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Remote Working Support Line Officer

  • Location:

    Penarth

  • Sector:

    Contact Centre

  • Job type:

    Contract

  • Salary:

    Up to £17300 per annum

  • Contact:

    Brook Street Birmingham Office

  • Contact email:

    birmingham.branch@brookstreet.co.uk

  • Job ref:

    BMH_1655721604

  • Published:

    almost 2 years ago

  • Expiry date:

    1/08/2022

  • Startdate:

    ASAP

Job Description

THE ROLE

We have an exciting opportunity to join our client's team as a Remote Working Support Line Officer, working within the Information and Support service. The I&S service is a frontline public facing national service, available universally at no cost to service users. It is also one of the only aspects of the organisation that can be utilised without a referral from a health professional. The Support Line Officer is responsible for answering enquiries by phone, live web chat, social media, and email. You will answer enquiries from people with a terminal illness (from pre-diagnosis to end of life) or their family members, carers and friends, providing a listening ear, support and information. Enquiries can range from practical questions about care or entitlement to financial support, to emotional conversations regarding isolation and grief. You will use the organisations Information and Support services and other trusted sources (predominantly online) to research and answer questions, discover information and signpost enquirers to the right service or organisation if you are unable to help.

The Support Line is a well-known and heavily advertised telephone number. You will work with local service coordinators and teams as necessary to help answer a specific enquiry, as well as enabling people to access the Peer Support services (bereavement and befriending) by explaining the process and completing relevant referrals.

Support Line Officers are not counsellors and not medically trained, but you will be working alongside experienced palliative care nurses who can support with specific enquiries as needed.

You will work be working within a small team of other Support Line Officers on a rota basis to cover the opening hours of the Support Line, and report to the Support Line Team Leader.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES/DUTIES

  • To deliver high quality information and support to the public. Helping those with, or affected by, terminal illness (including carers), and meeting agreed service and individual performance measures
  • Provide professional, accurate and compassionate support and information about terminal illness and related topics to enquirers through a range of channels including telephone, web chat and social media
  • Respond sensitively, using empathy, active listening and other helpline techniques, to enquirers who may be in distress
  • Research and provide relevant information from reliable, evidence-based sources, including publications and trusted websites to provide high quality responses to enquiries
  • Calmly and appropriately manage enquiries about suicidal ideation and safeguarding, following organisational procedures and policies
  • Complete welfare benefits calculations where appropriate for enquirers
  • Signpost enquirers to alternative sources of information and support where necessary
  • To work with minimum supervision, as part of a team, to prioritise and manage own workload
  • To work closely with colleagues in the Nursing service to enable them to provide clinical responses to enquiries received from the public
  • Support the department's focus on bereavement support by discussing relevant options of support with the public, and assisting with the referral of relevant callers to the Information & Support (I&S) telephone bereavement service
  • Enable people to access I&S Peer Support services (bereavement and befriending) by discussing with appropriate enquirers, and completing a referral to the relevant service
  • Provide information and guidance to I&S volunteers as required

PERSON SPECIFICATION

  • You will have excellent communication skills and a genuine interest in helping others
  • Ideally you will come from a charity or healthcare Help/Support Line background, or have demonstrable customer service experience from another industry (such as a contact centre)
  • You will know how to deliver an excellent customer experience and use your skills to adapt to challenging situations and conversations, regularly utilising advanced listening and questioning skills
  • You will be patient and resilient and be able to demonstrate how you have used empathy and research skills in previous roles
  • Experience of working in a busy call handling customer service setting and/or emotional support helpline setting
  • Experience of answering telephone and written enquiries
  • Experience in complaint handling and difficult conversations
  • Comfortable with using a range of software (including Microsoft Office and Teams) and multitasking between systems

SALARY AND WORKING HOURS

  • £17,300 salary
  • 35 hours per week across 5 days
  • Opening times: Monday - Friday 8am - 6pm, and Saturday 11am - 5pm
  • Working with colleagues on a rotation to cover the hours (e.g. 8am - 4pm one week, or 10am - 6pm etc)
  • An average of 1-2 Saturdays in per month
  • 12-month fixed term contract (possibly made permanent)

BENEFITS

  • Remote working
  • Continued access to NHS Pension Scheme (subject to eligibility)
  • Company Pension Scheme
  • Season ticket loan
  • Loan schemes for bikes; computers and satellite navigation systems
  • Continuous development
  • Industry leading training programmes
  • Employee Assistance Programme
  • Flexible Working
  • 25 days annual leave, excluding bank holidays

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