Call Handling & Dispatch

As a Contact Handler or Dispatcher with West Midlands Police, you will play a critical role in protecting our communities. From answering emergency 999 calls to coordinating officers responding to live incidents, your decisions will directly support public safety.

This is more than a job. It is a frontline role where your judgement, communication skills and compassion can change lives.

What will you do?

Contact Handler

You will be the first person people speak to when they need policing support.

You will:

• Answer emergency 999 and non-emergency 101 calls

• Listen carefully and ask the right questions to understand risk

• Record accurate information using police systems

• Assess incidents and make timely decisions

• Provide reassurance and guidance to people in distress

• Work with colleagues across emergency services and policing teams

Dispatcher

You will help coordinate the policing response across the West Midlands.

You will:

• Deploy officers to incidents using multiple systems

• Make decisions quickly while managing changing situations

• Communicate clearly with officers and teams across the force

• Monitor incidents and provide accurate updates

• Help ensure the right resources reach the right people at the right time

 

Click here to view the full details of the role including the Essential, Desirable and any educational requirements for each role.  

Dispatcher Role Profile

Contact-Officer Role Profile

What We're Looking For

This role requires people who can stay calm under pressure, make sound decisions and provide a professional service to the public during challenging situations.

To be successful, you will need:

• Accurate keyboard skills with a minimum typing speed of 35 words per minute

• Accurate verbal and written language skills, with the ability to capture important information clearly

• The ability to prioritise and multi-task under pressure, achieving deadlines while maintaining accuracy and quality

• Proven decision-making skills, with the confidence to assess information and take appropriate action

• A commitment to personal responsibility and self-development, with support from West Midlands Police to help you build your skills and progress

• Level 2 English (GCSE Grade C/4 or above); you will need to upload a certificate or suitable evidence.

• You will also need excellent communication, listening and teamwork skills, along with the ability to manage sensitive conversations professionally and respectfully.

• Previous experience in customer service, emergency services, healthcare, dispatch, control rooms or other public-facing roles is welcomed, but we are primarily looking for the right attitude, resilience and commitment to helping others.

Training and support

You will receive a comprehensive training programme designed to prepare you for this important role.

Your training will include:

• Call handling

• Dispatch procedures

• Police systems

• Risk assessment and decision-making

• Practical scenarios and ongoing coaching

• You will also have access to wellbeing support and development opportunities throughout your career.

Salary and benefits

Salary: £28,914 - £32,613 plus up to 34% shift allowance (taking starting salary up to circa £36,000)

There are two shift patterns:

• Pattern 1: Working six days followed by four days off. This is made up of two early shifts, two late shifts, and two night shifts.

• Pattern 2: Working six days followed by three days off. This consists of three early shifts followed by three late shifts.

Please note this is a full-time role. Part-time opportunities will be advertised separately; please revisit our careers website for these openings.

Please be aware that your allowances will be paid to you once you have completed your initial training. The Force Contact team will make you aware of this when you join their team. The initial training period is a minimum of 6 weeks, but could be extended should further development be required. This will be Monday - Friday, 8am - 4pm and please note that no annual leave can be authorised during this period.

Recruitment Process

Our recruitment process is designed to help us identify people who have the skills, judgement, and behaviours needed to succeed in this important frontline role.

Successful candidates will progress through the following stages:

Online application and paper sift: You will complete an online application form, which will be reviewed against the skills, experience, and behaviours required for the role. Candidates who pass this assessment will progress to the next stage.

Situational Judgement & Knowledge Test: This online assessment tests your understanding of the role and how you would approach different situations. Candidates who pass this assessment will progress to the next stage.

Assessment centre & Interview: Candidates who pass the online testing stage will be invited to attend an in-person assessment centre and interview. This gives you the opportunity to demonstrate your communication skills, decision-making ability, teamwork, and how you respond under pressure. The assessment centre will include activities designed to reflect the role, including: 

• Mock 999 call scenarios

• Dispatch exercises

• Team-based activities

• Interview

Please note that the dates visible are the only dates being offered for the assessment centre. Due to group assessments, the availability of our assessors, and the volume of candidates, we cannot accommodate individual date requests. Please also note that once your invitation is received, you will have 10 days to schedule your assessment centre slot.

