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West Midlands Police
West Midlands Police are responsible for law enforcement in the West Midlands.
About West Midlands Police, in their own words:
We have big ambitions for our future.
Together we’ve got a tough job, and some of our greatest achievements are the ones which never hit the headlines. It’s the peace that returns to a once troubled street, the criminal whose life we helped to turn around and the child who can sleep at night without fear of abuse.
Even though we’re the second largest police force in the UK, little things which make a difference happen every day in West Midlands Police. We achieve this thanks to a strong set of shared values that unite us all and because we know that everything we do has the potential to change people’s lives.
Mission Statement: We have big ambitions for our future. We all have a role to play delivering our strategy that is built on three key elements:
- Providing a service that works for local people
- Building engaged communities
- Being an employer of choice
Every single one of us knows that working for West Midlands Police is not just a job. We know that this work matters.
The best things about working at West Midlands Police
- 95% say their managers don’t change their shifts at short notice
- 94% say they get enough notice of their shifts
- 93% say they get paid a living wage
Featured by West Midlands Police, based on 171 employees who took the Breakroom Quiz
What West Midlands Police say
Perks of working at West Midlands Police from West Midlands Police
- 🏝️ Annual leave purchase scheme
- đź’° Generous pension scheme
- 🛟 Access to 24/7 employee assistance support – counselling, assessment and more for employees and their immediate family
- 🏠Police Mutual - access to affordable private healthcare, mortgage services and much more
- 🎟️ Blue light card membership eligibility
- đź’¸ Discounts on gym memberships, travel and leisure, homeware and tech
- 🚲 Cycle to work scheme
- đź‘ź Social clubs, sports clubs, and regional events
- 👶 Childcare Vouchers - save up to £900 a year
- 🤰 Enhanced Maternity and Paternity
Company values from West Midlands Police
Service – we put people first
- I act in the best interests of the people I serve
- I explain processes and decisions
- I put others before myself
Integrity – we always do the right thing
- I am authentic, genuine and consistent
- I tell the truth and I am trustworthy
- I show courage in doing what I believe to be right
Compassion – we see the person needing help
- I listen and keep an open mind and do not prejudge people or situations
- I am polite and respectful
- I am caring and show empathy
Professionalism – we lead by good example
- I actively seek feedback and take responsibility when I am wrong
- I always look for ways to improve my work
- I am open and transparent in my work
Equality, diversity and human rights – we treat everyone fairly
- I treat people fairly and impartially
- I respect the rights of all individuals
- I make people feel as though they belong
Featured roles from West Midlands Police
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Police Constable
No experience necessary
Police Officers play a vital role in ensuring that our communities are kept safe. Their working days are never the same; as they could be involved in a range of different jobs, such as making an arrest, supporting a domestic abuse victim, policing a major event or responding to 999 calls!
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Police Community Support Officer
No experience necessary
Providing a visible presence within their local communities, PCSO's are a crucial link between local neighbourhoods and the Police. Key parts of their role are to conduct patrols to help prevent crime, keep people safe from harm and increase community trust and confidence in the Police!
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Force Contact Centre Officer
No experience necessary
Ready to make a difference? As a 999 Emergency Call Handler you will be the first person giving people the help they need in their hour of need. That first phone call is where our service to the public begins, and our Call Handlers get the resource over the line to those in need.
What West Midlands Police employees say
171 West Midlands Police employees have taken the Breakroom Quiz and told us what it’s really like to work there. Here’s everything they have told us:
Breakroom Rating for West Midlands Police
Pay
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Good
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Most people are paid a living wage
Do West Midlands Police pay a living wage?
Most people are paid a living wage.
How we know this
93% of people say they are paid at or above the Real Living Wage for where they live.Based on data from 30 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between April 2024 and April 2025.
Why this matters
Everyone should be paid enough to live on.
The Real Living Wage is a voluntary rate employers can sign up to that is based on the real cost of living.
The current rates are ÂŁ12.60 per hour, and ÂŁ13.85 per hour in London.
Find out more in our explainer about the Real Living Wage.
Needs improving
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Most people are paid below market rates
Do West Midlands Police pay market rates?
Most people are paid less than average for their job.
How we know this
75% of people are paid below average for the type of work they do.Based on data from 61 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between February 2023 and February 2025.
Why this matters
Pay can vary a lot between types of job. Employers should be ensuring that the rates their staff are paid are in line with similar roles elsewhere.
Okay
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Only some people get paid breaks
Do workers at West Midlands Police get paid breaks?
Sometimes. Only some people get paid breaks.
