Protect every journey
Contact Management
A Communications Officer attracts:
- A salary of £37,395 (inclusive of 20% Shift Allowance and £1,500 market supplement). Please note that the basic starting salary for this role is £29,912.50.
- An additional £3,033.56 London Allowance if based out of our London Control Room.
A Contact Handler attracts:
- A salary of £37,395 (inclusive of 20% Shift Allowance and £1,500 market supplement). Please note that the basic starting salary for this role is £29,912.50.
A Crime Recorder officer attracts:
- A salary of £26,098.99.
Introduction into Contact Management
The Force Control room has a critical role in supporting the police to respond to calls for service 24/7 across the country. We liaise with key stakeholders such as network rail, emergency services and train operator providers. This involves taking and making emergency telephone calls, run the incidents and dispatch jobs. BTP pride ourselves on being guardians of the railway and contact management provide a vital part in ensuring the safety of the public but also our officers.
The hours can be unsocial as you will be working a shift pattern that will include early starts, late finish times and night shifts. However, there are few careers that are as interesting, exciting and fulfilling as working within contact management at BTP. With your help, we can continue to police the rail network, investigate crime, and safeguard the most vulnerable.
Communications Officer
As a Communications Officer, you will be working in a safety critical role based out of our Birmingham or London office and will be required to:
- Effectively and accurately manager emergency and non-emergency contact handling for the British Transport Police via radio and telephone, including contact from other police forces, emergency services, Network Rail and Train Operating Companies (TOCs).
- Assess contacts that are received, via emergency and non-emergency channels and identify the appropriate grade of response (considering threat, harm and risk).
- Pass incidents in a timely manner for radio dispatch and the relevant police actions via the Control Works system.
- Cover a 24/7 365 days a year rota consisting of a mix of early, late and night shifts.
- Demonstrate the ability to work as part of a team while meeting tight deadlines.
- Obtain and evaluate information and decide criteria of response and level of deployment using THRIVE (Threat, Harm, Risk, Investigation, Vulnerability and Engagement) and NSIR (National Standards of Incident Recording), always ensuring public and officer safety.
- Monitor incidents advising, deploying and directing appropriate resources via radio to ensure an adequate and effective response to an incident.
Contact Handler
As a Contact Handler, you will be working in a safety critical role based out of Birmingham will be required to:
- Be the first point of contact for contact handing from both members of the public and rail staff via multiple contact channels, which include telephone, email, text and Twitter.
- Evaluate Incident logs on Command and Control System (Control Works), Crime transfer emails and disseminate all the information to ensure all crimes are recorded correctly in line with the victim’s needs.
- Capture and record relevant information accurately on force systems.
- Provide excellent service delivery to those victims vulnerable to the risk of harm.
- Record all reported crimes and seek to add value to any initial investigation.
- Responsible for all inbound emails directed to FCC and FCRL in boxes, all contacts received require an immediate assessment as they can include general enquiries, calls for service, or an immediate deployment (e.g. crime, missing persons).
Crime Recorder
As a crime recorder, you will be based out of Birmingham and will be required to:
- Review crime information in line with the National Crime Recording Standards (NCRS) and make decisions in relation to classification of crimes, recording a no crime, detecting a crime and finalising all crimes.
- Review occurrence information for meeting National Standards of Incident Recording (NSIR) and make decisions in relation to the appropriateness of finalising occurrences.
- Ensure data quality standards in relation to the recording of police information meets legislative and force standards.
- Deal with unit tasks on the crime recording system, updating existing crime reports with witness details and linking suspects to the crime record on NICHE (occurrence) to facilitate the Criminal History System (CHS).
- Identify repeat and vulnerable victims of crime and ensuring they receive an enhanced level of care, in line with the Victims Code of Practice (VCOP). Asses each incident using the THRIVE (Threat, Harm, Risk, Investigation, Vulnerability, Engagement) model, identifying risks to any involved parties and ensuring they are accounted for at the first point of contact.
