Communications Operator

North Wales Police; St Asaph; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 30,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Training provided

Job summary

North Wales Police in St Asaph is seeking Communications Operators to answer 999 and 101 calls and to dispatch officers across North Wales. You will work in our Force Control Room, providing calm, accurate information to keep the public safe 24/7.

Six weeks of full-time training in St Asaph or Colwyn Bay will prepare you for a 4 on, 4 off shift pattern with 10–12 hour shifts. A Welsh language level 3 is required, along with strong communication and teamwork in a bilingual service.

Qualifications

• NVQ level 3 or equivalent in Communication/Business/Customer field or proven relevant experience.
• Typing around 25–30 wpm.
• Strong communication and ability to work in a team or on own initiative.
• Computer literate with Windows systems.
• Evidence of problem-solving skills.
• Able to remain calm in stressful situations.
• Good geographical knowledge of North Wales.
• Bilingual: Welsh level 3 minimum.

Responsibilities

• Answer 999 and non-emergency 101 calls and dispatch officers to incidents across North Wales.
• Record intelligence and share with the organisation to inform policing operations.
• Provide crime reduction advice and reassurance to callers.
• Work with emergency services and partner agencies as needed.
• Deliver a professional service with focus and alertness to handle varied calls.
• Operate within shift patterns and contribute to a positive team environment.

Skills

Typing 25–30 wpm

Strong communication

Teamwork

Problem-solving

Calm under pressure

Welsh level 3

Geographical knowledge North Wales

Windows knowledge

Education

NVQ level 3 or equivalent in related field

Tools

Windows

Job description

Our Force Control room based in St Asaph is where our Communications Operators answer 999 calls and non‑emergency 101 calls, as well as sending police officers to incidents across North Wales. Our operators are hard at work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year keeping North Wales safe.

The role of a North Wales Police Communications Operator is one of the most rewarding and varied roles you are ever likely to have. This career offers an opportunity to play a pivotal role in the force and join a unique profession where you can really make a difference and take a great sense of pride in doing so. No two days are the same for our Communication Operators, one minute you could be taking the details of a missing person and the next you could be sending officers to reports of a robbery in progress.

Initial investigation – you will be trained to ask initial questions to establish the risk/severity and to determine any lines of enquiry or investigation such as evidence or forensic opportunities. You will manage expectations of the reporting person by providing crime reduction advice and reassurance.

Partners – you will work with other emergency services and partner agencies, supporting the work they do and arranging for police involvement where this is needed.

Advice – many of the non‑emergency calls received are resolved by our communication operators. This could be through offering advice or signposting members of the public to more appropriate agencies when the matter is not dealt with by the police. With each contact you will be managing expectations, advising what the police can and cannot do.

Recording intelligence – from information given by our communities you’ll be identifying and recording information to share with other parts of the organisation, to inform our future policing operations.

Service delivery – you will be part of a professional team who deliver a good service by being focused and alert to deal with whatever the next call could bring and by dealing with sometimes constant calls to a professional standard.

Shift Patterns

You will be part of a shift rota, pre‑planned for 32 weeks in advance if you are a full‑time worker and pre‑planned 64 weeks in advance if you are a part‑time worker, providing you with ample time to pre‑plan your calendar to fit in your personal life alongside your profession.

The core shift pattern is 4 on, 4 off (10, 11 and 12 hour shifts, 2 days followed by 2 nights).

Example shift pattern

• 1 – 7am – 7pm
• 2 – 7am – 7pm
• 3 – 7pm – 7am
• 4 – 7pm – 7am
• 5 – Rest Day
• 6 – Rest Day
• 7 – Rest Day
• 8 – Rest Day

Times and shifts will vary.

For the first 6 weeks within the role, you will undertake full‑time training from Monday to Friday in either St Asaph or Force HQ in Colwyn Bay, to ensure you are fully confident in undertaking this unique position. As you will not be working shifts or weekends during this training period you will not attract shift and weekend working payments.

Requirements

• You have an NVQ level 3 or equivalent qualification, in Communication/Business/Customer related field, or an equivalent amount of proven relevant experience.
• You can type around 25–30 wpm.
• You have good communication skills together with the ability to work well in a team environment or on your own initiative.
• You are computer literate to an intermediate level together with Windows systems and/or relevant experience.
• You have the ability to evidence problem‑solving skills.
• You have the ability to remain calm in stressful situations.
• You have good geographical knowledge of North Wales.
• North Wales Police are a bilingual organisation and for this role, you will need to demonstrate a minimum of level 3 Welsh skills. You can find out more by visiting our Welsh Language Resources Page.

Discovery Sessions

Throughout this campaign you are invited to register for one of our pre‑application discovery sessions where you will have the opportunity to learn about the role, application process and training.

• Thursday 16th July 6pm – 7pm
• Tuesday 28th July 6pm – 7pm

Please register your attendance on the links above. We look forward to meeting you.

This vacancy is to fill various intakes in 2027.