Police Constable Transferee 

Police Controller, Contact Management

Abingdon & Milton Keynes 

An opportunity has arisen for Police Officers from other Home Office Forces to transfer into mixed economy teams within Contact Management Police Control Rooms as Police Controllers.

Our teams are the first point of contact for over 1000 emergency and over 2200 non-emergency phone calls and over 100 interactions via our digital platforms every day. Initially you will be taking 999/101 calls. You will be responsible for prioritising incidents and the deployment of resources in line with threat, risk, harm and vulnerability, ensuring that public and officer safety is maintained at all times.

You must be able to work and make decisions effectively under pressure, displaying high levels of emotional resilience to be able to deal with real time emergency, including potentially extremely distressing, situations. We ask our teams to assess priority and severity of incidents, whilst always doing their best to reassure the caller that we will get them the appropriate support or assistance as quickly as possible.

No two shifts are ever the same but during one shift you might be:

• Handling emergency and non-emergency calls. You will have to be able to remain calm whilst taking control of a call and getting as much information as possible by asking the right questions and recording that information so it is relayed to the officers responding.
• Crime Recording – using our systems to take reports of crime and making sure everything is recorded according to guidelines.
• Working with partner agencies to record other incidents in which the Police play a role.
• Signposting members of public to more appropriate agencies when it is not a matter dealt with by Police.
• Dealing with requests/queries via online platforms
• Making sure we deliver a good service by being available and dealing with sometimes constant calls to a professional standard.
• Managing the despatch of resources and prioritising incidents in line with threat, risk, harm and vulnerability, ensuring that public and officer safety is maintained at all times. Calls received might be from persons in distress or require your use of verbal conflict resolution skills to effectively gather relevant information.
• Making sure Police Officers and other resources have all the necessary information to deal with the incidents they have been deployed too.
• Represent the Police Control Room at various external events such as Reading, Oxford, MK Dons and Wycombe Football matches. Also to perform your controller duties around other large scale events such as Reading Festival, Ascot Race Course, Henley Royal Regatta and other ad hoc events. (subject to extra training, ability and willingness to travel).

If you are full time we would expect you to work the standard 6 on 4 off shift pattern alongside the rest of your team. Part time or flexible working can be considered but this is a 24/7 role so contributing towards the full shift pattern and working alongside your team and supervisors is expected. The shift patterns for both Milton Keynes and Abingdon are attached above. 

This role has been assessed as suitable for some adjusted duties officers. Each Officer will be assessed on a case by case basis.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible to join Thames Valley Police as a transferee, you must have: 

• Have completed your probation period and be confirmed in post by formal offer of appointment.
• Live within 30 crow miles of either Milton Keynes or Abingdon and one other main police stations by formal offer of appointment.
• You must have no live complaints pending against you.
• Hold a Full Manual UK driver’s license.
• Currently working at a Home Office force.

Recruitment Process

The recruitment process will follow a set programme of application, paper sift, competency based interview, vetting (including biometrics), medical checks, reference checks and fitness test. Numerous interview dates are available and we can accommodate a range of dates for medical appointments and fitness tests.  

Training

All officers must attend an initial two week Thames Valley Police induction course at our Police Training Centre in Sulhamstead near Reading, accommodation is available for those who live outside of travelling distance. 

Initial call handler training is a 5 week day course that will be delivered In Kidlington so the ability to travel and undertake training on a full time basis is essential.

You will first learn the call taking aspect of the role including the recording of crimes using the Contact Management Platform. Once you are competent doing this, and usually about 6 months after you have completed initial training, you will go on to complete your radio and dispatcher training and tutoring before being able to fully perform the role of Police Controller.

Candidates will be required to  successfully complete both call taking and radio operation and despatch courses for this role. Additional support will be given if required however if either of these are ultimately failed the candidate will be unable to continue in the role and will be posted back to an appropriate alternative role, usually to an LPA ICR. Postings are determined in accordance with organisational need although consideration will be given to personal circumstances. 

If you require any further information about transferring to Thames Valley Police, please email Transferees@thamesvalley.police.uk