JOB DESCRIPTION. Standards and Compliance. Call Centres - Wakefield, York and Rotherham

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1 JOB DESCRIPTION Position/Title: Call Handler NHS 111 Band: Band 3 Directorate/Department: Location: Standards and Compliance Call Centres - Wakefield, York and Rotherham Accountable To: Team Leader NHS 111 Responsible For: General Summary: Page 1 of 5 No management responsibility but may be requested to advise trainees or temporary agency staff As a call taker for the NHS 111 service you will be the first point of contact of communication with patients, patients relatives, healthcare professionals and other callers. Using NHS Pathways to record patients demographics and basic clinical information you will assess are their condition and ensure they are directed to the most appropriate healthcare professional or end disposition. You will contribute to the overall delivery of an end to end service for patients calling 111 in West Yorkshire and Craven. You will provide assessment, basic advice, and health information to patients calling 111, supporting them to access the appropriate level of care including advice to manage their symptoms at home. Structure: Duty Managers NHS 111 Team Leaders NHS 111 Call Handler NHS 111 Core Responsibilities: To deliver high quality, safe and clinically effective health care over the telephone using clinical decision system NHS Pathways. To support patients manage their own condition at home, where clinically appropriate. To recognise and work within scope of competence seeking support where appropriate. To use professional judgement at all times, and with the support of clinical assessment software, provide skilled and effective assessment of patients presenting clinical need, through telephone consultation. To liaise effectively between caller and third party in critical situations/areas of concern eg child abuse, where information is not consistent or may be disputed. To keep immediate and accurate records of service user enquiries to NHS 111 during the consultation. To identify and use information sources to support and underpin the clinical-decision software NHS Pathways. To demonstrate the ability to remain focussed on service delivery whilst dealing with an unpredictable, diverse and challenging workload. To maintain a healthy and safe working environment for self and colleagues. To maintain a working knowledge of emergency procedures and escalate issues affecting service delivery as necessary.

2 Core Responsibilities (Cont) Page 2 of 5 To ensure that every patient contact is conducted appropriately with an emphasis on the provision of clear, evidence based advice and signposting to an appropriate service. To use advanced listening, probing and facilitative skills across a wide range of calls, some of which can be highly challenging due to emotive circumstances or caller aggression. To use complex communication skills to negotiate (using language support services as necessary). To provide support to callers who may be non-compliant with recommended outcomes, emotive, hostile and or antagonistic, using persuasive and negotiating skills. To inform a Team Leader of any factors affecting delivery of service as soon as they arise. To participate in the continuous quality improvement audit process to develop individual performance and achieve against delivery targets. To contribute to development initiatives within the NHS 111 service. To actively communicate with fellow NHS 111 staff to assist service delivery. To reflect the diversity of needs in the local healthcare community by utilising all available resources to facilitate access to the NHS 111 service where there are barriers to communication and understanding. To take responsibility for own personal development requirements and to meet individual educational and development needs in line with service requirements. To participate in an annual personal development review (PDR) and with line manager identify areas of professional development in order to meet service and personal objectives. To maintain an up to date awareness of current policies and utilise acquired skills in mental health, child protection, medication enquiries and all other aspects of general healthcare. To undertake alternative roles (with appropriate training and support) within the wider Trust in a business continuity situation. To meet daily key performance indicators (KPIs) and targets. Governance To support the organisation to act safely and responsibly in relation to staff, patients, and the communities in which they work. To ensure that the law in key areas such as health and safety, employment, finance and Information Governance is complied with in your work area. To work within specific regulations such as governance arrangements and ethical frameworks for the NHS and, ensure that staff comply with all relevant regulations. To ensure incidents are reported through the Trusts reporting system for corrective action and continuous development. To foster a fair and just culture where staff learn from incidents and are willing to report both incidents and near misses. Key Relationships Patients and service users Local Care Direct Other urgent care providers Social Services Voluntary Services NHS 111 Managers and staff Other NHS 111 providers All departments with YAS

