Welfare support officer: Control room

There are a variety of roles performed by staff in the police control room / call centre.

Call handlers

Handle 999 calls and 101 calls from members of the public. They also answer emergency and non-emergency calls from CCTV, fire service, ambulance, coastguard and alarm monitoring companies.

Occurrence management

This role involves linking individuals to information, creating a spiders web of who is linked to telephone numbers, addresses, vehicles or other people. They ensure data quality standards and minimise duplicate records. If duplicate records are on a system then warning markers such as weapons, domestic abuse victim can be missed. They must comply with crime recording standards: A crime is to be recorded at first point of contact regardless of whether there is a suspect, whether it’s a G1/G5 etc.

Radio dispatcher

Manage incidents on their sector, prioritising attendance, allocation of officers and updating logs.

Dispatch buddy

They allocate officers to G1 incidents and follow up functions to assist a pool of dispatchers.

Social media 

Some forces may have individuals replying to social media queries within their control room. They tend to work alongside their force press office and communications team.

When the call is then transferred to the police force over the phone it will be answered in the following way by a PSC operator:

[Force] Police, what is your emergency?

The PSC call handling staff will ask you to explain what is going on. They will want to know the following:

Summarise the reason for your call (What is the reason for you making contact now?):

• Introduction: State that you are a WSO and what has prompted you to be concerned about the individual whom you are supporting. 
• Offer brief details about the reason for a WSO being assigned.

The location of the incident (Where do police officers need to go?):

• What is the location of the staff member needing to be safeguarded (if known)? 
• If unknown then what is the address where they reside or the location where they were last known to be at to start their enquiries.

The actual incident (What's happening or happened/details of people/vehicles involved):

• What has happened today? 
• What have you been told/sent/heard/seen?
• What details do you have about the individual you are supporting?

Reporting persons details:

• Who are you?
• Your name, DOB, address, contact telephone number and force number.
• Is this the best way to get hold of you if we need to call you back, update you, come and get you? 

Any other important information: 

• Do you have any other information that may be relevant?
• Do you have details of any vehicles or other addresses that may be of interest?
• Any comments made in recent history? (About people, places).
• Other information which could be of relevance (Next of kin, friends details).

A THRiVE+ assessment will be carried out in conjunction with the National Decision making model. The assessment is broken down into six sections:

1. Threat: A communicated or perceived intent to harm or loss on another person
2. Harm: To do or cause harm eg] to injure, damage or hurt – physically or psychologically
3. Risk: The likelihood of the event occurring
4. Investigation: Is the act or process of examining the crime, problem or situation and considering what action is 
5. Vulnerability: Is defined for the process of Inc management as a “Person is vulnerable if a result of their situation or circumstances they are unable to take care or protect themselves, or others from harm or exploitation”
6. Engagement: Is where organisation and individuals build a positive relationships for the benefit of others

With someone in a mental health crisis we should identify that:

“There is a strong belief that there is the intention by a vulnerable individual to cause harm to themselves or others.”
 

All call are graded on their level of severity.

G1 (15 minutes) 

Anyone who can be reasonably assessed as experiencing harm or subject to the imminent risk of harm and requires an immediate response from the police or support from partner agencies to prevent or reduce the harm or threat posed. We should arrive on scene as soon as possible and within 15 minutes of receiving the call.

G2 (1 hour)

Anyone who can be assessed as vulnerable or at risk of harm and requires a priority response from the police or support from partner agencies to prevent or reduce the harm or threat posed. We should arrive on scene as soon as possible and within 60 minutes of receiving the call.

G3 (8 hours)

Anyone who can be reasonably assessed as requiring a non-priority response from the police or support from partner agencies to prevent or reduce the harm or threat posed. We should arrive on scene as soon as possible and within 8 hours of receiving the call.

G4 (24-48 hours)

Any other ‘non-emergency’ incident where the response time is not critical and/or the matter is service orientated and a more effective response can be delivered by appropriate resources at a time convenient for the caller and within 24-48 hrs of the call. Investigating officers should make contact to commence the investigation within 24-48 hrs.

G5 (Finalised at first point of contact)

Any call resolved at first point of contact.

When there is a strong belief that there is the intention by a vulnerable individual to cause harm to themselves or others we would be looking for a grading of a G1. Without that strong belief that there is the intention by a vulnerable individual to cause harm to themselves or other we would be looking for a grading of a G2.
 

Welfare support officer contents

• What is a welfare support officer and how to get one in your force
• Your role as a welfare support officer
• Professional standards
• Independent Office for Police Conduct  (IOPC) 
• Support from the unions
• Force control room
• How to communicate well
• Counselling 
• Signposting