Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust Crisis Line Call Handler

Job overview
Please note, at this stage, the role is open only to internal staff (including NHSP and Agency staff currently on placement within our organisation) and staff substantively employed within Kent and Medway NHS Trusts and the Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board (ICB). Any individual who is at risk of redundancy will be given priority, provided they meet the essential criteria.
We are Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust, 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.
We operate 24/7 and staff are required to work across a full roster period, including early, late and night shifts. We can 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.
Our contact centre-based service utilises an online telephone system, so applicants must be confident computer users. You will also be required to enter details into our clinical systems promptly. All staff receive a comprehensive induction when they join the service, supporting you to develop skills appropriate to your new role.

Working for our organisation
We are the Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust. We care for the mental health and wellbeing of people across Kent and Medway. Our teams support adults with a wide range of mental health needs. Because we cover the whole county and both hospital and community settings, we can make care more joined up and easier to access for the 1.8 million people of Kent and Medway. Rated 'Good' by the CQC, we care for over 2,000 people in our hospitals and 54,000 in the community each year.
Our vision is simple: We are here to help communities not just live with mental illness, but live well. It's why we're passionate about working with communities to make mental health care better for everyone. And everything we do is guided by our values caring, inclusive, curious and confident.
Join us - if you share our passion for better mental health care and want to be part of a team that's doing well together.
Please refer to the attached job description for the full details on the responsibilities and person specification

Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see the attached job description for full details of the main duties and responsibilities of the role.

Person specification

Training, Qualifications and Registration

Essential criteria

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

Knowledge and Skills

Essential criteria

• Self-motivated and able to work under own initiative
• Customer Care
• Excellent verbal, interpersonal and written communication skills.

Experience

Essential criteria

• Professional/lived experience of working with individuals with mental health difficulties
• Work with electronic systems

Desirable criteria

• Contact / call centre experience
• NHS experience

Important Information:
In cases where we receive a high volume of applications for a post, it may be necessary to bring the closing date forward. Please submit your completed application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.
Due to the high volume of applications received, it is not possible to respond individually to your application. Should you not hear from us within six weeks of the vacancy closing, please assume that your application has not been successful.

Probation Period. New employees external to the trust are subject to a six-month probationary period.
To deliver an effective service it is essential in some of our roles that you are able to travel between work bases in a timely manner.
Production of false or forged documents/qualifications in order to obtain employment is a criminal offence and will be reported to the Police.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check.
Certain roles are subject to criminal record checks called Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks. Therefore, you will be required to submit a completed Disclosure form to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust are signed up to NHS England's Sexual Safety in Health Care Organisational Charter
The trust takes a systematic zero-tolerance approach to tackle any unwanted, inappropriate and/or harmful sexual behaviours within the workplace and in our care provision. We are committed to sexual safety which encompasses prevention, support and decisive action against perpetrators. We are committed to keeping you and our patients safe.

Use of AI when writing job applications
While AI tools can be helpful in generating ideas and drafting initial versions, they should never be the sole source for writing your job application.
AI cannot truly understand the specific job you're applying for or what makes you a good fit. Therefore, it's crucial to personalise any AI-generated content to accurately reflect your skills, experiences, and aspirations.
Relying solely on AI to write your application may result in generic, impersonal, and potentially inaccurate content. Always review and refine any AI-generated text to ensure it effectively communicates your experience, skills, accomplishments, and aspirations, and demonstrates your suitability for the position.