Control and Contact Handler – Overview
A Control and Contact Handler plays a vital role in keeping Sussex Safe. You'll handle a huge variety of emergency 999 calls, non‑emergency 101 calls, online and social media communications. The situations you'll be faced with are as diverse as the communities we serve and you'll be engaging with people of all ages and backgrounds. Our Control and Contact Handlers need to be able to strike the right balance between showing empathy with every caller, while not becoming emotionally involved when dealing with sometimes difficult circumstances. Our Control and Contact Handlers provide excellent customer service to members of the public and Sussex Police colleagues. If you are looking to work in a fast‑paced 24/7 environment, where no two days are the same, are calm under pressure, are an excellent communicator and have the confidence to make critical decisions, this is the role for you. You'll need to be able to think on your feet, ask the right questions, listen for vital details, and log information quickly and accurately. The role is based at our Headquarters on the outskirts of Lewes and requires shift work, including nights, weekends and bank holidays.
The role is extremely rewarding but also comes with some challenges. We strongly encourage you to view the attached documents carefully so that you are fully informed about the role and some of the challenges that people find in this area of policing. During your shift you will be taking calls from members of the public who are distressed, angry, abusive and emotional or experiencing a mental health crisis – probably contacting Sussex Police for the very first time in their hour of need. We ask you to think carefully about how this might impact your well being and especially how you will cope in and following these types of calls. There is plenty of support available but if you, your family or people you are close to have ever experienced suicide, domestic or sexual abuse, fear for loss of life or trauma (especially regarding children) – please do seriously consider how this will impact on you.
We are looking to recruit across four shift patterns: 24/7 Coverage Roles. These roles require availability to commit to a rotating 32‑week shift pattern, including day, evening and night shifts; weekends and bank holidays; team based scheduling to ensure consistent coverage. Successful candidates will join an 11‑week training course, consisting of five weeks of training and six weeks of tutoring where we will support and coach you to become competent in the role. Upon completion you will work across both 101 and 999 within our contact centre based at Sussex Police Headquarters in Lewes.
Qualifications / Requirements
* You must be aged 18 or over on the day you submit your application – no upper age limit
* You must have lived in the UK for three continuous years immediately prior to application
* Not be a current or previous member of a proscribed terrorist organisation or group
* Not have served a prison sentence
* It is a must that candidates have fast and accurate typing skills and ideally are familiar with the phonetic alphabet. The starting salary for this role will usually be at the bottom of the salary range and will be pro‑rata if the working hours are less than full time
Chief Constables' Message
We really welcome your interest in joining our Police Force. It is a privilege to lead the teams in Surrey Police and Sussex Police who continuously work self‑lessly and tirelessly in order to keep people in our counties safe. We are looking for talented and inspirational people who put the needs of the public at the heart of everything that they do and who want to make a difference. If you feel you are that person then we want to hear from you. We wish you all the very best with your application.
Benefits
* starting salary of £30,897.00 plus unsocial hours shift allowance in the region of £10,486 per year for a full‑time shift worker (24/7 shift pattern only)
* 25 days per year annual leave, rising to 30 days depending on your length of service (annual leave based on a 37‑hour working week and 7.4‑hour day)
* ongoing training and development
* career progression
* contributory pension scheme (LGPS)
* discounts for everyday spend
* on‑site gyms and a range of sports clubs
* generous and supportive parental leave
* financial and mental well‑being guidance and support
* discounted contributory healthcare scheme
Diversity Statement
We are only as good as our people. It’s important that our officers and staff can be themselves in the workplace and we know that as an organisation we’ll grow from the variety of thinking, approach and the skills that diversity brings; all of which help us to deliver a better policing service. We strive to ensure how we deliver our services, provide information and how we recruit is open and accessible to all. We have multiple staff support groups who help to improve our understanding of minority issues and ensure they are reflected in our work. We are proud members of Disability Confident, hold Race Equality Matters Trailblazer status, are a signatory of the Race at Work Charter and are aligned with the Armed Forces Covenant and the HeForShe movement. We are committed to being an anti‑racist police service. We promise to challenge injustice, ensure fairness and uphold anti‑racist principles in both our organisation and our communities. For more information, you can read our full anti‑racism statement here.
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