Kent & Medway Mental Health Crisis Line Call Handler

Kent & Medway NHS & Social Care Partnership Trust

The closing date is 20 April 2025

Job summary

We are Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust (KMPT), providing mental health, learning disability and specialist services, serving 1.8 million people across the county.

Are you looking for a new and exciting opportunity? Are you an exceptional candidate who wants to be part of an innovative and evolving service?

The Kent & Medway Mental Health Crisis Line is expanding and it's an exciting time to join us. The service provides a mental health crisis line, offering urgent mental health help and support over the phone to members of the public who are not currently receiving care and treatment from KMPT services.It also provides a referral management function for professionals. This is a critical role within the organisation as the first point of contact for those contacting secondary mental health care.

The Crisis Line operates 24/7 and staff are required to work across a full roster period including early, late and night shifts. We are able to offer roles on both a full and part time basis.

The primary team base is at Eastern and Coastal Area Offices on the St Martins Hospital site in Canterbury. After an initial office-based induction period, there is some flexibility to work from home on an agile basis, for up to two shifts per week for full time staff.

Main duties of the job

As a call handler within our service, you will be the first person that callers speak to so excellent communication and customer service skills are essential. You will be responsible for undertaking initial screening of callers, using defined processes, to offer advice, reassurance or signposting. You will be supported by a qualified mental health clinician.

As a contact centre-based service, we utilise an online telephone system so applicants must be confident computer users. You will also be required to enter details into our clinical systems in a timely manner. All staff receive a comprehensive induction when they join the service, supporting you to develop skills appropriate to your new role.

About us

Come and work with us in the Garden of England where we combine exceptional professional development opportunities with a tremendous quality of life. We are Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust (KMPT), providing mental health, learning disability and specialist services, serving 1.8 million people across the county.

The Trust (rated Good overall by the CQC and Outstanding for care and effectiveness) has 3,283 staff working in 66 buildings across 33 locations, covering an area of 1,450 square miles. You will be joining friendly, passionate colleagues, rich in their diversity, who are committed to providing excellent care to our service users and their loved ones.

The nature of our work attracts kindness and compassion as standard and everyone from our cleaners and porters to the chief executive and chairman are recognised as playing a vital role in providing an exemplary service.

Date posted

04 April 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£24,071 to £25,674 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

380-WK0188-A

Job locations

Eastern & Coastal Area Offices, Canterbury

Littlebourne Road

Canterbury

CT1 1AZ

Job description

Job responsibilities

Applicants will hold 5x GCSE passes or equivalent, to include Maths and English and have an interest in working in mental health services. Main responsibilities of the role include:

Answering telephone calls in an efficient, courteous, professional and non-judgemental manner.
Acting as a point of contact for incoming referrals, communicating with all relevant personnel in the process.
Demonstrating the skills to professionally communicate information to service users and carers regarding personal, bio-psycho-social problems in an empathic and supportive way.
Ensuring all callers receive the correct response by following the appropriate service procedures.
Effectively managing callers expectations whilst providing correct and accurate information at all times.
Recording all data accurately and update the electronic patient record accordingly, ensuring consistency with Trust policy.
Working as part of a team to provide the service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week which will involve working unsocial hours and public holidays.
Identifying and developing skills, knowledge, information and accessing appropriate agreed training.

Please see job description for full details.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Applicants will hold 5x GCSE passes or equivalent, to include Maths and English and have an interest in working in mental health services. Main responsibilities of the role include:

Answering telephone calls in an efficient, courteous, professional and non-judgemental manner.
Acting as a point of contact for incoming referrals, communicating with all relevant personnel in the process.
Demonstrating the skills to professionally communicate information to service users and carers regarding personal, bio-psycho-social problems in an empathic and supportive way.
Ensuring all callers receive the correct response by following the appropriate service procedures.
Effectively managing callers expectations whilst providing correct and accurate information at all times.
Recording all data accurately and update the electronic patient record accordingly, ensuring consistency with Trust policy.
Working as part of a team to provide the service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week which will involve working unsocial hours and public holidays.
Identifying and developing skills, knowledge, information and accessing appropriate agreed training.

Please see job description for full details.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

GCSEs x 5 (Grade A-C) or equivalent
Level 3 Qualification (NVQ 3 or equivalent)

Desirable

ECDL

Skills

Essential

Computer Literate
Customer Care
Communication

Experience

Essential

Mental Health experience
NHS experience
Work with electronic systems

Desirable

Contact / call centre experience

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

GCSEs x 5 (Grade A-C) or equivalent
Level 3 Qualification (NVQ 3 or equivalent)

Desirable

ECDL

Skills

Essential

Computer Literate
Customer Care
Communication

Experience

Essential

Mental Health experience
NHS experience
Work with electronic systems

Desirable

Contact / call centre experience

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.