Description PLEASE NOTE - To be eligible to apply for this role you need to be a current serving substantive Police Officer. If you are not a current serving Officer and would like to start your career in Policing, please check our Careers website for all of our Policing entry routes. - Once you have completed your Probationary period you will be eligible to apply for all other PC roles within the Force (e.g. Dog Handler). Hours - 40 hours - 6 on 4 off shift pattern Location - Canley/Wednesbury/Park Lane Are you a Police Dog handler? Are you ready for a new challenge? We are looking for Police Constable Dog Handlers to join us at West Midlands Police, providing a proactive and reactive assistance in support of all operational officers and specialist departments with appropriate use of police dogs. This can include locating and retrieving evidence or offenders, controlling potential and actual disturbances, and enhancing officer and public safety. Key Responsibilities Respond promptly to requests for a police dog, supplying professional expertise and tactical advice and operational support to front line officers. Conduct searches using general purpose and specialist dogs in support of local officers; to expedite the location of missing persons and arrest of offenders and to support the containment of dangerous dogs out of control, including inter-family dog attacks and cases on private property to protect public safety. Conduct directed patrols in response to local priorities and in support of divisional and area officers, to detect and prevent crime. Support front line officers in the capture and control of dogs on premises to enable a safe working environment when conducting search warrants or interventions into premises. Provide a source of specialist advice to operational policing units on the deployment of dogs, to contribute to the development of appropriate strategies and tactical plans in support of front-line initiatives. Promote and deliver educational talks and displays to colleagues and members of the public; to acquaint them with the roles and skills of police dogs, and to support the development of positive relationships between the police and public. Undertake the proper care, training and handling of general purpose and specialist police dogs; to ensure the health, wellbeing and operational effectiveness of the dog(s) All roles are expected to know, understand and act within the ethics and values of the Police Service. Prior education and experience Competed initial training and probationary period. Meet Force specific fitness requirements for role on application (level 6.4 bleep test). Be a current licensed general purpose police dog handler. Hold standard or advanced driving grade Essential Skills Good team working skills demonstrating awareness of individual differences, and a proactive approach to relationship development with colleagues and stakeholders. Good communication skills with the ability to set out logical arguments clearly, adapting language, form and message to meet the needs of different people and audiences in diverse situations. Able to produce concise reports or other documents. Demonstrate experience of using effective communication skills with members of the public, particularly in confrontational situations. Problem solving skills with the ability to identify cause and effect and develop a course of action designed to target root causes as well mitigate effects. Desirable Skills LSO ticke Essential for the role Be a current licensed general-purpose dog handler. A secure garden - big enough to house a kennel and exercise space. Access to a suitable vehicle to transport dog/s. Able to identify, analyse and manage risk to inform balanced, proportionate, evidence-based decisions. Good time management skills with the ability to organise and prioritise. Able to use standard IT packages, systems and/or databases to fulfil role requirements. Able to review own performance objectively and take steps to make improvements. Professional Registration/Licences NPCC General Purpose Licence NPCC Licence for Specialist Dogs Contact For further information please contact Inspector Leanne Chapman 07391019029 West Midlands Police reserve the right to close applications earlier than the date advertised. About Us West Midlands Police is England’s second largest police force. Together we serve the 2.9 million people who call the region home - one of the youngest and most diverse populations in Europe. The shared vision of our 12,500 officers, staff and volunteers is to be recognised as a police service that is big enough to cope with everything that is asked of us, while showing we are small enough to care about the things that really matter to people. This vision is built on three strategic priorities: A service that works for local people Engaged communities Employer of choice We will achieve each of these goals to enable us fulfil our mission of working in partnership, making communities safer. These are the values which guide all of our actions and decision making: Service – we put people first Integrity – we always do the right thing Compassion – we see the person needing help Professionalism – we lead by good example Equality, Diversity and Human Rights – we treat everyone fairly West Midlands Police is a Disability Confident Leader - the highest level an organisation can achieve under the scheme run by the Department of Work and Pensions. We operate a Disability Confident Interview Scheme. All candidates who share with us that they are disabled and meet the essential criteria for the role will be offered an interview. There may be times we cannot interview all disabled people who meet the essential criteria for the job. For example, seasonal and high-peak times. In these situations, we may limit the number of interviews offered to disabled and non-disabled people. In these circumstances, we will select the candidates who best meet the essential criteria for the job.