999 Emergency Call Taker
Division/Department - Contact and Control
Grade - Grade E
Contract Type - Permanent
Salary Grade Range - £28,372 - £32,224 plus a shift allowance of £6,478
Working Hours - 36.0 Hours per Week
The starting salary for this role will usually be at the bottom of the salary range and will be pro-rata if the working hours are less than full time.
Please note this vacancy is for Surrey Police and based at our Police Headquarters in Guildford. Sussex Police recruit for the same role based at their Headquarters in Lewes. For further information visit www.sussex.police.uk/careers
Chief Constables' MessageWe 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 ResponsibilitiesContact 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. Contact Handlers 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.
Effective Communication
The ability to communicate clearly and empathetically is essential, especially when delivering difficult messages or dealing with individuals in distress. Contact Handlers must convey information effectively and confidently, including managing expectations, and remain calm under pressure when handling emotionally charged interactions.
Resilience
The role is extremely rewarding but also comes with some challenges. For example, during your shift you will be taking calls from members of the public who are distressed, angry, abusive and emotional or experiencing a mental health crisis – probably contacting Surrey Police for the very first time in their hour of need. We ask you to think carefully about how this might impact on your well being and especially how you will cope in and following these types of calls.
There is plenty of support available but if you, your family or people you are close to have ever experienced suicide, domestic and sexual abuse, fear for loss of life or trauma (especially regarding children) – please do seriously consider how this will impact on you.
Empathy
Good people skills are essential. Demonstrating appropriate levels of empathy and understanding towards callers is crucial. Contact Handlers should provide reassurance and support even when immediate assistance cannot be dispatched.
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.
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 11, including use of the Microsoft Office suite of packages. Being able to adapt to, and learn, 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.
Flexibility
If shift work is new to you, please take some time to thoroughly research the challenge this presents to all shift workers and the effect this can have on relationships, health and domestic arrangements. Think about talking the practicalities and realities of shift work through with those closest to you.
Skills & ExperienceWhile 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.
Please make sure your application details your qualifications, use of IT systems, experience of customer service and if you have any call centre experience.
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. You must have a minimum of 2 years on your visa at the time of appointment.
- Not be a current or previous member of a proscribed terrorist organisation or group.
- Not have served a prison sentence.
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 call handlers 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.
Once out of training there is the opportunity to continue to develop, through taking on additional skills and responsibilities such as learning the dispatch role, or becoming a coach or mentor.
- Starting salary of £34,850 (this is the salary for working a range of shifts across the 24hr period on weekdays and weekends, with a shift allowance of £6,478 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.
- Access to private healthcare schemes, which attract preferential rates, including up a year’s free membership for new members (subject to terms and conditions).
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.
Please use the following links for more information on the benefits of working with Surrey Police
Further InformationOn successful completion of vetting, medical and reference clearances candidates are offered the next available space on a course.
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 8-week coaching period working the 24/7 shift pattern.
The probationary period for this role is 18 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.
On successful completion of vetting and medical clearances candidates are offered the next available intake in 2026.
We are hosting a series of online webinars, if you have any questions, you'd like to ask about joining the Force Command Centre such as the recruitment process, entry requirements, training, or progression, etc, then why not join us for one of our recruitment information sessions.
You can reserve a space for free using the links below:
Diversity StatementWe are only as good as our people. It's 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 the 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 Disability Confident, hold Race Equality Matters Trailblazer status, are a signatory of the Race at Work Charter and are aligned with the Armed Forces Covenant and the HeForShe movement.
We are committed to being an anti-racist police service. We promise to challenge injustice, ensure fairness and to uphold anti-racist principles in both our organisation and our communities. For more information, you can read our full anti-racism statement here.
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
Additional InformationFollowing submission of your application you will receive a confirmation email with a copy of your application attached. Occasionally emails from this address can fall into spam/junk folders so please ensure this is checked regularly. You may wish to consider adding noreply@surreysussexpolice.as.recruitmail.com to your address/contact list to ensure you receive all communications.
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