How we know this
47% of people say they don’t get paid breaks.Based on data from 30 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between April 2024 and April 2025.
Why this matters
A good job should have paid breaks.
You should be paid for all your time at work, whether you’re on a break or not.
Good
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Most people get sick pay
Do West Midlands Police pay sick pay?
Yes. Most people get proper sick pay.
How we know this
90% of people say they would get paid if they were sick but scheduled to work.Based on data from 31 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between April 2024 and April 2025.
Why this matters
Everyone gets sick sometimes. You should be able to take time off without worrying.
At a good job you should still get paid if you’re scheduled to work but can’t due to sickness. Your contract should say how many sick days you can take each year.
This is more than the legal minimum, which says you should only get paid if you are unwell for 4 full days. See Citizens Advice for more details.
Okay
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Some people do unpaid extra work
Do workers at West Midlands Police do extra work that they don't get paid for?
Sometimes. Some people do unpaid extra work.
How we know this
44% of people report that they do extra work that they don’t get paid for.Based on data from 70 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between April 2023 and April 2025.
Why this matters
Everyone should get paid for any extra work they do, even if it is outside your contracted hours. At a good job, you should be paid for all the time you spend at work.
Hours and flexibility
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Good
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4+ weeks notice of shifts
How much notice do people get of their shift pattern at West Midlands Police?
Most people get 4 weeks notice of when they’re working.
How we know this
- 6% of people with changing schedules report getting one week notice or less.
- 0% of people with changing schedules report getting two weeks notice.
- 0% of people with changing schedules report getting three weeks notice.
- 94% of people with changing schedules report getting four weeks notice or more.
Based on data from 18 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between February 2023 and February 2025.
Why this matters
At a good job, you get plenty of notice about when you’re working.
This makes it easy for you to plan the rest of life, as well as your finances, because you know how much you’ll be working and when.
Needs improving
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Most people don’t get any choice of shifts
Do West Midlands Police workers get to choose the shifts they work?
Most people don’t get enough choice over which shifts they work.
How we know this
89% report that their manager doesn’t give them enough choice over which shifts they work.Based on data from 75 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between April 2023 and April 2025.
Why this matters
A good job is flexible around your personal life. This means you get a say in when you prefer to work.
Needs improving
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Hard to change shifts
How easy is it for West Midlands Police workers to change shifts?
Most people find it hard to change shifts.
How we know this
79% of people report that it’s hard to change shifts if they need to.Based on data from 52 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between March 2023 and February 2025.
Why this matters
A good job is flexible around your personal life. It should be easy to change a shift if you need to, whether that’s in an emergency or for planning ahead.
Okay
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Can be hard to book holiday
How easy is it to book a holiday at West Midlands Police?
Some people find it hard to book holiday.
How we know this
48% of people report it’s hard to book holidays.Based on data from 73 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between April 2023 and April 2025.
Why this matters
A good job should let you take time off when you need it, and it shouldn’t be a nightmare to arrange.
Good
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Shifts don’t get changed at short notice
Do West Midlands Police managers change shifts at short notice?
Most managers don’t change people’s shifts at short notice.
How we know this
95% of people say their manager doesn’t changes their shifts at the last minute.Based on data from 74 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between April 2023 and April 2025.
Why this matters
If your manager is often changing your shifts at short notice that’s a sign of poor planning. At a good job you won’t be messed around at the last minute.
Good
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Most people find it easy to take sick leave
How easy is it to take sick leave at West Midlands Police?
Most people find it easy to take sick leave.
How we know this
76% of people report that it’s easy to take time off if they are sick.Based on data from 80 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between April 2023 and April 2025.
Why this matters
Everyone gets sick sometimes. You should be able to take time off when you need to.
A good job should support you when you’re unwell and have systems in place that will allow you to take time off to recover when you need it.
Needs improving
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Most students say it’s bad
Is a West Midlands Police job good for students?
Most students say this is a bad place to work if you’re studying.
How we know this
70% of students report this isn’t a good place to work if you’re studying.Based on data from 27 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between January 2022 and November 2023.
Why this matters
A good job should allow you to fit work around important things in your life, like studying.
Life isn’t just about work. Good jobs make space for you to do well in both.
Needs improving
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Most parents say it’s bad
Is working at West Midlands Police good if you’re a parent or carer?
Most parents and carer say this is a bad place to work.
How we know this
69% of people who care for a child or other relative report this isn’t a good place to work.Based on data from 16 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between May 2023 and April 2025.
Why this matters
Whether it’s looking after children or caring for a relative, a good job should support your responsibilities outside of work.
