Job Advert
Location: Lauriston Building, Edinburgh and St John’s Hospital, Livingston
Hours: Full and part time hours available. The service operates 24 hours a day 7 days a week, including Public Holidays. Staff work a mix of shifts in an 8 week shift rotation.
Placement on salary scale is dependent on confirmation of previous relevant NHS service. Shift Enhancements will be applied for out of hours, weekend and public holidays.
NHS Scotland is committed to encouraging equality and diversity among our workforce and eliminating unlawful discrimination. The aim is for our workforce to be truly representative and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. To this end, NHS Scotland welcomes applications from all sections of society.
**Please note we anticipate a high level of interest in this position and may close the vacancy early once a sufficient amount of applications are received. Therefore, please make sure you complete and submit your application at an early stage**
For part-time hours, the salary will be pro-rata.
The successful candidate will be joining the NHS Lothian Switchboard Team assisting in the provision of a high quality and comprehensive Switchboard Service to support NHS Lothian.
Working as a Snr Call Handler, supporting a 24/7 service applicants need to be able to work flexibly. Rosters are published at least 8 weeks in advance of shift pattern changes, however there may be a requirement for short notice changes due to service gaps for periods of staff absence. Changes in shift patterns will be discussed with staff ahead of any changes being made.
You must be able to listen sensitively and communicate clearly and accurately. Patients you speak to may be anxious or upset and they will rely on you to instill confidence with your enthusiastic, focused and professional approach to every call.
The post holder will be expected to have excellent communication skills, consistent attention to detail along with excellent customer service skills. The ability to listen and question callers to get the right information is key to the role.
Other useful abilities include the ability to follow instructions and procedures and the ability to remain calm during a challenging situation.
The post holder will need to be able to maintain concentration and accuracy in what can often be an intense, complex and sometimes challenging environment. Often dealing with frustrated and upset people who are looking for a service that they are not familiar with or a loved one who has been admitted to hospital.
Benefits: As an NHS Lothian employee on a 7day shift pattern, you will be entitled to:
- 35 days annual leave (rising to 41) pro-rata (New to service is 27days annual leave plus 8 days Public Holiday which is lumped into your annual leave allocation)
- enhanced pay for working during out of hours periods
- enrolment into the Scottish Public Pensions Agency (SPPA) pension scheme
- NHS discounts on goods and services
Before applying applicants should ensure they carefully read the role requirements and meet the essential criteria in the Job Specification document
Please read the attached Job Pack for further information and details on expected timelines for the recruitment process
For further information on what is included in the role and what skills/experience are being looked for, click on the links at the bottom of the screen to the job description and person specification. If after reading this information you have any questions please contact Marie Bell on 0131 441 8587 or email marie.bell@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk or Julie Denholm, Telecommunications Service Manager on 07971 080918 or email julie.denholm@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk