service for the times you need that additional support.
Access to gyms in some stations
Sports & Social Club – join our thriving sports scene at Team NP and enjoy further exclusive discounts on days out and travel
Cycle to work scheme

Just so you know

You must be 18 or older to apply for this role.

To help support your application when we open, research what makes us tick here at Northumbria, the role you’re applying for and the values and behaviours that contribute. If you haven't already, we recommend viewing our ECH application guide and visiting our website.

Our organisation is ranked 42nd in the Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers for 2024 and we are the highest-ranked police force in the UK - To learn more about an apprenticeship at Northumbria Police, please click here

We are proud members of the Business Disability Forum, with whom we collaborate with to improve the lives of disabled employees. We are also a Disability Confident Employer, therefore if you demonstrate that you meet the minimum criteria for this role as stated in the advert, we will progress your application and offer you an interview.

Terms of appointment

This is a permanent role subject to a 24-month commitment to post.

Continued employment is dependent upon completing both the training course and CHAMPS phase without taking annual leave in this 14-week period. Failure at this stage will lead to the termination of your employment. Due to the length of the mandatory training course and CHAMPS, you are subject to a probation period.

Due to the investment in training and development required to perform this role, during the first 24 months in post, you will not be eligible to apply for any other vacancies advertised by Northumbria Police, either internally or externally.