Workplace
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Good
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Most people feel treated with respect
Do people at West Midlands Police feel treated with respect by their managers?
Most people feel treated with respect by their managers.
How we know this
68% of people say they’re treated with respect by their managers.Based on data from 31 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between April 2024 and April 2025.
Why this matters
Everyone should get treated with respect by their managers. You shouldn’t feel discriminated against or bullied, and if you have a problem you should be able to speak to someone about it.
Okay
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Only some people get proper breaks
Do people at West Midlands Police get proper breaks?
Some people don’t get proper breaks.
How we know this
56% of people report that they don’t get to take proper breaks.Based on data from 82 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between April 2023 and April 2025.
Why this matters
When you take a break it should be a proper rest. It should last the full duration and you shouldn’t get pulled off it.
Needs improving
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Most people are stressed
Is it stressful to work at West Midlands Police?
Most people feel stressed here.
How we know this
77% of people say they often feel stressed at work.Based on data from 81 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between April 2023 and April 2025.
Why this matters
Work isn’t always easy, but if you’re frequently feel stressed, that’s not good.
Your employer should support you with enough people and resources to get your job done without feeling overwhelmed.
Good
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Most people enjoy their job
Do people at West Midlands Police enjoy their jobs?
Most people enjoy their job.
How we know this
74% of people report they enjoy their job.Based on data from 70 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between May 2023 and April 2025.
Okay
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Only some people recommend their team
Do people at West Midlands Police recommend working with their team?
Only some people recommend working with their team.
How we know this
35% of people report that they wouldn’t recommend working with their immediate team to a friend.Based on data from 31 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between April 2024 and April 2025.
Why this matters
A good job means enjoying the place where you work.
The people you work with every day really matter. They can be the difference between a terrible day and a great one.
If you’d recommend your team to a friend, this shows that something’s going right.
Good
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Most people get enough training
Do people get enough training when they start at West Midlands Police?
Most people got enough training when they started.
How we know this
84% of people report they got enough training when they started working here.Based on data from 31 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between April 2024 and April 2025.
Why this matters
A good job should give you good training when you start, not just drop you in at the deep end.
This means that you’ll be happier and more productive from day one and shows that your employer values you.
It’s also very important if your job involves anything that could be dangerous. Good training from the outset keeps you and your team safe.
Okay
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Only some people get support to progress
Are people given support to progress at West Midlands Police?
Only some people are given support to progress here.
How we know this
In the last year, 42% of people report not being given an opportunity to get better at their job, learn a new skill, learn to manage a team or get more responsibility in their role.Based on data from 74 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between April 2023 and April 2025.
Why this matters
A good job should help you progress at work, if you want to. That might be supporting you to get better at the job you currently have, learn something new, manage a team or take on more responsibilities.
This means you’ll be able to build on your skills and experience, and earn more money.
Needs improving
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Head office doesn’t understand what’s happening
Do people think West Midlands Police head office understands what's happening where they work?
Most people think head office doesn’t understand what’s happening where they work.
How we know this
85% of people think that this employer’s head office or owners don’t have a good understanding of what’s really happening where they work.Based on data from 81 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between April 2023 and April 2025.
Why this matters
At a good job, the role of head office should be to support the people on the frontline serving customers.
To do that properly, the company’s owners or head office need to have a good understanding of what’s really happening on the frontline. This is especially important when a company owns multiple locations.
Okay
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Only some people feel well informed by head office
Do workers feel well informed about how West Midlands Police is doing?
Only some people feel well informed about how the company is doing.
How we know this
39% of people feel that they aren’t kept well informed about how the company is doing as a whole.Based on data from 79 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between April 2023 and April 2025.
Why this matters
At a good job, there should be a supportive relationship between the people working on the frontline serving customers and the people who own the company or work in head office.
You should be kept informed about how the company is doing as a whole, both in good times and when things get tough for the business.
West Midlands Police job reviews
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Best thing
Flexible working, lots of different areas to specialise in. Very memorable deployments
Worst thing
Potential for mental trauma, antisocial working
Police sergeant at West Midlands Police, October 2024
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Best thing
Team bonding and jokes
Worst thing
Constant criticism from senior management who have no grip of reality
Police constable at West Midlands Police, May 2023
More about police forces
West Midlands Police ranks joint 8th to work for out of police forces.
- 8= Hertfordshire Constabulary
- 8= West Midlands Police
- 8= Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary
Rankings are based on Breakroom Ratings for employers with 5 or more Breakroom Quiz responses, accurate as of 23 April 2025.