Contact Officer (Initial Contact) December 2024

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. One call could be dealing with a victim of a serious assault, the next dealing with a parking issue. Behind every crime is a victim. Some are scared, some are hurt, some need advice but they all start by calling for help. We are looking for people who can ask the right questions, who can cross reference incidents with other sources of information and who can calmly help people in crisis. We need you to feel confident working in a challenging and fast paced environment, with good communication and IT skills. We will equip you with the right knowledge and skills to deal with incidents during our extensive 16-week training programme. You will spend 8 weeks in a classroom environment which will be on a Monday to Friday basis and then 8 weeks in a development hub working your dedicated shift pattern. Whether you decided to work full time or job share during the initial 8 weeks classroom training you will be expected to work full time. To be eligible for our next two courses you would need to be available between the following dates with no holidays scheduled. 10th February 2025 - 1st June 2025 or 22nd April 2025 - 10th August 2025 You will not work bank holidays during your first 8 weeks of training., Our Earn and Learn programme offers you the opportunity to complete a nationally recognised qualification in the workplace alongside earning a wage. During the working week you will be given time to complete the Emergency Service Contact Handling Level 3 Qualification (equivalent to A levels) and will have support and guidance from our dedicated People Development Team, mentors and supervisors. You must have pass grades in both Maths and English at Level 2/GCSE's 9-4/A

• -C in order to progress to your end of point assessment. If you don't already have these qualifications, then West Yorkshire Police will support you to achieve a Level 2 functional skills (equivalent to GCSE) qualification in Maths and/or English during your training.
This police staff role in our Contact Management Centre is an excellent way to gain experience to develop into other roles within our organisation and is the minimum academic qualification needed to apply for the Police Constable Apprenticeship Programme. Due to the level of training and time we will invest in you, we require a two-year tenure period before moving onto different roles. It is recommended that anyone applying for this role, attend one of our Initial Contact Webinars which will give you an insight into West Yorkshire Police Contact Centres, the role of Initial Contact Officer, our recruitment process, training, shifts and expectations. These will be arranged shortly and dates will be posted on our website or sent out via email to those that have already applied. The closing date for applications is the 23rd December though this is subject to change and may close sooner should we receive sufficient applications. The post is suitable for job share. For roles which are advertised as Career Progression Schemes, individuals will be appointed to the bottom scale point of the appropriate grade within the scheme, based on the role entry requirements. Full progression through the scheme may be subject to attaining a specific qualification or successfully passing an assessment or review. Any shift enhancements/weekend allowances are based on the published Force pattern any deviations from this could mean the enhancements/allowances may differ or not apply, for full details refer to staff Terms & Conditions. West Yorkshire Police is committed to improving the diversity of its workforce to better reflect the diverse communities we serve. We therefore encourage applications from female officers, all minority groups and individuals who identify with one or more of the protected characteristics as defined by the Equality Act 2010. Applications are also welcome from those who have gained transferable skills and experience outside of Operational Support. Applicants should be aware that it is not always possible to carry out adequate vetting checks on persons who have not been resident within the UK for the last three years. Therefore, where this applies, applicants may be refused because it was not possible to vet them to the appropriate standard. For a detailed description of the Competency and Values levels required, please refer to the Competency and values framework (CVF) | College of Policing (this link may be copied and pasted into your browser). This document will assist you in completing the Evidence of Achievement section of the application form. Please note: the Evidence of Achievement section will not be visible until the employment section has been completed. Shift Allowance 20%

£26,106 to £28,653 (with shift enhancements) 20% shift allowance and 13.45% weekend enhancement, as applicable Role Profile Attachment Contact Officer Initial Contact.docx - 71KB Opens in a new window Converted File Contact Officer Initial Contact.docx.pdf - 83KB Opens in a new window Job Advert Contact Officer (Initial Contact) Contact Management Centre Operational Support Laburnum Road, Wakefield and Dudley Hill, Bradford Salary: £26,106 rising incrementally to £28,653 per annum over four years. In addition, 20% shift allowance and 13.45% weekend enhancements (as applicable).,
• 25 days annual leave (not including bank holidays) rising to 30 days after 5 years' service
• Gain a nationally recognised qualification through our Earn and Learn programme
• Generous local government pension scheme
• Ongoing mentoring and coaching schemes
• Events for staff for continuous personal development
• Employee assistance service
• Cycle to work scheme
• Sports and social clubs with discounted tickets for events
• Access to the national high street 'blue light' discount scheme