Contact centre operators

All 101 non-emergency and 999 emergency calls across Wiltshire and Swindon come into our control room – these relate to anything from road accidents, firearms incidents, and assaults to anti-social behaviour and missing people.

After training, as a call handler you will be skilled at dealing with all emergency (999) and non-emergency (101) calls, and identifying risk, threat and vulnerability to help you prioritise the incident correctly.

We have opportunities in Crime Recording and Incident Control, which are both highly skilled roles within the control room. You will be allocated a role during training based on your skills, experience, and preference. There are opportunities to become multi-skilled in both roles.

As a Crime Recorder, you will take crime and incident reports (both online and over the phone) and identify what opportunities there are for further investigation, recording these accurately in line with national standards. You will also take 999 calls, logging and prioritising these where appropriate for Police Officer attendance.

As an Incident Controller, you will take 999 calls and deal with live incidents over the radio, tasking police officers to attend and liaising with them at scene.

After training you will develop in the role supported throughout by a dedicated tutor, who will help to build your skills and confidence in handling calls and online contacts from the public.

Click on the links to find out more about the role.

You will need at least a Level 2 qualification in English to undertake this role, and to have resided permanently in the UK for a minimum of three years prior to applying.

• On joining the Force, you will begin on a starting salary of £23,694 after training this will increase to £25,245.  

• Training takes eight to twelve weeks, once completed you will start your shift pattern and be eligible for shift allowance. The shift allowance is 20% on top of your salary, equivalent to about £4,510 per annum. 

  The weekend working payment varies, based on an average number of hours worked at weekends over a six week period.

Contact Operators work a set shift pattern. Shifts are on rotation, with rest days between shifts.  

• Please see the example shift pattern in general questions.

You will need to be able to assess and respond to situations quickly, therefore remaining calm and focused under pressure is essential.

You must have clear and effective communication (written, verbal and listening) to be able to reassure and advise the public, or liaise with police officers via radio.

You will use a wide variety of systems to document incidents quickly and accurately, therefore computer and typing skills are essential.

You will need at least a Level 2 qualification in English to undertake this role - please read our educational requirements guidance here

For more information on qualifications please visit Gov.Uk

It is strongly advised that you have access to your own car in order to manage the 24/7 shift pattern.

You'll find some frequently asked questions here.

Taking Positive Action

We welcome everyone from our diverse communities across Wiltshire and Swindon.

Wiltshire Police offer support (Positive Action) to all under-represented groups and are a disability confident Leader.

if you feel that you would benefit from support in your application, please do not hesitate to contact our Positive Action Team on [email protected].

• The application process is a CV and covering letter which is scored against the job description criteria. 
• Interview questions will test your competency to perform in this challenging role, so please refer to the guidance document for advice on how to structure your answers

The initial eight week training course is full time (Monday to Friday either 9am-5pm or 8am-4pm), primarily at Devizes Police HQ, although some sessions may be held at other Force locations, dependent on operational circumstances. Training is classroom based.

Following the initial training, you will benefit from a period of tutorship to continue your development. These weeks will be aligned to core teams working a 24/7 shift pattern. This will attract unsociable shift and weekend working allowances.

Once you're experienced in one role, you can go on to learn both CrIB and Incident Control to add more variety to your work. There are also supervisory roles within the department offering competitive salaries.

Policing for most people is a whole life career. There are opportunities for progression and development within our Contact Management Centre. The training, experience and confidence you will receive will hold you in good stead for your future career.

Read Mia's article on Linkedin

A quick chat with Mia - 999 Call handler

Name	Susannah Doyle
Role	Contact Centre Operator working in Crime Recording
Length of Service	9 months. I began my training on the 31 October 2022 and came into the control room in January 2023.

Tell us a little bit about your role.  

I work in Crime Recording which involves taking 101 calls and recording newly reported crimes, updating ongoing cases for officers, talking to custody on behalf of callers and other crime recording duties.

In addition I take 999 calls and triage the incident for the dispatchers to send officers to immediate and ongoing crimes in progress.  

Why did you choose to apply for a job in Contact Management?

