Communications officer (999 and 101)

Andrew is fairly new to our team, and has recently graduated from training to taking live calls. We asked him what these first few weeks have been like, to give you a flavour of what you can expect.

What did you do within your first few weeks at MetCC? What was the team atmosphere like?

My first few weeks were spent at Hendon in classroom training. This was quite intense, with lots of material being covered, but I really enjoyed it. The classroom training gave such a good grounding going into my coaching at Lambeth. Our trainer Lucy was great – very engaging, made the sessions interactive so nothing got boring and kept us all on our toes!

It’s nice starting in a group with other new starters. By the end of the training we were really close-knit, helping each other and spurring each other on. We had all come from different backgrounds, and not all in contact centres, so it was great to share experiences with one another.

What was it like taking your first call?

A bit nerve-wracking to say the least! You’re always going to be nervous taking that first call, so in a way it’s a good thing to get it out of the way as soon as you step into the live centre. You have your coach right next to you in case you need them, and they’re with you every step of the way, so you’re not alone. The more calls you take, the easier it does become (I promise!).

What’s a normal day like for you now?

I like to arrive a little early for my shift, get myself logged into all systems and software loaded so I’m ready and waiting. I always have a look through my emails at the start of my shift, plus any new briefings I’ve received, as things do change so it’s important you keep yourself up to speed. I am always logged into my phone and ready at the start of my shift.

Throughout the day I’m taking calls. I try to take as many as I can, and be as quick, slick and efficient as I possibly can be, be my caller a member of the public or somebody from another agency. This is me doing my bit to keep London safe.

What did you do before joining MetCC? Does your background help you?

Before joining the Met, I worked in a high-street bank for 11 and a half years, the last few years of which were in the fraud office. I really enjoyed that role and it taught me to expect the unexpected as sadly there are a lot of people out there seeking to gain advantage from other peoples’ misfortune. I used to investigate and hopefully prevent fraud, and spent quite a bit of time on the phones, so that has certainly helped my transition into this new role.

What’s the best bit?

I would say it’s knowing you’re making a difference to somebody’s life. Members of the public ring in their time of need, to have the expertise and be able to help them during that time is hugely rewarding.

One call that stands out to me is where a girl called with concerns about her brother’s health – they couldn’t get hold of him and feared he had passed away. They forced entry into the property and I was on the line telling her to brace herself for what she might find, and sadly she was right. I waited on the line, offering comfort and support every step of the way. Whilst our callers may not always say it, you can certainly tell when you have made a difference, and in that instance I could tell I made that awful moment slightly more bearable for her. For me, that makes it all worthwhile.

What’s hard?

I still feel quite inexperienced, so do rely on others for assistance where I want to be self-sufficient! The vast nature of the role means you can receive a call about literally anything, so it’s to be expected that I don’t know all of the answers, and to be honest, I probably never will – we’re all learning every day.

Every day brings new challenges and you learn things. Every call helps us be better for the next one, and we all try to share our experiences to grow as a team.

Liz is an experienced team member in MetCC and loves her job. We asked her why.

What’s a normal day like for you?

No such thing! Each day is varied and different, depending on the shift you’re working, the day of the week, the time of the year, even the weather! Once you’ve been here a while you do pick up on some trends, but there isn’t really such a thing as a normal day. It is however safe to say every day will be crammed full of calls from members of the public – calls from people who really need help there and then, calls from those where advice is needed or an appointment with an officer needs to be booked, sometimes calls from those who are slightly confused about what route to follow to get the assistance they need, and sadly some calls from individuals calling us as a hoax and taking up a valuable 999 line.

Your days can be frantic, frustrating and fulfilling all in one rollercoaster ride!

What gives you job satisfaction?

Knowing we’ve assigned officers to attend an incident where somebody really needs us, hearing the relief in their voice as we arrive, or hearing the officer’s voice in the background when prior to then all you’ve been able to hear is screaming or sobbing. When somebody says ‘thank you so much’ or ‘nobody has listened to me before’, and you know that you’ve started the journey of getting the assistance a child or vulnerable person in crisis really needs. It’s also satisfying when you know you have contributed towards an arrest, with one less criminal person on the streets – we help keep London safe.

