Force Communication Centre
The Force Communication Centre (FCC) operator role is one of the most important positions within Dyfed-Powys Police.
You will be at the heart of our Force Communication Centre, acting as the first point of contact for all our 999 emergency and 101 non-emergency calls, and dispatching officers to incidents, making the role hugely challenging, but very rewarding.
There is no doubt that this is an unpredictable and challenging role, but one that offers genuine satisfaction in knowing you have helped to play a part in keeping people safe.
As an operator, you will be joining a fast-paced dynamic environment where no two days are the same.
From missing people to road traffic collisions, burglaries to serious assaults, you never know what the next call will bring - and in answering, you will be the first point of contact for members of the public who are often at their most vulnerable and distressed at the point of calling.
The role is ideal for someone who is calm under pressure, has a real eye for detail and is highly accurate when capturing and processing information. Operators must often make split second decisions based on what they have been told by a caller, who might be injured, distressed, or involved in an ongoing crime where getting help to them is crucial.
You will reassure callers while quickly gathering as much information as possible to help response offices deal with emergency incidents, working together to ensure we protect and serve our communities to make them safer and stronger.
The role operates on a rotating shift pattern to ensure we are available for the public 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week. Full training and support will be provided throughout.
Online application form – The application form asks you to provide personal details, your qualifications, employment history, details of any tattoos you may have or criminal convictions etc. Please ensure this is completed fully and accurately.
Role-based scenario assessment – This is an online, multiple-choice assessment specifically designed for Police Contact Handling roles. You will be sent a link to carry out the assessment in your own time. If you pass this assessment, you will be invited to sit the typing tests.
Typing Tests - An essential part of the role is the ability to record information accurately in a fast-paced environment. The test allows us to assess your typing speed and accuracy. We require our operators to be able to type a minimum of 30 words per minute.
Interview – if you are successful at the assessment and typing tests, you will be invited for an interview at our headquarters. This is a competency-based interview where we assess your personal qualities and behaviours such as communication, teamworking, customer service, problem solving, accuracy.
References – References are required to cover a minimum of 5 years of continuous employment history. If you have not been in employment for 5 years, we will look to obtain education and personal references.
Any sickness declared by a previous employer will be reviewed by Senior Management in line with Dyfed-Powys Police Absence Management policy.
Vetting – Vetting checks will be completed by our Professional Standards Department and a decision will be made on whether vetting can be granted. This can take up to 8 weeks or longer depending on individual circumstances.
If you are successful in all of the above stages, you will be sent an email formally offering you an appointment and start date.
We ask for GCSE’s Grades A - C, in Mathematics and English Language, but if you don’t have these you can tell us about your relevant experience which brings you up to a comparable level in numeracy and literacy.
We ask that all Dyfed-Powys police staff can communicate to Level 1 standard. This means that you can understand and pronounce Welsh place names and can use and understand simple everyday phrases such as greetings. If you are unable to communicate to this standard, we’ll fully support you in achieving this through a variety of learning opportunities.
There are no upper age restrictions on this role, the more life-experience you have, the better. However, due to the nature of the role, we can’t accept applications from anyone under 18 years of age.
The FCC operates 24/7, 365 days a year. We are always open and our staff work a variety of shifts, including nights and weekends, to ensure we provide a high standard of service to the public at all times of the day or night.
The FCC uses a 4 on / 4 off rota pattern with 9 and 12 hour shifts which average out at 37 hours per week over 8 weeks for full-time staff. An extract of the rota pattern is provided below as an example.
We can accommodate part-time working as well and will work with you to devise a suitable shift pattern that fits your needs and ours
You will be provided with classroom-based training by our dedicated FCC trainer for the first 8 weeks to learn the contact handling role. You will then move onto a shift pattern working alongside an experienced mentor until you are competent to take calls on your own. Once you have mastered the contact handling aspects of the role (usually 6-12 months), you will undertake further training where you will learn the dispatch aspects of the role, assessing incident reports and dispatching police officers to them.
Once you complete your initial training, you will be paid a salary of £37,109 (including allowances for working shifts and weekends). This will rise to £39,653 over 3 years.
FCC operators receive the equivalent of 24 days annual leave plus 8 public holidays per year. Because of our shift patterns, you will be required to work some public holidays throughout the year and will receive a paid enhancement when you do.