We are looking for a highly motivated individual to join us a Controller/Call Handler (Out of Hours) working from our Head Office in Carlisle. This role will suit caring individuals with a professional and courteous manner and excellent communication skills. Controllers ensure that patients receive the right care, in the right place, at the right time by giving advice and distributing calls appropriately. An extensive induction and comprehensive training is provided.
The post holder will be required to work 25+ hours over a 4 week rota on weekends only.
CLOSING DATE: 27 August 2025
Interview date: 10 September 2025
This position may close early once sufficient applications have been received. Therefore, please make sure you complete and submit your application at an early stage.
Please ensure you leave a mobile number on your application as our emails often end up in spam folders.
Please note that we are unable to offer an EmployerSponsored Visa for this role.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will be the initial point of contact for patients and professionals telephoning to request Primary Medical care Out of Hours.
The Control Room operates 24/7, this role is primarily for the out of hours services.
You will be working in an efficient but busy and pressured control room environment. The post holder will be responsible for taking urgent primary care calls in the daytime and/or out of hours. This post requires an individual to keep up to date with all services commissioned including Virtual Services, Digital Remote Monitoring (e.g. Pulse Oximetry, Digital Care Home this list is not exhaustive) and seasonal services. Services are updated and introduced regularly to meet the needs of the population of Cumbria.
All staff are expected to work to Cumbria Health Values:
* Clinically Focussed - Our patients are at the heart of all we do
* Responsive -We listen and respond together
* One Team - Working together through strong partnerships
* Growth & Sustainability- With our strong roots we will continue to thrive and grow
* Communities - Connecting with communities to meet local needs
* High Standards - We strive for excellence in all that we do.
About us
Cumbria Health places the patient, their family and their community at the heart of everything we do. We are an award-winning organisation, the first out-of-hours organisation in the country to be rated as outstanding by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
We provide primary health care services, both in and out of hours, across Cumbria. We are values-driven and place great emphasis on inclusivity and the wellbeing and development of our staff, while striving to provide a consistently high-quality service. Our service is designed to improve health and wellbeing.
Working for CH can offer flexible opportunities in terms of location, hours and working patterns so you can enjoy a great work life balance. In order to provide the best patient care we understand the importance of ensuring staff satisfaction and are consistently trying to ensure we offer our staff a positive working environment whether that be though training or social events.
Listen to your heart. Have the work life balance you'd love.
Job responsibilities
This list of duties and responsibilities, which follows, represents the broad range of tasks which may be required to be undertaken either routinely or periodically. This list is not exhaustive and the role may include additional duties which are not listed here.
First and foremost the post holder will be the initial point of contact for patients and professionals telephoning to request Primary Medical care Out of Hours.
Main Responsibilities
1. Todeal with calls from the public/health professionals in a prompt andprofessional manner, calls are randomly audited with feedback provided on amonthly basis
2. Toco-ordinate information from incoming calls in order to alert the necessarymedical personnel/ services to meet the patients needs
3. Tofollow advice, guidance and requests from the Supervisor on shift to ensure thesmooth running of the service across the county. The Supervisor may delegate tasks relating toother services when you are on shift.
4. Tofollow in house protocols and procedures to match patient symptoms/criteria withavailable services
5. Ensureyou log into the relevant Control Room Dashboard online guide for reference onshift, this includes links and logging on information for systems and servicerelevant to shift
6. Tomaintain knowledge and meet training requirements for any new services orchanges to current service provision
7. Toliaise with a wide range of internal personnel and outside agenciese.g. Clinicians, Pharmacy, NWAS call centres, District Nurses, and Paramedics.
8. Toensure the Cumbria Health guide and all relevant I.T. systems for theController role are logged into and uploaded
9. Toensure control room equipment is fully functional at all times, reporting anyproblems to the Control Room Supervisor
10. To use a variety ofcomputerised systems to record patient details (Adastra, EmisHealthCall, Symphony etc this list is not exhaustive),
11. Tokeep up to date with all changes in the processing of patient details throughthe various systems dependant on need, this will include Digital services andremote monitoring
12. Regularlylog onto your Cumbria Health email account and familiarise yourself withthe Cumbria Health website (in particular the Staff Section).
13.To log onto the Cumbria Health.North email account when required onshift
14.To be flexible and adaptable with regards to shifts and supportyour team in rota cover particularly over busy periods such as Christmasand Easter
15. To adhere to all CUMBRIA HEALTH Policies and Procedures.
16. Participateand ensure own on-going development, maintaining compliance for mandatorytraining.
17. To meet theOOH Controller Competence Matrix within your induction period, thesematrices will be reviewed in your annual 1-2-1s. The competency matrixwill also be reviewed annually
18. Training can be given to enable the post holder to progressinto District Nurse, Despatch, Virtual Reception or Daytime Controller shiftsplus pick up a variety of additional duties you may be delegated thiswill require the completion of further competency matrices.
19. Tomaintain a high level of confidentiality and comply with the DataProtection Act. Be aware of thenature of information dealt with and work in a manner which ensuresconfidentiality and security at all times.
20. To carryout any other reasonable duties in departments/locationsas and when required, subject to training and capabilities.
21.Undertakeany other activities deemed appropriate and necessary by the organisation.
Person Specification
Experience
* Experience of working with various I.T. systems
* Confidence in adapting to new systems
* Previous experience working within the NHS
* Previous experience in a similar role
Qualifications
* GCSE English and Maths (or equivalent)
* IT or system training qualifications
* NVQ Business Administration
Other requirements
* Willingness to undertake further training especially in the systems and services required for this role
* Desire to continue learning new skills
Personal Attributes
* Positive and good team player
* Confident
* Be able to manage and adapt to change
* Well organised with good time keeping
* Flexible with the ability to work at late notice and support your team
* Ability to build rapport and effective relationships at all levels
* Ability to step up in a busy and demanding environment
Skills and Aptitudes
* Excellent oral and written communication skills, including exceptional telephone manner
* Friendly, helpful and 'can do' approach
* Close attention to detail and ability to log information accurately and in a timely manner
* Excellent organisational skills
* Ability to use your own initiative to complete tasks requiring action without being asked
* Ability to problem solve
* Desire to continue learning
* Able to work under pressure and keep calm
* Able to maintain a high level of confidentiality
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.
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