Emergency Contact Handler Apprenticeship (22 Hours)

Northumbria; North Tyneside; On-site; GBP 17,000 - 19,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

26 days' leave + 8 bank holidays

NHS Fleet Solutions Car Lease Scheme

Enhanced maternity and parental leave

Public sector pension with employer 16

Job summary

Northumbria Police is recruiting for an Emergency Contact Handler Apprenticeship (22 hours per week) starting January 2027. You will train to become an Emergency Contact Handler and learn to evaluate incident urgency while providing a calm, professional response to callers.

The programme includes on and off-the-job training, and successful completion leads to a nationally recognised certificate in emergency contact handling.

Qualifications

• No formal qualifications required; competency in typing, listening and written communication is assessed.
• Must be 18+ on application; GCSE English and Maths Level 2 preferred for under-19 entrants.
• Typing, listening and written communication tests form part of selection.

Responsibilities

• Gather information from callers using strong communication and recording key messages.
• Input data into police IT systems and reference force databases to aid frontline officers.
• Assess urgency and vulnerability to provide high-quality, life-critical service.
• Handle calls including 999 and 101, with flexibility across day/evening/night shifts.

Skills

Communication

Interpersonal skills

Problem solving

Information assessment

Multitasking

IT competence

Education

Level 2 English & Mathematics

Tools

Police IT systems

Job description

Emergency Contact Handler Apprenticeship (22 Hours) - January 2027

Start Date:11th January 2027

Location: Ponteland or South Shields (Please note, we are unable to guarantee which of the two locations you will be based at)

This role will be moving to Cobalt in early 2027.

Please note: The initial 9 week training programme will be Mon-Fri, 8-4.

Salary: Band 6

22 hours – £17,487 - £18,836 (Plus you will be entitled shift and enhanced allowance, making potential earnings £22,096 - £23,800)

Working for #TeamNP

Our purpose at Team NP is simple: to keep people safe and to fight crime. But it takes more than officers alone to do the job – and that’s where our 2,000-strong team of police staff and 200 volunteers come in.

As one of the largest police forces in England we have a huge variety of departments and specialisms offering you endless opportunities. From mentoring and coaching schemes and online soft skills courses to leadership development programmes; we’ll give you the support, training and time to carve out the career you always wanted.

As one of the top 50 UK inclusive employers and a disability confident employer,we promote a culture of respect in the workplace so everyone can feel seen, heard and valued.

Whether you’re a member of staff or a volunteer, you can also expect first-rate support to manage your health and wellbeing. With year-round events, a 24/7 welfare support hotline and a leading approach to neurodiversity, our initiatives enable you to be at your best.

Above all else, here at Team NP, we can offer you a career that is so much more than just a job, it’s a chance to be part of something that really matters.

Here at Northumbria Police, we think our region is amazing! It takes a great deal of people from different backgrounds, with diverse skills and experience to serve our force area effectively, think you have what it takes to help us make a difference? This could be the perfect time for you to join us in our Communications Department as an Emergency Contact Handler.

Do you want to be the voice that can help in someone’s time of need? As the first point of call, we rely on your ability to stay calm, focused, and professional in your response. Then why not join us? There really hasn’t been a better time to kick start your career with us in our fast-paced, customer-focused Communications Centre.

You’ll have the opportunity to earn while you learn whilst playing a critical role in our ability to respond to emergencies. You will receive structured on and off the job training, personalised tutoring and all the encouragement and support you need through our comprehensive Emergency Contact Handler Apprenticeship programme. This will result in you being able to appropriately respond to incoming calls and evaluate the urgency of an incident in what could be a life critical situation. On successful completion of the apprenticeship programme, you will be confirmed in post and receive a nationally recognised certificate in emergency contact handling.

What you'll do:

Working towards a level 3 apprenticeship you will be trained as an Emergency Contact Handler; you will perform one of the most rewarding roles in the force and one which is key to inspiring confidence in the community.

You will gather information from callers by using your excellent communication skills, recording key messages whilst maintaining a professional manner.You will be trained to accurately input data into various police IT systems and gather information from force databases to support our frontline police officers. Using your experience, training, and judgement you will assess vulnerability and provide a high quality of service, ensuring the needs of victims and customers are at the heart of what we do.Calls will include 999 emergency, 101 non-emergency, and contact made our digital platforms.

Successful candidates will work a range of day, late and night shifts as per the documented patterns, if you’re interested in discussing flexibility around hours, then please discuss at interview.

No formal qualifications are required*. However, applicants must demonstrate competent typing and listening skills as well as strong written communication abilities. A typing, listening and written communication assessment will form part of the selection process.

*Applicants who are under 19 years of age on the programme start date must hold Level 2 qualifications in English and Mathematics (GCSE at Grade C/4 or above, Functional Skills Level 2 or equivalent).

Skills and Experience:

• Excellent communication and listening skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to build rapport quickly.
• A passion for problem-solving.
• The ability to assess and understand key information.
• Confidence to multitask, recording information accurately with attention to detail.
• IT competence across a range of applications.

We know it's important for you to feel that you're not only part of a great team, but part of a community. We welcome applications from suitably qualified people from all sections of the community, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.

Harnessing these differences creates a productive environment in which everyone feels valued, and their talents are fully utilised. Appointments are based on merit alone.

• 26 days' leave (increasing to 30 days for 5 years+ service) plus 8 bank holidays
• NHS Fleet Solutions Car Lease Scheme
• Enhanced maternity, shared parental and adoption leave
• Fantastic market-leading public sector pension scheme with up to 16% employer contribution
• Corporate travel schemes – local rail, bus services and metro discounts
• Access to private healthcare and eye test vouchers
• Discounts on shopping and eating out thanks to the Blue Light Card and Blue Light Tickets
• We've invested in extensive paid sick leave, trained mental health first aiders on-site, an employee advice service for the times you need that additional support.
• Access to gyms in some stations
• Sports & Social Club – join our thriving sports scene at Team NP and enjoy further exclusive discounts on days out and travel
• Cycle to work scheme

Just so you know:

You must be 18 or older to apply for this role.

Our application form will help us understand how your work, education and life experience has prepared you for the role of an Emergency Contact Handler with #TeamNP.

To help support your application