What’s the hardest part?

Sometimes with really violent crimes, or those committed by somebody close to them, our callers are so upset that they cannot tell you where they are. It takes all of my skill to be able to calm them down or persuade them to tell me where they are so we can get help to them.

At others times, our callers can be abusive or offensive, when all you’re trying to do is help them. You have to put yourself in their shoes, this might be the most stressful time of their life, and whilst it can be difficult to remain calm, you have to.

Some calls do affect you afterwards, we’re only human. When that happens, your team and line manager are around you to support – we look after each other and make sure we’re all ok to carry on.

What development opportunities have you had since joining MetCC?

I started off by taking calls into the 999 and 101 lines, then from there moved into the despatch side of things – getting officers and operational units to incidents by talking on the radio to officers out on the streets. I’ve seen things from both sides of the operation now, so that really helps me understand the big picture.

I am also now a coach, working with those new to our team or needing a bit of support, building on their training and getting them ready to taking live calls on the operational floor. I love doing this, it’s hugely rewarding.

I am also trying to build up my operational experience so that one day I can become a supervisor, guiding and supporting others. I hope my next step is here in MetCC, but I’ve seen other colleagues use the experience they’ve gained here to take them on to new things elsewhere in the Met.

How do you support your colleagues?

We make sure we look after those new to the team, we’ve all been new to the job at some point! Anybody new to the team is normally buddied up with a more experienced person, who will sit with them and support through those first weeks, answering questions that they may have and offering advice – there is no such thing as a stupid question here.

Our teams are so supportive. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve been here five minutes or five years, we are always offering each other advice and sharing information updates with each other. And we’re also there to get each other through the shift, having a laugh in between calls – life would be tough if we didn’t do this. I have made some lifelong friends in this job, we really do look out for each other.

What would you say to anybody contemplating applying for a position in MetCC?

Ask yourself:

• Can you cope with bursts of adrenaline and then a bit of routine?
• Can you think on your feet?
• Can you work on your own but also make a great team player?
• Can you work some crazy shifts, but make it work for you?
• Can you keep your cool when the person on the other end of the line can’t?
• Do you want to help the public?

If you answered yes to most or all of that, then go for it. Seriously, this is the best career move I ever made. I love my job.

Jelena is a busy working mum, striking the balance between her shifts and being at home with her family. We asked Jelena how she does her juggling act, and how she’s managed to make working shifts work for her.

What’s a normal day like for you?

Well that depends ... Is it a working day or not? My family have a busy routine, so if I’m not working I’m normally doing the school run, shopping or cooking for my family.

If it’s a working day and I’m working an early shift, my husband will pick up the morning routine and I’ll take over in the evening, or if I’m working lates / nights, I’ll cover the morning and leave cooking the dinner to him.

You’ve asked me what my normal day is like, and I’ve talked about my home life rather than work, as this is my number one priority. Working in MetCC works for me, my husband and I work as a team around my shifts.

How do you make your shift patterns work for you?

Shortly after my first child was born, I was working full-time and we had childcare help for my son. When my second son was born, I made the decision to go part-time – my second child has a disability and we decided me being there with him was the right thing to do for us.

My husband also works in policing, I work on his rest days and vice versa. We don’t see each other as much as we would like to, but our arrangement saves us a lot of money in childcare costs and means that at least one of us is always at home when the kids are. The shift patterns I have now actually help my husband and I, as we can work up a schedule between us.

I do sometimes find the night shifts difficult as I don’t always get as much sleep as I’d like prior to the shift, but find me a mum with young kids who wouldn’t have that problem regardless of their job…

What did you do before joining MetCC? Did your background help you?

I used to be a fitness instructor and a manager within the local leisure centre. We held all sorts of functions on-site, weddings and birthday parties etc, so sometimes we saw a bit of trouble where people had too much to drink that needed assistance to break up. I got a sense of reality from that role, realising how situations can quickly escalate without warning, and having seen this first-hand does help me when talking to the person who’s trying to ask for help when things go bad.

What’s challenging about the role?