3 Additional This job description is not intended to be exhaustive and it is likely that duties may be altered from time to time in the light of changing circumstances, in discussion with the post-holder. Confidentiality / Data Protection / Freedom of Information Page 3 of 5 Because of the nature of the work, this post is exempt from the provision (42) of the rehabilitation of offenders act 1974 (Exemptions) order The post holder will therefore be required to apply for CRB Disclosure. Individuals (including volunteers, contractors and temporary workers) must maintain the confidentiality of information about patients, staff and other health service business in accordance with the Data Protection Act1998. Individuals must not, without prior permission, disclose any information regarding patients or staff regardless of the media on which information is held. If any individual has communicated any such information to an unauthorised person that individual(s) could be liable for disciplinary action which could result in dismissal. Moreover, the Data Protection Act 1998 and Common Law Duty of Confidentiality also renders an individual liable for prosecution in the event of unauthorised disclosure of information. Following the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) 2005, individuals must apply the Trust s FOI procedure. If an individual receives a written request for information it must be promptly sent to FOI@yas.nhs.uk In addition managers have specific responsibilities to ensure that their staff maintain the confidentiality and security of all information that is dealt with in the course of performing their duties is in accordance with the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998, Common Law Duty of Confidentiality and the principles of Caldicott. Managers should also ensure that their staff are aware of their obligations under legislation such as the Freedom of Information Act 2000; Computer Misuse Act 1990, and that staff are updated with any changes or additions relevant to legislation and how that might impact in carrying out their role. Equal Opportunities The Trust recognises the need for a diverse workforce and is committed to Equal Opportunities in employment and seeks to eliminate unlawful racial, sexual or disability discrimination, to promote equality of opportunity and good relations between staff and clients of differing groups. Individuals (including volunteers, contractors and temporary workers) must at all times fulfil their responsibilities with regard to the Trust s Equal Opportunities Policy and equality laws. Similarly all individuals have a responsibility to highlight any potentially discriminatory practice to their line manager, human resources department or trade union/professional associations. Health and Safety All individuals have a responsibility, under the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) and subsequently published regulations, to ensure that the Trust s health and safety policies and procedures are complied with to maintain a safe working environment for patients, visitors and employees. All staff have a duty to protect their own health and safety and that of others persons who may be affected by their acts or omissions. In addition managers have specific responsibilities relating to health and safety activities including consenting to breaches; conniving to breach legislation or neglecting their duties under the legislation. Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults Infection Prevention and Control Post holders have a responsibility for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults in the course of their daily duties and for ensuring that they are aware of the specific duties relating to their role. All individuals have a personal obligation to adhere to current guidance on methods to reduce healthcare-associated infections

4 (HCAIs). Post holders must be familiar with the Trust s Infection Prevention and Control Policies, including those that apply to their duties, such as Hand Decontamination Policy, Personal Protective Equipment Policy, safe procedures for using aseptic techniques and safe disposal of sharps. They must undertake mandatory training in Infection Prevention and Control and be compliant with all measures required by the Trust to reduce HCAIs. Risk Management All post holders have a responsibility to report risks such as clinical and non-clinical accidents or incidents promptly. They are expected to be familiar with the Trust s use of risk assessments to predict and control risk, as well as the incident reporting system for learning from mistakes and near misses in order to improve services. Post holders must also attend training identified by their manager, or stated by the Trust to be mandatory. All staff are responsible for undertaking scene specific or activity specific risk assessments for non YAS premises and reporting identified problems to their line manager for consideration and resolution. Personal Development The Trust is committed to supporting the development of all staff. All employees have a responsibility to participate in regular appraisal with their manager and to identify performance standards for the post. As part of the appraisal process employees have joint responsibility with their line manager to identify any learning and development needs in order to meet the agreed performance standards. Code of Conduct All individuals all expected to act in accordance with the Trust s code of conduct and if applicable, the code of conduct for their appropriate professional body. In addition managers should act in accordance with the principles of the NHS Code of Conduct for Managers in undertaking all aspects of their role. Smoke Free Policy The Trust operates a Smoke Free Policy which prohibits smoking in the workplace. Employees are required to observe the rules laid down in the policy and failure to do so may result in disciplinary being taken. Policies and Procedures Individuals are also required to comply with the policies, procedures and protocols in place within the Trust. These are available from the Human Resources department or from the staff library on the Trust intranet. Prepared/ reviewed by: Karen Roberts Approved date: October 2013 Review date ID No YAS577 For Administrative purposes only Page 4 of 5

5 COMPETENCY PROFILE Call Handler NHS 111 Experience and work achievements Excellent telephone manner Effective social skills gained from experience dealing with the public Ability to confidently use a computer and move quickly between applications eg web and Experience of liaising with multi-disciplinary agencies Customer service skills An understanding of the call handling and telephone triage roles Skills and abilities Effective communicator (both verbal and written) Effective engagement and influencing skills Effective listening skills Results orientated with good communication and interpersonal skills IT literate Ability to deal with confidential/sensitive and distressing information Able to work under pressure Knowledge of health and safety issues Ability to prioritise workload and meet performance targets Ability to negotiate and influence people using tact and discretion Personal attributes Active team player Demonstrates sensitivity to the needs of individuals and groups Demonstrates commitment to, and enthusiasm for facilitating personal development and life long learning Able to prioritise tasks, and to manage conflicting demands on time and resources, to deliver objectives Ability to develop effective working relationships and demonstrate professional credibility with colleagues at all levels Self motivated able to work on own initiative and work effectively as part of a team Able to assimilate sensitive and complex information Able to pass pre-employment medical Able to manage stressful situations and make sound decisions Mature and professional approach to work Able to demonstrate flexibility in terms of location and working hours Knowledge and educational achievements *Minimum of 3 GCSEs at grade C or above or equivalent including English Evidence of undertaking additional skills training, willingness to develop further A valid UK driving licence Knowledge and understanding of equality and diversity issues Knowledge of the NHS Information Governance and legal requirements *In the absence of the required 3 GCSE above we will accept applicants who have successfully completed pathways training and/or have considerable customer service skills and experience which they are able to demonstrate. Page 5 of 5