Job overview
It is with great pleasure that we are advertising for the role of Control Shift Officer based in Northern House.
As a Control Shift Officer you will be an essential part of the Emergency Operations Centre management team, taking responsibility for the supervision and line management of a team of Dispatchers whilst also supporting the wider department. Your role will require you to interact with stakeholders from both within and outside the organisation, and will provide you with many challenging and diverse opportunities.
You will be responsible for leading the EOC team, who have to work quickly and under pressure, on a shift by shift basis. You will be able to work on your own initiative and as part of a team, and a high level of performance is an essential requirement. You will be responsible for the delivery of high quality care to patients, in compliance with performance targets, ensuring maximum productivity and efficiency. You will ensure compliance with EOC Standard Operating Procedures and ensure good customer / patient focus is maintained at all times.
Main duties of the job
To be successful in this role you will have a good understanding of the ambulance service and a detailed knowledge of EOC procedures and protocols. You must also be able to demonstrate a calm and decisive approach in a challenging and demanding environment. You will be required to undertake dynamic performance management of the staff on duty and those allocated to your team, in conjunction with the Duty Manager.
Working for our organisation
Benefits we offer:
* Expert training and support from our dedicated in-house education team.
* Holiday entitlement is 27 days rising to 29 days after 5 years and 33 days after 10 years, plus 8 bank holidays (pro rata for part time).
* Enrolment into the NHS Pension Scheme.
* Access to continual professional development and opportunities within SCAS and the NHS.
* Occupational Health support along with an Employee Assistance Programme.
* NHS Discounts in over 200+ stores including Holidays, Days out, Car insurance, Restaurants and Clothing.
About Us
South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust provides a range of emergency, urgent care and non-emergency healthcare services, along with commercial logistics services.
The Trust delivers most of these services to the populations of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire and Oxfordshire.
We serve a population of over 7 million and answer over 500,000 urgent calls a year. We employ 4,551 staff who, together with over 1,100 volunteers, enable us to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The role will place many pressures on you, which may affect your home and social life. Applicants will have the following personal attributes:
* Excellent geographical knowledge of areas covered
* Excellent interpersonal skills
* Ability to prioritise own work to ensure targets/objectives are achieved or exceeded
* Evidence of continued development
* Ability to undertake a wide range of activities and multi task
* Self-resilience and ability to take on responsibility
* a good health record and be able to work full time varying shift patterns
* a high level of understanding of the operation of the Emergency Systems, and the procedures to manage and deploy the available Ambulance resources, and other protocols and procedures related to the EOC and the wider health environment
* At least 12 months experience as an Emergency Dispatcher or undertaken your 12 month sign-off
* Experience as a Control Shift Officer, through secondment, development opportunity or similar is essential.
You will be a team player and have the ability to accept responsibility and make decisions. You will possess good interpersonal skills, good communications skills, both written & oral, and a high level of competency in computing and IT systems in use in EOC. You will be capable of logical thinking, practical problem-solving, objective assessment skills and report writing. You must be able to motivate and support others, especially in high pressure situations.
All Applicants for this opportunity will be required to undergo a competitive selection process which may include assessment, presentation and a formal interview.
Full time and limited part time opportunities exist and candidates looking for reduced-hours working are welcome to apply but must demonstrate how they would provide the required level of cover (e.g. via a pure job share, flexibility with 24/7/365 requirements, working on a part time basis etc). Arrangement and demonstration of such provision remains the responsibility of the successful candidate(s).
Please be aware that this role requires a high level of responsibility. You will be accountable for the efficient operation of the Emergency Operations Centre and must ensure that patient care is prioritised at all times. You must have the ability to work under pressure and make critical decisions decisively.
A strong understanding of emergency medical and dispatch protocols is essential. You will be responsible for escalating anything that impacts on service delivery to the higher command chain, as well as providing support to the team.
The Emergency Operations Centre can be a highly pressurised environment, often dealing with multiple critical incidents simultaneously. Please consider your own resilience and emotional well-being before applying.
Please note: we recommend that you complete your application as soon as possible as we reserve the right to close this advert prior to the advertised closing date once we have received enough applications.
For an informal discussion about the role please contact Joe Grant - Joe.Grant@scas.nhs.uk
Please refer to the job description and person specification to ensure you are suitable for this post.
Person specification
Qualifications & Training
Essential criteria
* 4 GCSEs at Grade C or equivalent qualifications or demonstrable ability
* Significant demonstrable experience of working within a supervisory role.
* NVQ2/3 in Team leading or Management OR must be willing to undertake such qualifications supported by the Trust
Desirable criteria
* Evidence of self development e.g. Continuing Professional Development portfolio.
Knowledge & Experience
Essential criteria
* Experience of leading a team in a responsive, fast paced, customer focused, front line service environment
* Previous/ongoing demonstrable experience of managing designated IT systems (ie Computer Aided Dispatch systems)
* Awareness of Equality and Diversity and ability to demonstrate a fair and consistent approach.
* 12 Months experience as an Emergency Dispatcher or equivalent demonstrable experience
Desirable criteria
* Previous NHS experience/Health Service Policies
* Knowledge of Major Incident protocols/policies
* Knowledge of communications via radio
* Completion of Control Shift Officer Competencies
We actively welcome job applications from candidates who have a disability or who are members of the BAME, LGBTQ+ and Armed Forces community (including: Reservists, Veterans, Spouses and Cadets). Here at SCAS we are proud to have a workforce that reflects the diverse community we serve. Applicants who have a disability or are members of the armed forces community who meet the minimum shortlisting criteria for their post of interest will be invited for an interview and/or assessment (where applicable).
Please be assured that any requests for reasonable adjustments will not negatively affect your application.
As well as standard NHS benefits like generous holiday entitlement and an excellent pension scheme, we offer lots of extras for our staff.