- Accurately record and classify all crime reports on the crime recording system (NICHE) taking into account threat, harm and risk and in accordance with the Home Office Counting Rules (HOCR) and National Crime Recording Standards (NCRS).
Positive action
At BTP we are proud guardians of the railway and it is crucial that we represent the diverse communities we serve and protect. As ‘One BTP’ across the UK, we know that diversity, inclusion and belonging help us improve our decision making, foster creativity and drive innovation so all our people can thrive.
Our vacancies are open to everyone and all appointments are made based on merit. So that we can become more diverse we encourage applications from candidates from Black, Asian, and minority ethnic backgrounds, women, people who have a disability, those who are neurodiverse and persons who identify as LGBTQI+. If you have the skills, experience and values that here in BTP we pride ourselves on then we would welcome you to apply.
For more information on Positive Action please click here or email the team on PART-recruitment@btp.police.uk
Communications Officers and Call Handlers
Benefits
We’re passionate about recognising and rewarding those who help us protect every journey. It’s you who makes the difference, so our benefits are designed with you in mind. Take a look at what’s on offer:
Pension scheme
We offer a generous pension to our employees. For further information, please contact our Pensions Manager at Pension-Queries@btp.police.uk
Flexible Working
We promote modern and flexible ways of working across many of our roles, empowering people to choose how and where is best to carry out their role.
Blue Light card
A Blue Light Card costs £4.99 for two-years and gives you access to a range of discounts, both online and on the high street
Career Development
Where you start your career journey with us doesn’t have to be where you stay. A range of professions make up the BTP family and we provide you with the opportunities to develop yourself personally and professionally.
Annual leave
Police staff and PCSOs are entitled to 28 days annual leave plus bank holidays rising to 30 days with five years of service or more.
Transport Benevolent Fund
A charity to support employees in the public transport industry.
Maternity, paternity and adoption leave
We offer 26 weeks paid maternity and adoption leave after a qualifying period. Paid paternity leave is also available.
Cycle to work scheme
You’ll have the opportunity to hire a bicycle from us to cycle to work and you won’t pay national insurance or tax contributions on what you spend up to £1,000.
Travel on duty
Staff are able to request travel passes for specific work commitments.
Season Ticket Loan
Police staff may apply for an interest free annual season ticket loan. The cost of the ticket is deducted through equal payments over ten 4-weekly pay periods.
Health and wellbeing benefits
Employee assistance
BTP’s employee assistance programme is a free, confidential service which supports our employees in resolving personal problems and improving their overall wellbeing.
Wellbeing hub
Internal knowledge hub containing news, information and resources on a variety of topics, wellbeing events and details of all our support services.
Eye care provision
Computer users are entitled to eye care examinations and glasses paid for by BTP.
CSSC Sports and Leisure
A not-for-profit organisation positively promoting health and wellbeing in the workplace.
Armed Forces Covenant
We are silver accredited under the Armed Forces Covenant and we support Territorial forces reservists, including paid time off to participate in training.
Training
If successful, you will be employed subject to a 12-month probationary period. Probationary periods are put in place to ensure our staff receive all the necessary training and support required to fulfil their role to the best of their ability. This gives you enough time to learn, gain confidence and become competent within a role.
Contact Handlers: 16 weeks (6 weeks classroom based, half of which combined with Crime Recorders, 10 weeks enhanced one to one training in the First Contact Centre) is provided and successful applicants will be expected to pass each module before being signed off. The classroom will consist of enhanced law training, covering Home Office Counting Rules (HOCR) and the use of our systems, such as Control Works. Contact Handlers will also be expected to know railway terminology and effective communication skills, improving during the initial one to one period.
Communication Officers: 11-week training course (3 weeks classroom based, 8 weeks enhanced one to one training in the Force Control Room) each module must be passed before signing off. Modules included the use of our systems, such as Control Works, including queue management, resourcing officers and the updates that are passed, either on calls or radios. Basic law training will also be included within the initial classroom period.
