Emergency Contact Handler Apprenticeship - Part Time - March

Start Date: 30th March 2027

Please note: The initial 10 week training programme will be Mon-Fri, 8-4.

Location: This role will relocate to Cobalt in 2027. During your initial training period, you will be based at Ponteland. Following training, you may be based at either Ponteland or South Shields until the move to Cobalt. Please note that we are unable to guarantee which of these locations you will be assigned to after training, as this will be determined by operational requirements.

Salary: Band 6 Hours/Shift Pattern/Salary This vacancy is currently available on a 22-hour per week basis. 22 hours – £17,487 - £18,836 (Plus you will be entitled shift and enhanced allowance, making potential earnings £22,096 - £23,800)

Future Opportunities: We recognise that some applicants may be interested in working increased hours in the future. While we’re not currently recruiting 30-hour contracts, opportunities to increase contractual hours may become available at a later date.

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.

The role: 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 through 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.

Qualifications: 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.

Interested to learn more? For further information about the role please contact the Communications Resource Planning Manager at CommunicationsResourcePlanningManager@northumbria.police.uk. For information about the apprenticeship please contact our Apprenticeship team at apprenticeshipsandbursaries@northumbria.police.uk.

What we offer:

• 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 research what makes us tick here at Northumbria, the role you’re applying for and the values and behaviours that contribute. If you haven't already, we recommend viewing our ECH application guide and visiting our website.

Our organisation is ranked 80th in the Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers for 2025 - To learn more about an apprenticeship at Northumbria Police. These vacancies are for course starting March 2027. Initial classroom phase training will take 10 weeks (Mon - Fri, 8 - 4) followed by 6 weeks of mentoring and you must be available to attend the full training programme. The recruitment process will consist of the initial application form followed by a face-to-face interview. Interviews will take place in November 2026. Just so you know, you can save your application and come back to it any time prior to the closing date on the advert.

We are proud members of the Business Disability Forum, with whom we collaborate to improve the lives of disabled employees. We are also a Disability Confident Employer, therefore if you demonstrate that you meet the minimum criteria for this role as stated in the advert, we will progress your application and offer you an interview. If you tell us that you have a disability, we can make adjustments to support you through the recruitment process (for example we can arrange extra time for tests or provide a sign language interpreter). You can get in touch with us via jointeamNP@northumbria.police.uk for any support regarding the application process. Please provide us with plenty of notice so we can ensure your visit goes smoothly.

If your application is successful, we’ll ask you to complete a Recruitment Vetting (RV) form, therefore you must be a resident of the UK for a minimum period of 3 years to ensure vetting checks can be successfully performed. A job offer will be dependent upon vetting clearance, 5 years’ worth of references and medical information.

Terms of appointment: This is a permanent role subject to a 24-month commitment to post. Continued employment is dependent upon completing both the training course and CHAMPS phase without taking annual leave in this 15-week period. Failure at this stage will lead to the termination of your employment. Due to the length of the mandatory training course and CHAMPS, you are subject to a probation period. Due to the investment in training and development required to perform this role, during the first 24 months in post, you will not be eligible to apply for any other vacancies advertised by Northumbria Police, either internally or externally. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role.