Salary: Band 5, £24,360 - £25,353 (equating to a potential £31,246 - £32,520 with shift and weekend allowances) Please note shift allowances are subject to change based on hours/weekends worked, the amount stated is not definitive, however gives an idea of the potential uplift to your base salary.
Location: Ponteland
Hours: Full Time, to view the shift pattern
click here we’re happy to discuss any individual circumstances if you require some flexibility
Working for #TeamNP
With two culture packed cities, award-winning coastlines and unspoilt countryside on the doorstep, Northumbria offers an amazing place to live and work. We’re one of the largest police forces in the country, serving a population of 1.5 million people from a wide range of various communities, covering an area of more than 2,000 square miles.
There are around 5,800 people working at Northumbria Police and 488 more who contribute by volunteering for one of our various volunteer schemes. Our teams are loyal, enthusiastic, and driven to provide an outstanding service to the community. It is for this reason we put our people first.
A career at Northumbria Police is like no other, it’s our people that make it an exciting and inclusive place to work – a place where you can let your skills shine. We are passionate about where we live and what we do, we deliver exceptional support to our communities, and we work together to make our local area a safer place for us all. Every single person is valued for their amazing contribution – and we are all part of something truly special.
What we offer
• 26 days’ leave (increasing to 30 days for 5 years+ service) plus 8 bank holidays
• Enhanced Maternity, Shared Parental and Adoption leave
• Fantastic market leading public sector pension scheme
• Corporate Travel schemes – local rail, bus services and metro
• Access to Private Healthcare and Eye Test Vouchers
• Discounts on shopping and eating out thanks to the Blue Light Card and Blue Light Tickets
• To take care of your physical and mental well-being, we’ve invested in extensive paid sick leave, trained mental health first aiders on-site, an employee advice service and access to gyms in some stations
• Northumbria Police Sports & Social Club – join our thriving sports scene at Team NP and enjoy further exclusive discounts on days out and travel
• Cycle to work scheme
The role
We have a fantastic opportunity to us as a Customer Services Specialist within the Customer Service Centre based at Ponteland. This dedicated unit is first point of contact for many of our customers by telephone or one of our many digital channels, and your engagement will define the service they receive from Northumbria Police.
Using effective communication, the team deliver an outstanding customer service experience in response to all public interactions, acting where possible to resolve queries at first contact and providing professional advice and effective signposting. With customer service at the heart of everything we do, and using a problem-solving approach, we aim to resolve many queries during that first contact.
What you’ll do
The team receives customer contact via 101 as well as through numerous digital platforms such as web chat and online reporting forms and in the future, this will include social media reporting. Every contact is different, some of which will be an emergency and will require the customer service specialist to identify, assess and mitigate risk to ensure the correct response is allocated. You will handle contact from members of the public experiencing a wealth of emotions and need to be able to adapt your style to meet their needs.
You will also deal with police officers, professionals, and partner agencies.
As a Customer Service Specialist, we will support you in developing an in-depth knowledge of all aspects of the organisation. You will need a have a desire to resolve the customer’s query at first point of contact, ensuring excellent customer service and demand reduction to other departments.
Working within a busy department, you must be able to work well under pressure and resilient to change.
The current shift is a three-week pattern working Monday - Sunday, with shifts between 8am - 11pm. You will work a combination of day and late shifts; however, this pattern is likely to change in the future to include some nightshift working.
Our training course is full time Monday – Friday 0800 – 1600 for 7 weeks, there is a requirement that you can attend this course for the full duration and to be able to be mentored full time for a further five weeks, without any periods of leave being taken. The next course date is anticipated in July 2023.
Sound interesting? For further information, and to support your application, please view the
job description
What you’ll bring
• Excellent communication and listening skills with the ability to build rapport quickly.
• A passion for problem-solving.
• The ability to assess and understand key information.
• Confidence to multitask, recording information accurately with attention to detail.
• IT competence across a range of applications.
• Committed to getting things right for our customer and delivering outstanding customer service.
We know it's important for you to feel that you're not only part of a great team, but part of a community. We welcome applications from suitably qualified people from all sections of the community, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.
Harnessing these differences creates a productive environment in which everyone feels valued, and their talents are fully utilised. Appointments are based on merit alone.
Interested to learn more? For further information about the role please contact Judith Coulter, Customer Service Team Leader via email judith.coulter.9601@northumbria.police.uk
Just so you know
Our application form will help us understand how your work, education and life experience has prepared you for the role of a Customer Service Specialist with #TeamNP. To help support your application research what makes us tick here at Northumbria, the role you’re applying for and the values and behaviours that contribute.
For any queries about the application process, please contact our Talent Acquisition Team by email at careers@northumbria.police.uk.
If your application is successful, we’ll ask you to complete a Recruitment Vetting (RV) form, therefore you must be a resident of the UK for a minimum period of 3 years to ensure vetting checks can be successfully performed. A job offer will be dependent upon vetting clearance, medical information, and references.
Terms of appointment
If you are successful in your application, you will have a 6-month probation period with us where you will be unable to apply for any other post advertised internally or externally