SPOC Telephone Advisor
Job summary
Could you use your skills and experience to support the Luton Adults Single Point of Contact to promote great care?
Are you enthusiastic, organised and adaptable?
Would you enjoy the opportunity to work as part of a small proactive team?
We have an exciting opportunity to expand our team of Single Point of Contact/RMS Telephone Advisors within the Referral Management Service (RMS). If you are enthusiastic, motivated and have excellent communication skills we would like to hear from you.
The SPOC/RMS is staffed by qualified clinicians who are supported by SPOC/RMS Telephone Advisors with the skills necessary to determine the most effective pathway for delivery of patient care in a timely manner. The post holder will work closely with the clinicians processing referrals, answering a variety of telephone calls and utilising strong initiative skills to provide excellent administration support throughout the shift.
Whilst this rewarding non-clinical role can be fast paced and challenging, full support and training will be provided and the Trust is committed to staff development.
The service works 365 days per year including weekends and bank holidays from 8am-9pm. We are looking for flexible staff that are able to cover shifts on a rota basis.
Main duties of the job
'Should we receive a high number of applications we reserve the right to close this vacancy at any point after 08/10/ 2026'.
The post holder will manage all incoming communications including telephone, email or letter and/or any other forms of communication. The post holder will use information systems to establish the urgent status of potential new referrals.
The post holder will manage day to day enquiries and requests for information. The post holder will work to agreed pathways and protocols to support Community Nursing and Specialist teams.
Shift patterns 08:00 - 16:00, 09:00 - 17:00, 13:00 -21:00
About us
Rated 'Outstanding' by the Care Quality Commission, we are proud to provide high quality innovative services across most of the east of England that enable people to receive care closer to home and live healthier lives.
There's one reason why our services are outstanding - and that's our amazing staff who, for the seventh year running, rated us incredibly highly in the national staff survey.
If you share our passion for innovative and high-quality care delivery, then please submit your application and join us on our exciting journey as a leading-edge specialist community provider. All are welcome to apply and our promise to you is a culture which prioritises staff engagement and development.
Please be aware that East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust will never ask applicants to pay fees at any stage of the recruitment process, including job applications, sponsorship arrangements, or employment offers. All recruitment communications and job applications should only be made through our official careers website and published contact details.
If you receive a suspicious job offer or recruitment-related communication, do not make any payments, share personal information, or provide identity documents. We encourage you to report the matter to your local police or relevant law enforcement agency. Any concerns relating to potential recruitment fraud should also be reported to our Local Counter Fraud Specialist (LCFS) as soon as possible.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Provide an initial point of contact by telephone or email for patients, carers and referrers to Luton Community services including community nursing, end of life care (EOLC) and urgent response services.
To answer all incoming telephone calls, complete an initial screening and direct them to appropriate clinician/practitioner across the organisation
Will be responsible for inputting and uploading new referrals onto System one,completing triage templates to ensure all relevant information is obtained and adding to the correct Caseload.
Liaise with Clinicians and communicate appropriate referrals to the adult clinical services including Community Nursing staff providing home visits and urgent response services
Work with other healthcare providers and agencies to support hospital admission avoidance plus timely and safe discharge of patients to the community setting.
To complete accurate patient records to ensure continuity of careand enter appropriate minimum data set on Customer Relationship Management System/electronic patient records, using effective questioning skills and respecting patient confidentiality, working within Trust protocols and legislative requirements.
To contribute to the continuous improvement and development of the service provision
Ability to work autonomously and as part of a teamto establish priorities and proceed with objectives with minimal supervision.
The Single Point of Access is a 24 hour a day, 365 days a year service that is covered by an specific out of hours nursing team each evening/night between the hours of 9pm until 8am. SPOC telephone Advisers will be expected to work a shift pattern to cover the service between the hours of 8am and 9pm.
Person Specification
Qualifications and Training
- Good level of education equivalent of NVQ Level 3 or above
- Training in telephone call handling/ triage within health care setting
Experience
- Knowledge and experience of working within a health care setting
- Telephone call handling within a health care setting
- Regular requirement for concentration
- Regular requirement to deal with distressing or emotionally charged communication
- Experience of Referral Management & prioritization using agreed protocols within health care setting
- Telephone triage within health care setting- e.g. NHS Direct, 111, GP Out of Hours, GP Practice, Ambulance Service
Knowledge and Skills
- Excellent accurate keyboard skills
- Excellent telephone skills and manner
- Proficient in use of computerised patient electronic record systems.
- Proficient in the use of IT systems e.g. Word, Excel to a high standard
- The ability to organise and prioritise own workload within an agreed schedule of work and to work under pressure and within agreed timescales
- Ability to work flexibly as part of a team
- Display the ability to exercise initiative, tact and judgement and be able to make decisions within agreed parameters when required to do so
- Ability to communicate effectively when under pressure
- Good customer care skills
- Positive attitude and approach to responding to all queries and contacts in a helpful manner
- Ability to analyse information quickly and effectively, thereby ensuring correct pathway is chosen
- Using SystmOne (S1) A/I
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants.
Employer details
Employer name
East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust (Cambridge)
Address
The Poynt
Poynters Road
Luton
LU4 0LA
United Kingdom
Employer's website
https://www.eastofenglandcommunityhealthandcare.nhs.uk/