Dispatcher

Our application procedure is designed to find out how you measure up to the challenge of being a Demand Hub Dispatcher and is a process designed to ensure you possess a solid base of the key skills and attributes for the role.

The first stage is the completion of an online application form which looks for evidence under the minimum entry requirements which are as follows:

• excellent communication skills, in particular must be able to communicate clearly via a telephone
• experience within a proven call handling, performance driven environment
• good verbal and listening skills
• ability to obtain, analyse and evaluate information
• good typing skills with a high degree of computer literacy
• ability to deal appropriately with confidential/restricted matters

Although you only have 500 words you must provide evidence for each area which shows those shortlisting that you are suitable for the role. 

The best evidence from applicants is demonstrated by explaining ‘how’ you can or have done something – showcase yourself.  Please remember that we don’t know you, don’t be afraid of stating the obvious! 

Shortlisting

If your application is shortlisted you will be invited to an Assessment Centre, the date of which will have been on the original advert. 

At the Assessment Centre you will undertake two initial assessments as follows:

Verbal interpretation 

• you will be provided with a short passage of information and then some statements which you must state whether they are true, false or you cannot say from the information in the text.  This test is quite tight on time and doesn’t allow for lots of thinking time – much like working as a dispatcher.

Spelling, punctuation and grammar 

• you will be provided with sentences in which two words are missing.  There are several options of words, and it is your job to identify which pair of words are correct, sometimes it is a question of spelling, sometimes grammar and sometimes the meaning of the words.

If you are successful at the above two tests then you will be invited to continue the Assessment Centre, undertaking the following assessments:

Typing Test

• typing verbatim (word for word) a simulated update from a Police Officer who has dealt with an incident.

Prioritisation Test

• details will be provided of twenty reported incidents and you will be asked to pick the five most important and give your reasons why.  When dispatching Police Officers, managing risk through its assessment and prioritisation is extremely important. 

Call Handling Test

• entails an exercise where you will take a simulated call from a member of the public and deal how you see fit.  We do not expect you to have a full understanding of the law and our procedures at this point – we provide training for this, at this stage; we need to understand how you think and problem solve.

Dispatching Test

• you will be given a long list of information then asked to pick ten pertinent points to advise a Police Officer who you are going to dispatch to the incident.

All of these tests are assessing your common sense and suitability for the role, no prior knowledge of the Police is required.

All candidates will receive a phone call to advise them of whether or not they were successful at the Assessment Centre. 

For those successful, you will be invited to an Interview on the date advertised on the original advert.  The interview is again based on the competencies within the role so be sure to read the role profile.

If you are successful following the selection process you will either receive a conditional offer (if vacancies are available at that time) or a twelve month board pass (to await vacancies becoming available).  

Once you receive a conditional offer, the Recruitment Team will start processing your pre-employment checks which includes vetting, medical and references.  Until these checks are completed you should not hand in your notice with your current employer.

We welcome applications from people of all different backgrounds, cultures, religions, ages, gender and sexual orientation. 

However, there are some eligibility conditions that all applications will need to meet so you need to check that you meet the requirements before applying.

• applicants should be British Citizens, or passport holders from a full EU member state. 
• you can also apply if you’re a commonwealth citizen or foreign national who is resident in the UK with indefinite leave to remain.
• all applicants must have been resident in the UK for the three years immediately preceding application.   
• if you have a criminal record, this doesn’t mean you’re automatically ineligible; it depends on the nature of your conviction. 

Please declare any caution or conviction on your application form.  If you have any questions on this, you can contact [email protected] for advice.

Where will I be based?

• the Demand Hub is based at our headquarters, in Huntingdon.

What are the hours like?

• There is a core shift pattern covering 24hrs a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.  The shift pattern includes earlies, lates and nights and a training day every ten weeks.

Can I work part time?

• although the initial training period needs to be undertaken on a full time rota, once on shift there are opportunities to work part-time, utilising a ‘half’ or ‘two-thirds’ of the full time shift pattern.  This can be discussed at interview.

How many people work in the Force Control Room?

• there are over 100 people working in the Force Control Room which is a mixture of Police Staff Dispatchers, Police Officer Dispatchers, Supervisors and Inspectors.  There are approximately twenty three people per a team (five teams in total) .