after having children and trying self employment I am now thinking of my options and getting back into the workplace. I’ve been thinking about call handler jobs and I know my local police force did a recruitment drive last year but was wondering how often they would do other recruitment drives. I was also considering the ambulance service too. Does anyone have any experience of what this job is like and where the jobs would be advertised if they did come up. I’ve worked call centres before and feel that this role would be worthwhile and fulfilling. Thanks.

The Ambulance service have a current recruitment drive going on right now – full training package, overtime, etc.
Go for it!

Any ambulance service jobs would be advertised on the NHS jobs website.
If you’re applying for a job with an ambulance service, don’t call the control room a call centre, they get all upset about it 😆

I used to do this for the police. Where do you live? Feel free to drop me an email if you have any specific questions.

Done various jobs in call centres, last working for 111/ambulance service.

My advice? Don’t.

Busy, busy, busy. You’ll be surprised how few people will be taking emergency calls with you. Long shifts. Crap hours/shift patterns. Depressing. Detrimental to your health (physical and mental) crap money. Call after call where people’s lives are in your hands but you’ve not got time for a pee break. Dealing with general public who 99% are stupid. Abuse, not finding out if a patient you’ve helped has lived or not. Sat on the phone listening to the caller vomit/crap. Etc etc.

I left and got a job stacking shelves, that was great!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-33973298

Lol. From the above.

Paul Greatorex, senior control room manager, said staff had two half-hour breaks during a 12-hour shift and a number of “comfort breaks”.
He said: “This is where staff can leave the room at any time and make a cup of tea – we also have a quiet room, so if they’ve had a difficult call they can leave the room for 10 minutes.”

The genuinely don’t mean 10 minutes as a vague time period. They mean you can take a maximum of 10 mins to recover from a really stressful call.

Comfort break, means you can go to the loo.

They found a bedbug in one near where I live…

http://triblive.com/news/allegheny/8932611-74/county-center-bed#axzz3jHl5DKmm

Lol. From the above.

Paul Greatorex, senior control room manager, said staff had two half-hour breaks during a 12-hour shift and a number of “comfort breaks”.
He said: “This is where staff can leave the room at any time and make a cup of tea – we also have a quiet room, so if they’ve had a difficult call they can leave the room for 10 minutes.”
The genuinely don’t mean 10 minutes as a vague time period. They mean you can take a maximum of 10 mins to recover from a really stressful call.

Comfort break, means you can go to the loo.

What else would it be? Just chill out for a bit? I would expect the call handlers to be professionals.

Houns, I’m surprised that this is not what you expected. What did you think the job would be?

My ex boss has ended up working in our local 111 centre.

From the various calls and situations he’s spoken about, Houns’ description sounds 100% accurate.

I think I’d last about 3 mins myself.

I’ve spent a fair amount of time in control rooms, it’s a really stressful environment. Massive volume of calls, not a lot of staff and you’re working in a room that’s occupied 24/7.

The atmosphere was always better in the police control rooms than the ambo service ones. this was about 4 years ago, i can’t imagine that 4 years of Tory cuts have made them much more fun places to work.