Careline Services Operator, Careline

Birmingham City Council; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 29,000 - 34,000; Full time

Job summary

Birmingham City Council is recruiting a Calm, responsive Careline Services Operator to join its 24-hour emergency response team in the Operations Centre, handling calls, radios and computerised systems to assess urgency and trigger the correct response.

You will communicate sensitively with callers, maintain records, follow emergency procedures and contribute to ongoing service development while working a 24-hour rotating shift.

Qualifications

• Experience providing a responsive customer service, ideally within a Careline, emergency, contact centre, housing or other 24-hour service environment.
• Excellent verbal communication skills, ability to sensitively question callers and communicate clearly in distressing situations.
• Ability to remain calm and make decisions under pressure, especially in genuine emergencies.
• Strong listening, questioning and problem-solving skills to establish facts and determine actions.
• Good IT skills to operate computerised and manual recording systems.
• Reliable and flexible with 24-hour rotating shift work including holidays.
• Commitment to professional and supportive service with colleagues, contractors and emergency services.

Responsibilities

• Operate telephone, radio, voice bank and computerised systems within the Careline Operations Centre to provide an effective and responsive emergency service.
• Respond sensitively and professionally to callers, gathering accurate information to assess urgency and determine the appropriate response.
• Communicate information to contractors, emergency services and others to ensure timely repairs and responses.
• Maintain accurate and comprehensive records of calls, customer information and actions taken.
• Follow established procedures including the City Disaster Plan and emergency response arrangements.
• Liaise with Council officers, contractors and partners regarding emergency calls and assist with wider administration of Careline and Out of Hours service.

Skills

Customer service

Emergency response

Communication

Record keeping

Decision making

IT literacy

Teamwork

Tools

Computerised systems

Telephone systems

Job description

Grade B - £28,598 - £34,434

Consultation grade - subject to formal evaluation under the Equal Pay Programme

Working 36.5 hours per week

About The Role

We're looking for a calm, responsive and customer-focused Careline Services Operator to join Birmingham City Council's Careline Service and support the delivery of a 24-hour emergency response service.

You’ll operate a range of telephone, radio, voice bank and computerised systems within the Operations Centre, responding to calls and assessing the level of urgency to ensure the appropriate response is provided. You’ll communicate sensitively with callers, often in challenging or emergency situations, and ensure accurate information is passed to the relevant service or contractor.

This is a varied role where you’ll work closely with members of the public, Council colleagues, contractors and emergency services. You’ll also maintain accurate records, follow established emergency procedures and contribute to the effective operation and development of the Careline and Out of Hours Emergency Services.

What You'll Be Doing

• Operate telephone, radio, voice bank and computerised systems within the Careline Operations Centre to provide an effective and responsive emergency service.


• Respond sensitively and professionally to callers, gathering accurate information to assess the nature and urgency of situations and determine the appropriate response.


• Communicate relevant information to contractors, emergency services and other appropriate organisations, ensuring genuine emergency repairs and responses are dealt with effectively.


• Maintain accurate and comprehensive records of calls, customer information and actions taken, using computerised and manual recording systems.


• Follow established procedures, including the City Disaster Plan and other emergency response arrangements, and take appropriate action when required.


• Liaise effectively with Council officers, elected Members, contractors and other partners regarding emergency calls, and assist with the wider administration of the Careline and Out of Hours Emergency Service.


• Work positively with new technology and departmental initiatives, contributing to the continued development of the service and maintaining effective working knowledge of Operations Centre systems.

What We're Looking For

• Experience of providing a responsive customer service, ideally within a Careline, emergency, contact centre, housing or other 24-hour service environment.


• Excellent verbal communication skills, with the ability to sensitively question callers, establish key information and communicate clearly in potentially difficult or distressing situations.


• The ability to remain calm and make effective decisions under pressure, particularly when assessing whether a situation constitutes a genuine emergency.