I have always wanted to work for the police since I was a teenager, but went into the further and higher education sectors instead and had a long and successful career.

After the pandemic lock-down I had the opportunity to reflect on what matters in life and what I actually wanted to do with my career, so I have entered the police in the Contact Centre as this will give me a full and in-depth insight into policing. I hope to progress my new career (Career number 2) within Wiltshire Police after I have learnt all there is to know in the control room.             

What skills do you bring to the role?

I have a degree, a PGSE in adult education and a Chartered Institute of Management Diploma in Leadership, so I bring a sound education with me. I also have over twenty years’ experience of working in operational, strategic and leadership role within the education sector. Mostly I bring my life experiences and my job as mother to the role with buckets of common sense and problem solving skills.     

How do you keep calm when dealing with stressful/ difficult/ upsetting calls?

Despite having two decades of experience in dealing with high risk and stressful situations in another sector, nothing can quite prepare you for the challenges of taking 999 calls when someone needs help in the moment or 101 calls when a detailed disclosure is being made of a crime the person has experienced. I was worried that I wouldn’t cope with the 10 hour shifts of adrenaline and thankfully that hasn’t been the reality! I utilise my supportive team to assist me with the difficult time and with coping with any upsetting calls – this is the most supportive and close team environment I have ever experienced in the work place.         

Tell us about a call/ job you have dealt with that makes you feel proud?

I feel immensely proud of the calls I take involving violence against women and girls, and know this is a focus for Wiltshire Police. I try to build a rapport and work carefully but deliberately through the call in order to gather information required and leave the caller feeling empowered by their disclosure and supported by their local force.     

What advice would you give to anyone else considering applying for the role?

You CAN do it! I speak to many people who say they would really like to do the job but don’t think they would be able to. You would be great- go for it !     

How did you find the training process?

I really enjoyed the classroom weeks and it was a safe space to air any concerns and worries before entering the control room.

My first day was Halloween 2022 and it was torrential rain. After my first day at Wiltshire Police wearing a uniform for the first time in my adult life I left work at 5pm and by 5.30 pm was dressed as a pumpkin (as was my daughter and the dog) and walking around in the driving rain! It’s a day I won’t forget for many reasons – but it set the tone of leaving work behind at the door!  

Name	Holly Elkins
Role	Incident control operator
Length of service	9 months

Tell us a little bit about your role.

Working for the Wiltshire police control room comes with many important responsibilities, we are the first point of contact for anyone in Wiltshire wishing to report any crimes, this includes answering emergency 999 calls and non-emergency 101 calls. We are also there to guide and offer reassurance to those in times of need. It is a very demanding and fast paced role however it is extremely rewarding.

Why did you choose to apply for a job in the CCC?

I chose to work for Wiltshire Police to pursue a fulfilling and developing career. I wanted to be able to challenge myself and use my skills to help others. Wiltshire Police have supported me throughout whole process of joining Contact Centre Management which ensured a welcoming and stress-free joining process.

What did you do before you started this role?

Before I joined this role, I worked in a local restaurant which enabled me to learn basic skills which assisted me in working in the control room, however when the job role came up I felt it was time for a change.

What skills do you bring to the role?

My five main skills I bring to the role are: empathy, resilience, communication and teamwork.

Empathy is an extremely important trait to have as an operator because you need to able to put yourself in someone else’s shoes, it ensures I can relate and fully understand the caller’s emotions.

How do you keep calm when dealing with stressful/ difficult/ upsetting calls?

I believe it is essential to be able to speak to your colleagues about work stress and upsetting calls that you may receive. They can provide support because they understand how you are feeling and can relate the best. We also have occupational health on site who are trained professionals to help us with any stress we may receive.

Tell us about a call/ job you have dealt with that makes you feel proud?

When I first started in the control room I took a call about a man laid on the side of the road. Passers-by believed the man was drunk and did not want to approach the him. Once I graded the call as a response 1 and we arrived on scene it turned out the man was elderly and was having a heart attack. That evening police officers saved his life,and I felt proud that I was one of the steps to saving him.