The hardest bit for me is trying to not get too attached or emotionally involved – I have a soft spot for anyone with kids or the elderly, it’s sometimes hard when you’re dealing with something that you can personally associate with. There are times when we all get a big lump in our throat or tears in your eyes, we’re human after all, but then you remember that the person on the end of the phone needs you to be at your best to help them, and the professionalism kicks in.

And what’s the best bit?

I know it will sound cheesy, but the best bit is that I get a feeling I’m doing good and helping people. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been here, you still get that feeling each and every day, knowing you’ve helped somebody who needs you.

Mike joined our team from the military. We asked him what this was like, and what advice he’d give to those contemplating the same move.

What were your first few weeks like?

Within the first couple of weeks we got used to our surroundings, meeting our trainers and getting to grips with the new systems we’d be using. Computers and typing had not really played a big role in my former life, but the trainers and the course itself were excellent so that really helped. If you don’t understand something, the trainers try their best to take different approaches as we all learn differently – they were really supportive of our different styles. The course itself is well structured, it’s like a grown-up Phase 2!

What were your new team like?

I’ll be honest, this was the part I was dreading as I didn’t know how I’d fit in with civilians. Once I joined, that fear quickly disappeared – yes we were all different, but we were part of a team, connected with each other and worked hard as a group. I loved the team spirit in the military and had a concern that this wouldn’t feel the same, but I was wrong. Yes, there are some differences between military and civilian life, but I found the transition very easy.

How did you find moving from the military to working for the Met?

Not as hard as I had heard from others who had got out, which I was relieved to realise. Some aspects are different, but the majority is still much the same - we work to a rank structure, we wear a uniform which must be clean and pressed, there’s lots that feels familiar. The biggest change for me was my pay – I now get paid for overtime, paid for working bank holidays, something I never had before.

What’s a normal day like for you?

This is the big plus for me – having a normal day. I wake up, have breakfast, work my shift and then I can go home. Once you’re here, no two days are the same as every person contacting us has a different reason for doing so, but there is still routine and for me, routine is good. I’m used to a level of tight management, and it’s no different here, but there’s no inspection, no parades, no shouting… all very simple and I like that.

What’s the best bit?

Hearing the sirens turning up at an address whilst I’ve got the caller on the line, knowing it was me that responded to that 999 call. Knowing that help has arrived for a victim of domestic violence, or talking down a vulnerable person contemplating suicide – we can keep people safe, and try to get them the help that they need.

Does your background help you?

Yes, definitely. As a Veteran, I know how to be calm under pressure and that makes a massive difference. I sometimes speak to people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and when I tell them I’ve come from the military, that seems to help – we have a connection and I can often understand where they’ve been and what they might have seen.

What advice would you give to somebody considering applying for a contact centre advisor position as a next step from the military?

Just do it, make the jump. Being in the military allows you to make a difference, and working here is no different. There’s a big, wide world waiting for those coming out of the military, and whilst many people I previously worked with wanted to tell me the grass wasn’t greener on the other side, sometimes it is… for me, they were wrong.

Sam works in our MetCC team, supporting new joiners as an on-the-job coach. We spoke to her about this role, to give you some insight into what your first days may be like.

How do you work with new starters to get them up and running within the team?

At the start of the coaching period, I will work very closely with our new team members, being on hand to provide assistance and feedback. I have to be immediately available, both to ensure the call is dealt with correctly, and to make certain our team members feel that they’ve got a safety net around them. The first few days of taking real calls can be a bit daunting, so it’s my job to make sure our team feel supported and that they’re learning in a safe environment.

If I joined the team, what could I expect on my first day of taking real calls?

You will take at least one live call on that first day, hopefully more. You would have somebody like me sat by your side, both to support during the calls themselves, but also to listen and hopefully reassure as to any worries you may have. I’d be on-hand for any questions you had, there’s no such thing as a silly question. You’ll have somebody listening in to your first few calls, offering ‘support on the side’ as you take the call itself, and then being able to offer feedback to you afterwards. It is absolutely normal and expected for you to be nervous on your first day, so we’re there to try and help you feel more comfortable.

What’s a normal day like for you?