• Strong listening, questioning and problem-solving skills, with the ability to quickly establish the facts and determine the appropriate course of action.


• Good IT skills and the ability to confidently operate a range of computerised, telephone, radio and other operational systems while maintaining accurate records.


• A reliable and flexible approach to working, with the ability to work effectively as part of a 24-hour, rotating shift service, including public and statutory holidays.


• A strong commitment to providing a professional and supportive service to customers, with the ability to work collaboratively with Council colleagues, contractors, emergency services and other statutory and voluntary organisations.

Birmingham City Council is an accredited Disability Confident Leader employer, and we are committed to employing, retaining and developing all of our people.

We want to ensure your recruitment journey with us is a positive and equitable one, so please let us know if there are any reasonable adjustments, additional support, accessibility needs, or if there is any way in which we can support you through your application.

A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check will be undertaken.

Proof of Right to work in the UK will be required for all applicants in accordance with UK Home Office requirements, before any employment offer can be confirmed.

Working for Birmingham City Council is more than just a job; it’s about making life better for the 1 million plus people who live and work in the city.

We welcome people from diverse and underrepresented communities and encourage applications from, those with caring responsibilities, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic, neurodivergent, disabled and LGBT+ people. As part of our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, we are committed to promoting and supporting the physical and mental health of all our staff and removing barriers to improve inclusion. We are making significant strides to understand and continuously improve our employees’ experience and we are committed to implementing progressive diversity talent management.

Information for applicants with a disability

We are a proud Disability Confident Employer. We encourage applicants to disclose disabilities, so we can support them fully during our recruitment process and make any necessary reasonable adjustments. Please contact: 0121 675 7070 option 3 (lines open between 8.45am to 5.15pm Monday to Friday).

The Council is a fantastic place to work. You will find an organisation that is both challenging and supportive; with a leadership impatiently adventurous in its pursuit of excellence.

There Is a Clear Vision Which Is Ensuring That The Council Is Working For Communities Today And Building For Tomorrow, We Focus Our Resources On Five Key Priorities

• A Prosperous Birmingham: through a focus on inclusive economic growth, tackling unemployment, attracting inward investment, and maximising the benefits of the Commonwealth Games.


• An Inclusive Birmingham: through a focus on tackling poverty and inequality, empowering citizens, promoting diversity and civic pride, and supporting and enabling all children and young people to thrive.


• A Safe Birmingham: through a focus on making the city safer, safeguarding vulnerable citizens, increasing affordable housing, and tackling homelessness.


• A Healthy Birmingham: through a focus on tackling health inequalities, encouraging physical activity and healthy living, supporting mental health, and improving outcomes for adults with disabilities and older people.


• A Green Birmingham: through a focus on street cleanliness, improving air quality, continuing the route to net zero, and becoming a city of nature.

We see the Council’s role as providing strategic leadership – that’s being able to visualise a new future for the city and equipping others to share our vision.

We want to ensure the provision of services for all, so we can support those least able to support themselves by working with partners and putting citizens and neighbourhoods at the heart of our decision‑making.

We are always looking for people who put the customer at the centre of their approach, with a commitment to excellence to help us achieve our vision. We will support you to develop and thrive in your role, building a pathway for long-term success, with lots of development opportunities, such as apprenticeships.

• In return, we offer you excellent terms and conditions, generous annual leave, a great pension scheme, well-being support, annual travel passes and discounts at a number of city centre establishments.

Birmingham City Council is a Foundation Living wage employer - known as the Birmingham Living Wage. The Birmingham Living Wage, is determined by the Living Wage Foundation on an annual basis by the Centre of Research in Society Polity at Loughborough University. The current rate can be found at: www.livingwage.org.uk.

For the awards and support for our employees, please follow https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/homepage/169/job_vacancies

Company Info

Website http://birmingham.gov.uk/

Telephone [phone]

Location Birmingham City Council

Birmingham

West Midlands

B2 2XU

United Kingdom