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Operational Communications Centre (OCC)
Serving an estimated population of nearly 600,000 people, Warwickshire Police receives over 90,000 emergency calls per year, in addition to many more non-emergency calls for service.
Working as part of our OCC Control Room as a Communications Officer is a varied and diverse role, with no two calls received being the same. One minute you could be taking the details of a stolen vehicle, the next you may be sending officers to a report of an armed robbery.
Not all calls need an officer. There are many times when you are the one to help resolve the call, giving the appropriate advice, without the need to dispatch an officer, so, if you are calm under pressure, able to gather information quickly, and offer a voice of comfort in the difficult moments of people’s lives, then Warwickshire Needs You.
The control room operates 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, it’s a pressured environment, but it is also a hugely rewarding place to work. Knowing you have helped someone at one of the worst times in their life is incredibly satisfying.
We want people who are calm under pressure, have attention to detail, be able to multitask and the determination to deal with those in need with empathy and professionalism and are keen to progress with an expectancy of reaching a controller position which will involve direct communication with officers.
Join us in helping protect our communities from harm - we are recruiting for a pool of people for intakes over the next six to twelve months. The department operates full time and flexible part time patterns who are able to work the core shift pattern.
If you are full time your starting salary will be £34,982 (£26,106 basic + £8,876 allowances)
- 37 hours per week, over 8 weeks
- 12 hour shifts (days and nights) rotating shifts
- 4 shifts on - 2 days 2 nights - 4 shifts off
- opportunity to progress to a controller role, with increased basic salary starting at £29,109 + allowances after training is complete
OCC Communications Officer - application timeline
You will complete an application form and answer questions to demonstrate how your experiences and examples align with the essential and desirable criteria for the role. Your responses will be scored based on the relevance to the roles requirements.
Independent reviewers will evaluate your application against recruitment criteria, scoring each question from 1-4
Held at Warwickshire Police OCC in Warwick Technology Park. The session takes about 2 hours and includes:
- Spelling Test
- Statement Test (Listening)
- Mapping Exercise
- Typing Test
- Problem Solving Exercise
- Example Calls Exercise
Conducted via Microsoft Teams and will last about an hour. You will be asked 6 questions related to the essential criteria for the role, with a mix of example based and scenario based questions.
In preparation for this, think about your transferable skills, research Warwickshire Police, and focus on the specific services offered in the OCC.
Before joining, a vetting process is conducted that includes gathering details of your family and any known criminal associations. You must inform those listed as they will be included in these background checks.
After successfully completing all previous stages, you will receive a formal job offer.
What happens next?
You will undergo six weeks of classroom training, Mon-Fri. This will give you the grounding, learning all aspects of the role as well as systems usage, vulnerability, risk, law, and many other elements critical to the role.
Please note that no annual leave can be taken during this six week training period.
Following classroom training, you will be assigned a tutor to guide you as you start taking live calls and transition into the full role of OCC Communications Officer.
Answer the call. Assess the risk. One call can change everything.
What can we offer you?
As a valued member of our organisation, you’ll benefit from the below and more:
- Local Government Pension Scheme
- Unison membership
- Access to Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- Occupational Health Services
- Free parking
- On-site gym facilities
- Fully equipped kitchen and rest break areas
- Starting annual leave balance of 24 days rising to 29 after five years service
- Additional payments for bank holiday working
- Access to a wide range of internal support networks
- Access to coaching & mentoring schemes
- Health & wellbeing support
- Career progression pathway
- Eligibility for Blue Light discounts
- Warwickshire Police Sports and Social Club - open to all employees, all members have access to Police Perkz discount platform
- Sports Club Lottery
How to Apply
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