At the start of each day, I sit with my students and set out a plan for the coming shift – what are we expecting (if we can ever predict this!), and what do we want to achieve? I’ll typically be sat next to or near the student, and depending on their level of experience / confidence, I may be listening in live to their calls as they’re coming through. This allows me to have a real sense of how they’re doing, giving praise or constructive feedback as necessary. As far as is possible, I give feedback after every call, and then at the end of the day provide a ‘daily wrap-up’ so we can see what went well and highlight where we may need to do a bit of work. These daily debriefs are really helpful for me and the student, as it gives a good opportunity to reflect on how the day has gone. Nobody is perfect from their first call, so it’s really important we take the time to discuss how things are going and praise when things are going well – that gives a real confidence boost when you may be feeling a little nervous.

What’s the best bit?

For me, watching my student progress through those first few weeks is absolutely the best bit. The training can be difficult at times, and it’s perfectly normal for our new team members to rely on their coaches during their first calls – but that’s what I’m there for. It gives me great satisfaction seeing somebody progress into being able to work on their own, and use their initiative to handle calls. I know I’ve helped them realise their potential, and for me, that’s job satisfaction.

What advice would you give to somebody considering applying for a contact centre advisor position with MetCC?

Expect to find yourself in a fast-paced and dynamic environment. The work can sometimes be difficult and pressure can be high, but the satisfaction you can get from knowing you’ve done your best to help a caller during what may be the worst time of their life, makes it all worthwhile.

Lucy joined the Met when she was 22 as a communications officer answering 999 emergency and 101 non-emergency calls. She now works as a development coach, helping people new to the role learn and become more confident. Here she shares some of her experiences and why she wanted to join the Met.

Why did you want to join the Met?

I was working in a 9-5 office job, but I wanted to change it up. Since school I’d been interested in working for the police. I wanted a job where I’d be speaking with people, in person or on the phone. I looked at the job description for being a communications officer – answering emergency and non-emergency calls and this felt like a good fit. I’d been working for a charity so wanted a job where I kept helping people.

What does your job involve?

My day consists entirely of taking calls, but that does mean when you leave work you leave, there’s no additional work to take home with you. When you log in you get notified as to whether you’ll be answering just 999 calls or whether it will be a mix of both 999 and 101 calls. It’s quite fast-paced, which takes a little time to get used to. It may sound repetitive but it really isn’t, every call is different.

We work shifts, mainly for 12 hours, with four breaks built in. That means the longest you’re on the phone for in one go is three hours. We work a mixture of nights and days and my shift pattern is four to five days on in a row. Then you get four to five days off! You’re on a team, where everyone has the same shift patterns and same leave patterns, so if you want to meet up socially outside of work it means that you’re all off at the same time.

What life experiences or skills do you think people can bring to the role?   

One of the most important skills is to be able to keep calm under pressure. You need to be compassionate, level-headed, a people person and have great communication skills. If you’ve had any kind of public facing role, like customer service in a supermarket or working in a call centre, you’d be able to bring over all the skills you’ve gained there.

What was it like taking your first call?

I was really shaking, but when it came through it was action stations and I knew I had to deal with it. It felt like every bit of knowledge flew out of my head. But, my coach was sitting right beside me so they could prompt me what to say if I got stuck. Everyone starts off feeling nervous and apprehensive, that’s really natural - but you feel reassured as your coach is sitting right next to you.

What training did you get?         

I started with a few weeks of training at Hendon, based in a classroom. I then moved to my new home centre and was paired with another student and a development coach. We’re based at Lambeth, Bow or Hendon. I started by listening to experience colleagues and my coach sat right next to me when I started to take calls solo. My coach guided me through everything for the first few weeks. After my initial training I’ve been to workshops to keep my knowledge up to date. Over time I became more independent, working at my own pace, and my coach moved further away from me when I became more confident. It’s a very intense training period, but I was really well prepared.  

What everyday support do you get?     

Support is always available if you need it and easy to find. When you start your coach is there to support you, then your line manager becomes a big support. Occupational health (to keep you well at work – is always available.  Plus, there’s supervisors and experienced colleagues who are always around to speak to if you have any questions or need some help.

What development do you get in your role?    

