About The Role

Be the calm in the chaos. Be the voice that makes a difference.

Join West Midlands Police Force Contact

When the public needs help, they need someone who can stay calm, think clearly and take action.

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.

Our call handler and dispatch vacancy is currently closed, but it will reopen soon! Please complete this expression of interest form, and we will contact you as soon as we resume recruitment. Below is some useful information to help you understand more about the role.

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

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

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 34.9% 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 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.