Force Control Room Operators

To apply for the role you will need to meet our eligibility criteria:

• Aged 18 years or over (on the day you submit your application).
• Have lived in the UK for three continuous years, immediately prior to application.
• Have leave to enter or leave to remain and work in the UK for an indefinite period.
• Not be a current or previous member of a proscribed terrorist organisation or group.
• Ability to commit to a shift pattern which covers a 24/7 period, weekends and Bank Holidays.

When you join Surrey Police, you can expect a career with variety, diversity, challenges, rewards and great learning experiences. This is a vital role which matters to the public, but it also matters to us. As such, we will give you:

• A starting salary of £30,436 (£24,814 plus a shift allowance of £5,622 per year)
• 180 hours per year annual leave, rising to 209 hours depending on your length of service.
• Great development experiences that will support future career opportunities and progression.
• A competitive benefits package including pension, flexible benefits, employee assistance programme for advice and counselling, access to discounts / savings / cash-back rewards and the opportunity to purchase additional annual leave.
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Progressive approach to flexible working, enhanced maternity and paternity leave and potential for a career break (after two years’ service).
• Opportunities to join various support networks, staff associations and sports clubs.

Read more about what you can expect from us as an employer.

The initial training course is eight weeks classroom-based training. During this time students undertake a number of IT courses, receive a range of inputs including Law and Public Protection and finally a consolidation course where you will have the opportunity to put into practice what you have learned and start using the radio systems. You are then assigned to a rota and will begin working the shift pattern with the guidance of an experienced coach until you are ready to work independently.

Starting your career in our Force Control Room will provide you with a wide range of skills and experiences. There are also opportunities for development, such as becoming a coach, or additional training on certain topics enabling you to act as a point of contact to other team members.

The application process consists of four stages and it’s important to note that because of this, the average time from application to appointment is around three months. By adopting this stringent approach can we ensure we select people who will make great Force Control Room Operators.

Stage one: Quick Apply

There’ll be a short form to complete with your personal details and check boxes to ensure all eligibility criteria have been met. Along with this you’ll be asked to upload a copy of your CV to include employment history and education.

If your application has been successfully submitted you will receive an email to your registered email address along with your candidate ID. If you have submitted an application but have not received a notification please first check your Spam/Junk folder before emailing [email protected] providing your full name, telephone number and the date you submitted your application.

Stage two: Assessment Centre

If your application is shortlisted you’ll be invited to attend an Assessment Centre at our Police Headquarters in Guildford. The assessments will measure your ability to multi-task under time pressure, listening skills and typing speed.

Due to the time critical elements of the role there is a requirement to be able to type at a minimum of 30 words per minute.  There are many free online typing tests that will allow you to gain practice or gain an indication of your current speed.

Stage three: Competency based interview

On successful completion of the exercise we will invite you to an interview conducted by a panel of Surrey Police representatives. This interview will be based upon the Competency and Values Framework (CFV).   

Stage four: Pre-employment checks

These consist of a medical questionnaire and vetting checks.

• Medical questionnaire - you will be required to complete a questionnaire with your medical history which will be assessed by our Occupational Health team.
• Vetting - this will assess you and your families’ criminal record, financial status and business interests.

 

Surrey Police are currently taking expressions of interest from experienced Control Room staff who are looking to transfer from another force or Emergency Services.

If you are interested in transferring to Surrey Police in the Force Control Room and currently work in a different force or another emergency services control room environment, please send through an expression of interest to [email protected] and someone will be in touch.

Our ability to build trust, understand problems and support our communities across a range of policing matters, relies on us having a workforce that is reflective of our communities and all the unique individuals that exist within them. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity within our workforce and to eliminating discrimination.

We are very keen to encourage applications from those that have never considered policing as a career. Representation within our workforce from black and minority ethnic communities is currently much lower than we want it to be; by improving this we will be better able to serve our local communities and our work place will benefit from all the differences in thinking, points of view, and approaches that diversity brings.

We are actively working on a range of activities to improve this and one of the proactive ways we are seeking to increase representation is via a bespoke mentoring scheme which is aimed at guiding applicants from diverse communities through the recruitment process.

For more information email [email protected]

To join Surrey Police in any role you will need to prove your right to work in the UK.

Do I have right to work in the UK?

Your right to work in the UK depends on your immigration status - this is also called your ‘leave’. If you don’t have the right to work, you might be able to apply for it.

You automatically have the right to work in the UK if:

• You’re a British or Irish citizen
• You have pre-settled or settled status from the EU Settlement Scheme - or you’ve applied and you’re waiting for a decision
• You have a family permit from the EU Settlement Scheme
• You have indefinite leave to enter or remain in the UK
• You have right of abode in the UK

You might have a right to work in the UK if you have a visa with a time limit. This is called having 'limited leave to enter or remain’. 

If you entered the UK illegally or your leave has ended, you don’t have the right to work in the UK.

 

Proving your right to work in the UK

You might be able to prove your right to work online or by showing your employer certain documents. Any document you show your employer must be:

• Valid - you can’t use a document that’s expired unless it’s a British or Irish passport
• The original document - you can’t use a copy, however you can use a replacement birth certificate if you have lost the original.
• If your document is expiring soon and you’ve applied to extend your leave, you can still prove your right to work. You might need to use a different document or ask your employer to contact the Home Office Employer Checking Service (ECS) - it depends what kind of leave you have.

For further information about Right to work in the UK, please refer to the GOV.UK webpages.