Everyone begins as being a first contact call handler, where you answer emergency and non-emergency calls. You can choose to stay doing that if you want to, but you can also become a despatcher. That’s where you liaise with officers to respond to the calls. You can move quite quickly into that area if it’s something you’re interested in. You can be promoted to be a supervisor or move into being a coach. There are also lots of opportunities to try different roles in different departments in the Met as well.

What do you love about your job?

I’ve had other jobs which I’ve found to be quite monotonous, but here it is different every day, as you’re never going to get the same calls every day. You work independently, but as a part of a wider team, and are trusted to get on with your work yourself. Everyone is treated the same, no matter their differences and everyone’s given the same opportunities.    

It’s really satisfying when you know that the police officers have got to the person in need and you’ve helped them. It’s nice when you think that someone has appreciated your help or advice. You try to make sure that their interaction with the police is the best it can be, at what can be the worst time of their life.

What would you say to someone considering joining the Met as a communications officer?

If you’re a good communicator and can handle pressure well then you’ll get an amazing reward from this job. It’s a very satisfying job and if you’re looking for a change then it’s the kind of job that you won’t get anywhere else. It’s also a career move, not just a job, as once you’re in there are so many opportunities.

Nick is a communications officer in the Met’s Control Centre. He decided to not go to university after school and went straight into working in a call centre. He now works as a coach training new communications officers and thinks he definitely made the right decision as he is still working in a call centre many years later!

Why did you want to join the Met as a communications officer?

I was looking to move to London and wanted a job where I could help people. I previously worked for the ambulance service, so I could bring over the skills I had learnt there.

What does being a communications officer involve?

You answer a mix of emergency and non-emergency calls. You risk assess each individual call and then decide what the best possible police response would be to help the person calling. There’s a range of calls that you receive so you have to judge what you think would be best. You’ll also have to signpost people to other services when it’s not necessarily a police response that they need. Some days you only answer emergency 999 calls, but other days you will also receive the non-emergency 101 calls, which adds a bit of variety.

What training did you initially do to become a communications officer?

You start off doing three weeks in the classroom where you learn about Met policies and how to categorise the calls. In the afternoon you’ll do some mock calls with coaches where you go through different examples and scenarios, so you get used to using the system and the different types of calls you’ll be receiving. You then go into the centre, where you are coached for another four to five weeks. You’ll be listening to real calls coming in and getting to answer calls yourself. If that all goes well, you’ll then be assigned a team where you’ll be working fully as a communications officer, but still have the support of your coach if you need it.

What support is there available when you first join the Met?

When you are assigned to a team you are also assigned a buddy who is on hand to assist you when you need it. They work the same shifts as you so they’re always around to offer support. Every centre has a wellbeing officer who is available to have a cup of tea with if you’ve had a bad call. They also bring around treats every so often! We also love it when Dexter, the wellbeing dog, comes in to visit us for a stroke. There is a 24 hour emergency number that you can ring for support and additional counselling can be sought through occupational health.

What development is there available for a communications officer?

After around a year, you’ll get trained up to be a dispatch officer, where instead of answering the 999 calls you make sure that officers can get to where they are needed. You can then decide whether you would like to move into that role or stay where you are. You can also move into being a supervisor or a coach. There are also regular opportunities to temporarily work in other departments to see if you’re interested in doing something different.

What does a typical day look like?

At the start of the day you read through any key updates that are shown on the system then you start answering calls. We usually work on 12 hour shifts, with four breaks throughout the day. You work four to five days on, then have a block of four to five days off. I much prefer it to typical 9-5 hours.

What life experiences or skills can someone bring to the role?

You’re dealing with people in high stress situations, so being able to remain calm is a must. You need to be a resilient person and be patient and understanding. There are many skills that you gain in customer services that you can bring to the role. People join from a wide range of different backgrounds and everyone brings something different to the role.

What was it like taking your first call?

It was very nerve-racking, but I had my coach sat right next to me to guide me through it. Once I had got the first one out of the way it made me feel more confident about being to take more on. You’re then excited to get on with it and learn more.

What do you love about your job?

Helping people, which is what brought me to the role. At the end of the day you can go home knowing that you’ve done a good job and helped someone when they most need it.

What would you say to someone considering joining the Met as a communications officer?

Give it a go! It can be challenging, but you get to work with a nice bunch of people who also want to help people.