Crime Recorder: A 3-week training course (3 weeks classroom based, 4 weeks under a Development Officer within the First Contact Centre). Crime Recorders work solely off a system called NICHE. The classroom will consist of NICHE training and how the system operates. Enhanced law training will also be included during this time.
The Application Process
Your application will initially be screened to ensure that you meet the minimum eligibility requirements. Once this has been satisfied, the information you have provided in the application form will be assessed.
If you’re successful, you’ll be invited for an interview or assessment. We’ll be looking for evidence of the qualities you have to enable you to carry out your role. If you meet our high standards, you’ll receive a conditional offer and we’ll start your pre-employment checks.
Once you have been given a conditional offer, you will go through the full vetting process. This will include employment reference checks as well as our own baseline vetting. You’ll receive your offer letter or contract once these security checks have been successfully completed.
Eligibility
Before you make the decision to apply, you’ll need to make sure that you meet our eligibility criteria.
It’s important that our Police staff and PCSOs provide the best possible service with the full confidence of the public they serve. That’s why every Police staff and PCSO recruit goes through a thorough vetting check as part of the application process.
To join us, you must have the permanent right to live and work in the UK without any restrictions.
As a minimum, all applicants must have been resident in the UK for the last 3 years. This is required to ensure we can conduct adequate vetting checks and this applies equally to all applicants, regardless of nationality.
You must be a minimum of 18 years old to be employed. There is no maximum age for Police staff and PCSO applications.
You will not be eligible to apply if you have ever received a prison sentence.
All other cautions, convictions and involvement with the police must be declared during the vetting process. This will not necessarily result in your application being withdrawn, as all applications will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
As part of your checks we will verify your financial position. Employees hold a privileged position and have access to a range of sensitive and valuable information. Potentially, this means employees are a heightened risk of being vulnerable to corruption. This means, applicants must to be free from the pressure of undischarged debts or liabilities and to be able to manage loans and debts sensibly.
Tattoos are not acceptable if:
- They are on your face
- Above the collar line on the front or side of your neck,
- Are large on the back of your neck and cannot be easily covered
- They could be considered in any way offensive, regardless of their location.
Visible tattoos are permissible on other areas of the body including hands, arms, legs, feet and on the back of the neck (providing the tattoo is discreet and behind the ear lobe).
Discreet tattoos on the ear are also considered acceptable. Consideration will be given to tattoos on the face that were necessary following medical procedures or for cosmetic procedures e.g. eyebrows.
You are encouraged to contact the recruitment team if you are at all unsure about your tattoos and we will advise you wherever possible.
You can do this by emailing us.
Contact us
You have to be able to conduct your role and responsibilities impartially and effectively. This means if you are currently, or have even been, associated with any group, society or individuals that could reasonably represent a conflict of interest, then you will not be eligible to apply.
Due to the timescales of our recruitment process, applications from service personnel will only be accepted if you have 12 months or less to serve before being discharged. You will need to attach with your application confirmation of your projected date of discharge. (e.g. a letter from your Commanding officer).
Each role will specify what qualifications are a requirement for appointment. For training and development purposes you may be required to produce examination certificates. If you are still in, or have recently left full-time education, we may also ask for a reference from the relevant institution.
You will need to declare any other employment or business interest you have and intend to maintain so that this can be reviewed to ensure no conflict of interest with the police.
You will not normally be eligible for appointment as a Police officer if you hold any office or employment for hire or gain, or if you carry on any business in addition to being a Police officer.
Our employees may encounter situations that can be stressful, traumatic and at times, physically confrontational. Our people can work long hours and cover rotating shifts, so the role can be physically and mentally demanding. Therefore, it is important our employees are in good health to be able to undertake their duties safely.
To ensure we can support our employees’ wellbeing, we’ll ask you to provide relevant details of your health and medical history in accordance with any questions we have to ask during the application process.
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