Contact Officer (Initial Contact) July 2026

Job title: Contact Officer (Initial Contact)

Salary:

Base salary: £27,204.00 (+ 20% Shift £5,440.80 + 13.45% weekend allowance £3,658.94 = Total £36,303.74 per annum)

Top Scale: £29,859.00 (+ 20% Shift £5,971.80 + 13.45% weekend allowance £4,016.03 = Total £39,846.83 per annum)

Location: Contact Management Centre, Operational Support
Laburnum Road, Wakefield and Dudley Hill, Bradford

Are you looking for a role that’s challenging, rewarding, and meaningful?

As an Initial Contact Officer for West Yorkshire Police, you will be the first point of contact for members of the public calling 999 or 101 or using our webchat service. Could you be the calm voice people rely on in an emergency?

The Force’s Contact department is at the very heart of West Yorkshire Police managing all telephone and online contact between the public and police and accurately risk assessing the Force's response to incidents around the clock.

West Yorkshire Police receives more than 3 million contacts per year, 1.5 million telephone calls into its Customer Contact Centre and 1.5 million online contacts. To put this into context this is one contact every 10 seconds.

Due to these high volume of calls, you must prioritise calls that need an emergency response.

A police staff role within our Contact Management Centre is an excellent way to gain experience and develop into other roles within our organisation.

Role and Responsibilities:

One call could involve supporting a victim of a serious assault; the next may be reporting a parking concern or anti-social behaviour. No two calls are ever the same. What they all share is this: behind every incident is a person who needs help. Some callers are frightened, some are distressed or injured, while others are seeking reassurance or advice but for all of them, the first point of contact is you.

As a Contact Officer, you will:

• Act as the first point of contact for members of the public contacting the police via emergency and non emergency channels.

• Handle a wide range of calls, from serious and high risk incidents to non urgent matters such as parking or anti social behaviour.

• Calmly support victims and vulnerable callers, providing reassurance, guidance, and clear advice.

• Ask the right questions to accurately assess risk, gather essential information, and prioritise incidents appropriately.

• Record, assess, and cross reference information using multiple IT systems to ensure accurate and timely policing responses.

• Make effective decisions under pressure in a fast paced and challenging operational environment.

• Maintain a professional, empathetic, and composed manner, particularly when dealing with distressed or emotional callers.

• Communicate clearly and effectively, both verbally and through written incident logs.

• Work collaboratively with colleagues and operational teams to support an effective policing response.

• Work shifts and weekends (based on full time, 37 hours per week): 9 and 10 hour shifts, 6 shifts working then 4 days off.

• Shift pattern: Full time - 2 earlies, 2 lates, 2 nights, 4 days off
Job Share – 2 earlies, 1 late, 10 days off, 1 late, 2 nights, 4 days off.


For more information about the role, visit: Contact Officers (Initial Contact) | West Yorkshire Police.

https://www.westyorkshire.police.uk/jobs-volunteer/contact-officers/contact-officers-initial-contact

Expectations:

We will equip you with the knowledge and skills needed to handle incidents confidently through an extensive 16-week training programme. To succeed in this role, you will be expected to fully engage with and commit to all stages of training.

All candidates will follow an Apprenticeship Training programme which is an opportunity to earn a wage whilst gaining a nationally recognised Level 3 qualification (equivalent to A Level).

The training is intensive and requires focus, resilience, and dedication, but it is designed to prepare you thoroughly for the demands of the role.

• Complete 8 weeks of classroom-based learning, delivered Monday to Friday, where you will build the core knowledge required for call handling.

• Progress to 8 weeks in a development hub, applying your learning in a live environment while working your allocated shift pattern.

• Demonstrate commitment and reliability throughout the full training period, regardless of whether you are working full time or in a job share arrangement.

• Actively participate in learning, assessments, and development activities to meet the required standards before moving into a fully operational role.

• Show a willingness to adapt to structured learning environments and operational shift patterns as part of your development.

Benefits / What we offer

West Yorkshire Police staff can access a wide range of benefits designed to support wellbeing, development and work-life balance, including:

• Generous annual leave allowance – 25 days annual leave, rising to 30 days after five years of service (plus bank holidays).

• Fund, a secure Defined Benefit CARE (Career Average Revalued Earnings) pension scheme.

• Membership options for the Police Treatment Centre and The Police Children’s Charity (eligibility-dependent).

• Access to savings, discounts and cashback rewards through staff schemes, including eligibility to purchase a Blue Light Card.

• Option to sign up to our Cycle to work scheme (eligibility-dependent).

• Access to a wide range of internal wellbeing services and support programmes.

• Employee assistance service.

• Staff events supporting continuous personal development.

• Supportive HR policies, including maternity, paternity and other family-friendly provisions.

• A meaningful career with a clear sense of purpose supporting policing services that protect communities.

• Opportunities to join staff networks, wellbeing groups, and sports clubs.

• Gain a nationally recognised qualification through our Earn and Learn programme.

• Ongoing mentoring and coaching schemes.

We are proud to be a Disability Confident Leader employer and a member of the Fair Work Charter. See here for more information:

West Yorkshire Fair Work Charter
https://www.westyorks-ca.gov.uk/business/growth-hub/better-business-practices/fair-work-charter/

For more information about what we offer, visit: Employee Benefits https://www.westyorkshire.police.uk/jobs-volunteer/benefits

Our Earn and Learn programme offers you the opportunity to complete a nationally recognised qualification in the workplace alongside earning a wage. During your working hours, you will be given time to complete the Level 3 Emergency Service Contact Handler apprenticeship (equivalent to A levels) and will receive support and guidance from our dedicated People Development Team, mentors, and supervisors.

Emergency contact handler / Skills England

Essential Criteria:

• Typing speed of minimum 28 words per minute.
• Basic knowledge of and is able use computer packages such as Microsoft Office.
• Be able to communicate clearly and effectively.
• A good command of English, both verbal and written.
• Work under pressure and in a fast paced environment.

If you are aged 18 at the time of joining, you must hold pass grades in both Maths and English at Level 2 / GCSEs (grades 9–4 or A–C) * to progress to your end-point assessment. If you do not already hold these qualifications, West Yorkshire Police will support you to achieve Level 2 Functional Skills (equivalent to GCSE) in Maths and/or English during your training. This does not apply if you are aged 19+.

How to Apply

We strongly encourage anyone interested in this role to attend one of our Initial Contact Information Sessions. These sessions are designed to support you by giving a clear and honest insight into life in a West Yorkshire Police Contact Centre, the role of an Initial Contact Officer, and what you can expect from our recruitment process.

You will also have the opportunity to ask questions and learn more about training, shift patterns, and role expectations, helping you decide if this is right role for you.

If you would like to attend, please follow this link; Initial Contact Officer Information Session – Fill in form. The form will close on Sunday 26 July at 23.55 hours.
https://forms.cloud.microsoft/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=EHMfaJEhm0aOoPdrSn9pn5WYo-1jTxdOh15JHFtwDcxUMUlMNFA1VVA1RU1UV1FWMzdWQ1NBM0xQRC4u&route=shorturl

Closing date for applications is Sunday 26 July 2026 at 23:55 hours.

Apply