Vacancy Information
Please note if a high volume of applicants are received then the advert may be closed sooner than the advertised closing date and would recommend to submit your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
Do a job that matters
We’re hiring more Contact Officers and we want you to join us. For many people, our Contact Officers are the first point of contact with the police, whether it’s over the phone, by email or Social Media. Our Force Contact Centre isn’t just a call centre, it’s the start of our front line. You’ll get a good starting salary, opportunities for progression and the satisfaction that comes from helping others.
The Role
A Contact Officer plays a vital role in keeping Surrey Safe. You’ll handle a huge variety of emergency 999 calls, non-emergency 101 calls, online and social media communications. The situations you’ll be faced with are as diverse as the communities we serve and you’ll be engaging with people of all ages and backgrounds. Our Contact Officers need to be able to strike the right balance between showing empathy with every caller, while not becoming emotionally involved when dealing with sometimes difficult circumstances. Our Contact Officers provide excellent customer service to members of the public and Surrey Police colleagues.
Key Responsibilities
If you are looking to work in a fast-paced 24/7 environment where no two days are the same, are calm under pressure, are an excellent communicator and have the confidence to make critical decisions, this is the role for you. You’ll need to be able to think on your feet, ask the right questions, listen for vital details, and log information quickly and accurately. 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.
Skills & Experience
Are you eligible?
• You must be aged 18 or over on the day you submit your application – no upper age limit.
• You must have lived in the UK for three continuous years immediately prior to application.
• You must not be a member of the British National Party (BNP) or other similar organisations for example Combat 18 or The National Front.
• Not have served a prison sentence.
What we offer you
• We value all our staff and provide many benefits.
• Starting salary of £22,954 plus an unsocial shift allowance in the region of £4,458 per year. • 180 hours annual leave, rising to 209 hours depending on your length of service.
• Part time working patterns after completion of training which is full-time for around 6 months • Ongoing training and development.
• Career progression opportunities.
Additional Information
We are looking for successful applicants to join on our 10th May intake and would need to be available for the duration of the training course which is anticipated to run up until 2nd July. On successful completion of vetting and medical clearances candidates are offered the next available space on a course. Should the May course be filled remaining candidates will remain in a ‘pool’ and be offered a place on the next available course later in 2021.
Please note all communications relating to the application, online assessment and interview are sent by e-mail either from resourcing@surrey.pnn.police.uk or ContactRecruitment@surrey.police.uk. Please regularly check any spam/junk mail folders to ensure that communications aren’t missed.
Successful candidates will be offered an 8 week classroom based training course. This is full time, Monday to Friday with a working pattern of the hours usually 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 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 timeframes e.g. Police Constable.
For more information about the Contact Officer Shift pattern see the attached document.
Diversity Statement
We are only as good as our people. It's really important to us that our officers and staff can be themselves in the workplace and we believe that as an organisation we'll benefit from the variety of thinking, approach and skills that diversity can bring; all of which helps us to deliver a better policing service.
We have worked really hard to create a safe, open and inclusive culture. We have a range of staff networking groups to provide specific support and advice and we are proud to be members of Stonewall and Disability Confident, and to be aligned with the Armed Forces Covenant and the HeForShe movement.
We value the differences that people bring from all backgrounds and communities so, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, disability, social status or religious beliefs, we would love to hear from you.
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