Dorset Police
Dispatch & Contact Officer
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Salary: £27,204 rising to £29,859 per annum + Excellent Benefits including Government Pension
Location: Police Headquarters, Winfrith
Closing Date: 06/09/2026, Midday
Hours per week: This role is 37 hours per week. However, we welcome applications from individuals wishing to work on a part-time basis and we are willing to consider flexible working patterns subject to business need.
About the role:
Owing to the nature of the role, candidates will need to have reached the age of 18 by the start date.
Earn up to £35,830 per annum.
The starting salary for Scale D is £31,012, which is inclusive of 14% shift allowance PLUS the potential to earn up to £2,500 for weekend working which is claimable once training is completed and the full shift pattern has commenced. Therefore, this cannot be claimed during Monday to Friday classroom-based training.
You will be booked to attend a two-week dispatch course within your 12-month probation and will not be able to claim the weekend working allowance for these two weeks if you are not required to work weekend shifts during this time.
When proficient (this is subject to pass/fail assessments after completion of 999 training) you will move to the full 24/7 shift pattern and receive Scale D £32,644, which is inclusive of 20% shift allowance PLUS the potential to earn up to £2500 for weekend working*. Please note, initial training up to the point of becoming proficient in 999 calls, takes from 5 to 7 months on average. Dispatch training is scheduled after this time frame but well within the probationary period.
Yearly increments will then apply until the top of the scale is reached in order to earn £35,830 per annum, which is inclusive of 20% shift allowance.
A unique job for a unique person, this role demands a friendly, patient, broad minded individual with a positive attitude. You must be able to work as part of a close knit, supportive team and make decisions in situations which may be frustrating or distressing for the caller.
The role of a Dispatch and Contact Officer at Winfrith requires you to participate in the operation of the Dorset Contact Management and provide a high-quality service to members of the public, police officers and police staff.
The focus of the Force Command Centre is on making every contact count by ‘getting it right first time’ and ensuring an efficient and effective customer journey as well as seeking to address the maximum number of calls at the first point of contact within a 24-hour capability. You will also be responsible for directing officers to the scenes of incidents and controlling incidents via radio and other forms of digital communication.
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Prior to your Contact Officer training course (which you will be advised of once you have started in the role) you will be working as a triage operator to familiarise yourself with Contact Centre and the types of enquiries. The duration of your time on triage will vary depending on when the next training course is due to start. Your salary and shift allowance will remain as above.
You will act as the first point of contact for members of the public using the 101 and 999 service, utilising risk assessments you will ensure that the most appropriate help and support is established, providing an efficient and reactive response to requests for service from the public.
Please note: No annual leave will be granted during the training course dates and these dates will be confirmed once you are in force. The course is 12 weeks long. Any leave booked prior to joining the force will be honoured. Whilst this role is based at Bournemouth, you may be required to travel to the Winfrith site for training.
Recruitment Timeline
You may wish to make a note of some key stages which sets out your journey to the Dorset Police family.
- Eligibility to apply via our e-recruitment portal.
- Situational Judgement Test - You will have 7 days to complete once you have completed your eligibility.
- Virtual Assessment Centre - You will have 7 days to complete once you have passed the SJT.
- Final Interview and telephone assessment. You will receive a link to book an interview if you have passed the SJT and Virtual Assessment Centre.
This interview will be based on Competency Values Framework (CVF) Level 1. Career & learning | College of Policing
Please note candidates can only register once per campaign, so if you have any difficulties with undertaking the assessments please contact: alliance-policestaffrecruitment@Dorset.PNN.Police.uk
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Please see a link below to our Dorset Contact Management page where you will find links to videos on An Introduction to Contact Centres, Contact Centre Recruitment, and the Contact Centre Training. Dorset Police Contact Management - Working in Partnership
If you are interested in both roles within Dorset Contact Management. Please only register for one, as you can confirm which role you would like to be progressed for if successful at interview.
Want to know more about this role?
Please click on the 'Apply' button to be taken to the vacancy on our website for further information about the role including the role profile. For a conversation regarding the role, once you have viewed the full details on our website, please contact:
Hiring Line Manager: Tony Philbrick - Contact Management Resources Planning Officer
Email Address: FCCResourceplanning@Dorset.PNN.Police.uk
PLEASE NOTE: Should you decide to apply for this role, when you are asked to state how you found out about this vacancy, please remember to select LinkedIn.
What you get if you join us:
- A competitive salary with yearly increments.
- 25 days a year leave entitlement, with an increase to 30 days after 5 years continuous employment, plus bank holidays (pro-rata for part time employees).
- Access to heavily subsidised gym membership that will provide you access to police site gyms throughout the counties.
- Access to the Blue Light Card Scheme for discounts and services (requires a one-off payment of £5).
- Company sick pay.
- Competitive local government pension scheme.
- Job related equipment, as required.
- Free onsite parking at many police sites throughout the counties.
- Access to Group insurance scheme (via salary sacrifice scheme).
- Support networks, free Employees' Assistance Programme, Occupational Health and wellbeing services.
- Development and training opportunities.
- Supportive and flexible training plan, including regular check-ins throughout your initial period of joining us to ensure you are up to speed with the role and getting the support you need.
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