Handling emergency calls with care, professionalism and adaptability
Overview
This Advanced emergency service contact handling apprenticeship standard will provide you with a level 3, qualification. This apprenticeship standard was approved on the 12/04/2018 and typically takes 12 months to complete. However, it is important to note that the duration of the apprenticeship standard stated does not include the End-Point Assessment period.
What the course covers
An Emergency Service contact handler responds to requests for professional assistance from service users, including members of the public and colleagues. The request from these service users could be received from a variety of communication methods, such as telephone (for example, the 999 emergency line or 111 non-urgent line), online applications, texts messages or via social media.
The service user may be directly or indirectly experiencing a traumatic, painful or distressing situation. An emergency service contact handler must deal with the situation calmly and professionally, acting quickly to decide on an appropriate response. The course of action taken must be done so following strict processes and procedures.
An emergency service contact handler will work for a ‘blue light’ organisation, such as the police, fire or ambulance service, or an integrated NHS urgent care organisation. You should expect to work a shift pattern and contribute to the provision of a 24 hour a day, 365 days a year service. This could include working night shifts, at the weekend or on bank holidays.
Careers and jobs associated
- Emergency call operative
- emergency call handler
- emergency medical dispatcher
Visit the emergency service contact handling apprenticeship standard, on the Institute for Apprenticeships site, to find further information on skills and knowledge learnt, assessment methods and more.
