Emergency Contact Handler Apprenticeship – Part Time – March 2027

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, click here to view the shift pattern.

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. 

If you are interested in 30-hours only, please register your interest here and we will be in touch when opportunities arise. 

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. 

Learn about our full benefits package

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 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.

Sound interesting? For further information, and to support your application, please visit our ECH application guide and the job description.

Want to learn more about the apprenticeship and what it would be like to be a contact handler with us?

We are opening our doors and inviting you to join us for one of our information events. The session will include an overview of the role, a tour of the Contact Centre and the opportunity for you to ask any questions you might have.

We will be offering these at the following dates/times and locations:

Ponteland Communications Centre

Thursday 22nd January, 10:00 – 11:00

South Shields Millbank Station

Monday 26th January, 10:00 – 11:00

Pre-booking is required, you can book your slot here.

Once you have booked, further details and instructions will be sent at least 24 hours before.

What you’ll bring:

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