Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
Community Services Coordinator
Closing date: 09 December 2025
Post holder will be joining a highly skilled and dynamic service, working in support of the specialist Older Person's Mental Health Social Care, Bay wide service. With excellent organisational skills and an ability to work proactively in a team and alone, you will be confident and professional in all your dealings as you support the values of the Trust and most importantly, facilitate services for our service users and our partner agencies.
You will utilise a variety of software packages relating to Trust informatics and client records dealing with confidential and complex information.
You will be the first point of contact for the team and proactively prioritise tasks and information, working alongside your colleagues to meet internal and external deadlines and changing demands.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will be expected to be organised, flexible and be able to prioritise day to day work and work effectively as part of the team.
* To be a central co-ordination point for the Mental Health Social Care team.
* Receiving thorough referrals from other professionals, outside agencies, clients', families and carers.
* Liaison with health and social care colleagues in the local community including voluntary sector representatives to collate accurate information to triage appropriateness of referral and ensure the best outcomes for clients.
* To support health and social care team colleagues in the utilisation of a range of case finding tools. These tools will help identify people at risk of loss of independence, potential risk of unnecessary admission to hospital or longer-term care.
* To be responsible for a high-quality customer service function in recording contact information, supporting the initial prioritisation of contacts.
* To maintain IT based information systems and take a key responsibility for the production of key performance data.
* To provide efficient administrative support to underpin Adult Social Care processes within Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust and Devon Partnership NHS Trust.
About us
As an organisation Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust (TSDFT) values staff and the diverse experiences and contributions they bring. We pride ourselves in being an inclusive organisation where every individual has the opportunity to make a difference. We are a mindful employer recognising employee health and wellbeing as a fundamental part of our success.
Job responsibilities
Communication and Working Relationships
On a daily basis communicate with colleagues from the Health and social care team and ensure that relevant information is shared between professionals to aid management of complex clients in the community.
Contact clients on the phone to gather or impart information; this may include people with varying degrees of communication difficulty for example dysphasia, sensory impairment or mental health issues. Ensure empathy, negotiation, tact in these situations and also ensure the ability to manage clients who may be low in mood, lacking in motivation, or angry/upset about their current circumstances.
To liaise, work closely and form strong links with all members of the Multidisciplinary team and work closely with outside agencies on a regular basis. For example, communicate the need to regularly communicate with occupational therapists, physiotherapists, community nurses, GPs, staff in acute hospital setting, community mental health nurses, social care workers and private providers of care.
On a daily basis communicate medical and social information to the above via various sources including telephone, email or face to face correspondence. This information is always confidential, frequently sensitive and can be contentious and as a result needs to be provided in a professional, appropriate and polite manner in line with data protection and information governance policy.
Planning and Organisation
Utilisation of a range of case finding tools.
To use Paris (social care) IT system, inputting referrals and allocating cases to the triage list.
To use NHS based IT programmes such as icare, IHCS, EMIS to record statistics and check client data.
Work in partnership with local primary care teams and specialist staff groups in recording and using information effectively.
Ability to identify urgency of calls for action accordingly and direct calls to the most appropriate member of the team
Responsibility and Accountability
With assistance from professional colleagues, screen and triage referrals to health and social care and obtain further information where required so a decision can be made about the best pathway for new referrals.
Awareness and involvement in primary care core group discussions designed to support those clients who are the most vulnerable people living in the community. This may include gathering information updates from any relevant professionals and documenting findings clearly.
As a member of the Health and Social Care team continue developing and expanding on the good working relationships that exist between all services.
To coordinate all referrals appropriately, to participate in local service development activities and help implement change as and when required.
To provide a client centred approach to ensure all clients and carers views and opinions are considered and all people who are who are given an enquiry are given respect, dignity and understanding. Delivering a high quality, efficient and effective service at all times complying with equality and diversity policies and legislation.
The recording of contacts in a consistent manner when reviewing a referral where appropriate. This may involve taking contacts from other agencies.
The effective signposting of contacts to other agencies or sources of help as appropriate.
To provide feedback to referrers about the outcomes of contacts in accordance with the agreed quality standards.
To ensure confidentiality process is followed at all times.
Maintenance of IT based information systems and responsibility for key performance data.
To ensure the information governance requirements for recording community health and social care activity are adhered to in collaboration with other team members.
To provide key performance/activity data within the local Health and social care team.
Provide excellent administrative support to the Mental Health Social Care Services.
Maintain and update Client records on database ensuring accurate recording and retrieval of data, produce clear and accurate monthly summaries of required data.
Policy and Service Responsibility
To record, send and store information in line with the Data Protection Act and Caldicott principles.
Maintain a robust and integrated records systems for the Specialist Mental Health Social Care Provision in accordance with Trust policy.
The post holder will not have any responsibility for the direct provision of care or treatment to service users. However the post holder will have some contact with service users/clients/carers, when gathering information to facilitate referral triage process.
To act at all times in an anti- discriminatory manner.
To be able to plan and respond to work load according to operational priorities.
To support the delivery of these functions across wider Zone(s) areas where necessary.
To maintain timely and accurate information on local intermediate care, hospital and other relevant service information to support access to urgent care resources.
To participate in the induction of new staff to the team.
To take part in regular performance appraisal.
To undertake any training required in order to maintain competency including mandatory training.
To contribute to, and work within a safe working environment.
To adhere to the TSDHCT policies and procedures.
Assist with the routine review and evaluation of the effectiveness of business support systems for the Social Care Team.
Alert the Lead of any discrepancies, risks or issues as they arise.
Information Technology and Administrative Duties
To assist in maintaining local records and systems as necessary, producing performance information as required.
To be able to record clear and accurate information on all systems.
Accurate inputting onto relevant IT systems to ensure any statistical data is up to date and accurate.
Provide accurate, efficient and flexible administrative support to the Specialist Mental Health Social Care Service.
Undertake audits as necessary of own work, e.g.: assist with the routine review and evaluation of the effectiveness of business support systems for the Social Care funding office and make suggestions for appropriate changes to ensure the efficient management of the office.
Person Specification
Qualifications and training
* GCSE level of education or equivalent experience in Mathematics and English
* Knowledge of office administration/customer services acquired through training or experience to diploma level or equivalent qualification
* Knowledge of Health and Social Care administration and processes
* Evidence of continuous professional development
* NVQ in Health and Social care
Knowledge and experience
* Excellent working knowledge of application of IT software packages, in particular Access, Excel, Word and Outlook
* Experience or understanding of creating electronic records, electronic filing systems
* Knowledge of contract and financial systems operating within Local Authorities/NHS Ability to manage diverse workloads whilst dealing with frequent interruptions
* Experience of working to competing deadlines with a variety of stakeholders.
* Experience of working in a busy office environment
* Able to demonstrate a clear understanding of working with confidential information
* Ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of people using a range of media
* Excellent communication skills, verbal and written
* Good level of knowledge of business admin procedures, preferably within the NHS
* Knowledge and experience around GDPR and information governance
* Awareness of Care Act 2014 legislation
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.
Employer name
Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
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