Pre-employment checks: If you are selected as a preferred candidate, you will be required to successfully complete a number of pre-employment checks before receiving a formal offer:

• Vetting checks: You must successfully complete Recruitment Vetting and Counter-Terrorism Clearance before starting the role. This includes providing information relating to your background and financial history as part of the vetting process. Click here for more information.

• Medical checks: Appointment to this role is subject to successfully completing medical checks. This may include a drugs test and, where required, a fitness assessment. Please note that for the foreseeable future, the medical screening will take place during the assessment and interview stage.

• Reference checks: You will need to provide details covering at least five years of employment, education, or other relevant activity history, including information that demonstrates your background during this period.

We are committed to supporting candidates throughout the recruitment process, and reasonable adjustments are available for those who need them. 
 

Are you ready?

This is a role for people who want to make a difference.

If you can listen, think, decide and act when it matters most, we want to hear from you.

Apply today and become part of the team that keeps the West Midlands safe.

West Midlands Police is the second-largest police force in England, serving more than 2.9 million people across Birmingham, Coventry, Wolverhampton, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull and Walsall. Every day, our people work together to keep our communities safe, protect vulnerable people, prevent crime and bring offenders to justice.

We answer more than 2,000 emergency calls every day and provide policing 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Whether responding to emergencies, supporting victims, investigating crime or working behind the scenes, every role plays a vital part in delivering an outstanding service to the public.

We're proud of the progress we've made in reducing crime, improving emergency response times and increasing arrest rates. These achievements are only possible because of the dedication, professionalism and expertise of our officers, staff and volunteers. As we continue to transform the way we police, we're looking for talented people who are committed to making a real difference.

Why Join West Midlands Police?

A career with West Midlands Police is about more than a job, it's an opportunity to have a meaningful impact on the lives of millions of people. Whatever your role, you'll contribute to keeping our communities safe while developing your own skills and career.

When you join us, you'll benefit from:

• Meaningful work that makes a difference every day.
• A diverse range of career opportunities across policing and professional support services.
• High-quality training, development and opportunities to progress.
• A supportive and inclusive working environment where everyone is encouraged to achieve their potential.
• Competitive pay, generous annual leave, excellent pension arrangements and a wide range of employee benefits.
• The opportunity to work alongside dedicated colleagues who share a common purpose.

Our Commitment to Inclusion

We believe that a diverse workforce helps us better understand and serve the communities we protect. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued, respected and able to succeed.

As a Disability Confident Leader, the highest level of the Government's Disability Confident scheme, we are committed to removing barriers to employment and supporting disabled applicants and employees throughout their careers. Through our Disability Confident Interview Scheme, applicants who declare a disability and meet the essential criteria for a role will normally be offered an interview, subject to the scheme's terms and any recruitment constraints.

Our Diversity and Inclusion Vision is to maximise the potential of people from all backgrounds through a culture of fairness, respect and inclusion, enabling us to deliver the best possible service to our communities.

Professional Standards

Working in policing is a position of trust. Our officers and staff are expected to demonstrate the highest standards of integrity, professionalism and accountability. Successful applicants will be subject to appropriate vetting and are expected to uphold the ethical standards and responsibilities that come with serving the public.

Recruitment and the Use of AI

We recognise that many candidates use AI tools to support activities such as proofreading and improving the presentation of written applications. This is acceptable, provided the content you submit accurately reflects your own knowledge, skills and experience.

Applications must be your own work. Any evidence of plagiarism, false or misleading information, or the inappropriate use of AI during assessments or selection activities where it is not permitted may result in your application being rejected.

Benefits

We know that supporting our people is essential to delivering the best service to our communities. That's why we offer a comprehensive range of employee benefits, wellbeing support and development opportunities to help you thrive throughout your career.

Visit our Benefits page to find out more about the rewards and support available when you join West Midlands Police.