Public Contact Officer (Full Time & Part Time)

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

Please note - We reserve the right to close this advert earlier than advertised if we receive a high volume of applications.

Working as part of the team in the public contact office at West Midlands Police involves handling a wide range of enquiries with professionalism and empathy. Ensuring the public receive timely and accurate support to uphold high standards of public trust.

Role overview:

-Act as initial point of contact for members of the public visiting the Public Contact Office and deal with a wide range of enquiries, providing advice and giving information as necessary.

-Proactive engagement with the public, external partners, internal departments and other emergency services as required.

-make clear timely decisions ensuring calls for service are assessed, graded and dealt with in line with the National Decision Model.

-Use all available technology within the Public Contact Office environment. This will include the operation, understanding and interrogation of all IT systems relevant to the role.

-Take and process vehicle seizure notices. Liaise with the Motor Insurance Bureau (MIB) and PNC in respect of vehicle seizures.

-Manage the bail reporting process and respond to any breach of conditions.

-Return and release property to owners/representatives. Arrange receipt of surrendered firearms and ammunition.

-To carry out such other duties which are consistent with the nature, responsibilities and grading of the post, including providing support to digital reporting channels and supporting 999 and 101 call taking.

-Fulfilling a mixture of shifts Mon-Sunday and offering flexibility around working location based on the resilience local agreement.

Part Time Opportunities

As well as full time positions, this role has 2 opportunities for part time working. One will be based at Willenhall with the main hub (satellite station) of Coventry Central.

The other will be at Willenhall with the main hub (satellite station) at Solihull (Homer Road). Part time hours will be 18.5 hours per week. The salary on this advert is for full time officers only. Part time salaries will be pro rata and adjusted in accordance with the hours.

Skills

Essential:

Effective communication skills, both written and verbal.
High level of emotional intelligence and the ability to demonstrate empathy
Ability to multitask and remain calm under pressure
Strong decision making and problem-solving skills
Proficient in using computers with various software systems.
Confident in handling challenging conversations with professionalism and sensitivity
Able to work both independently and as part of a team in a fast-paced environment

Desirable:

Proven experience of dealing directly with the public/customer.
Awareness of conflict management processes to deal with the public effectively.
Evidence of effective working relationships with internal and external partners
Access to and understanding of WMP systems
Knowledge and understanding of National Standards of Incident Recording, National Call Handling Standards and Force Contact Call Handling Standards.

Prospective officers and staff must be held to a higher standard of behaviour and accountability than members of the public, and that therefore their right to privacy can be fettered in certain circumstances. This is to ensure that members of the police are fully aware and accountable for the unique powers entrusted to them and the standards of professional behaviour they swear to uphold.

Hours - Full Time: Postings at Lloyd house will be to 24/7 shift pattern, all other locations will be a combination of 2 earlies, 2 days, 2 lates and 4 days off and all include weekend working.

Hours - Part Time: 18.5 hours per week

Location: Eastern and Lloyd House

Vetting: Successful applicants will be required to pass Recruitment Vetting and Counter Terrorism Clearance scrutiny prior to commencing their role, this will include a full background & financial disclosure as part of the vetting process.

Medical: Appointment to this role will be dependent upon successfully completing medical checks, which may include a drugs test and hearing test.

Interviews: Please note that interviews will take place on the following dates - 27/11, 01/12, 03/12 - all will take place at Lloyd House, Police Headquarters, Birmingham City Centre. Please only apply if you are available on these dates, as they are non negotiable.

West Midlands Police is a Disability Confident Leader - the highest level an organisation can achieve under the scheme run by the Department of Work and Pensions. As part of our commitment, we operate a ‘Disability Confident Interview Scheme’ - all candidates who declare a disability and meet the essential criteria for the role will be offered an interview. 

It is important to note that there may be occasions where it is not practicable or appropriate to interview all disabled people who meet the essential criteria for the job. For example: in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. In these circumstances, the employer could select the candidates who best meet the essential criteria for the job, as they would do for non-disabled applicants.

"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"