Community Helpdesk Advisor

Portsmouth City Council; Portsmouth; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

Portsmouth City Council is seeking a friendly, customer-focused Helpdesk Advisor to join the HIVE Portsmouth Community Helpdesk. You will greet visitors, provide information and referrals, and respond to enquiries via face-to-face, phone, email and social media.

Based at the Central Library, you will also support other HIVE locations and the School Uniform Share Store, contributing to seamless information, advice and support across Portsmouth.

Qualifications

• Customer service experience is essential.
• Excellent spoken and written English.
• Ability to handle difficult or challenging conversations with tact.

Responsibilities

• Be the first point of contact at the HIVE Community Helpdesk and provide information, advice and support.
• Support residents, families and professionals via face-to-face, phone, email, social media and CRM systems.
• Assist with other HIVE Helpdesk locations and the School Uniform Share Store as needed.

Skills

Customer service

Communication

Empathy

Job description

Salary: Band:5, £27,346 p.a.

37 hours per week - This role may include working outside core hours and at weekends with notice.

This role is based 5 days per week in the Hive, Portsmouth.

Your New Role

Managed by the VCSE Team in Culture & Community Services, located with HIVE Portsmouth, our Community Helpdesk is located within Central Library.

HIVE Portsmouth https://www.hiveportsmouth.com/ has been developed by a group of voluntary sector leaders working in partnership with the City Council and Health and Care services. The role of the HIVE is to support people within their communities to live independently, by connecting them with groups and organisations who can help them and by working with individuals to make their communities a better we also manage the City's School uniform sharestore.

The role will be working as part of a team, helping connect residents, families and professionals with information, advice and support they need. You will be the first point of contact and advice on the HIVE Community Helpdesk providing a welcoming and responsive service through face to face conversations, telephone, referrals, email, social media and our CRMS system.

Although based primarily at the Community Helpdesk within Central Library, you will be expected to support other HIVE Community Helpdesk locations across the city as needed, ensuring residents can access consistent information, advice and support wherever they engage with the service.

In addition, you will support the School Uniform Share Store, helping to sort and organise donated uniforms so they can be redistributed to local families.

Who is the person summary:

You will have a customer service experience and a passion for quality customer service and delivery that is clear and accurate and an understanding of what good customer service means. With an excellent standard of spoken and written English, you will have experience of engaging with difficult and challenging situations and people. With a flexible approach and the ability to work under pressure as well as being able to show empathy and not make assumptions or judgements.

For full details, please review 'who is the person' on the job profile below attached.

About Portsmouth City Council

Portsmouth City Council is a unique organisation, committed to making a difference, and is guided by core values that set who we are as people, what we stand for, and how we act.

We are committed to our values of respect, integrity, collaboration, inclusivity and being people-focussed. These values set out how we can contribute to the success of the council and our own success as individuals. Learn more about our values and behaviours .

Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)

As part of Local Government Reorganisation, current plans will see Portsmouth City Council combine with the district and borough councils of Fareham, Gosport and Havant and parts of East Hampshire and Winchester district councils to form a new, larger unitary authority for south east Hampshire.

We are working towards an implementation date of 1st April 2028, known as vesting day, subject to Parliamentary approval. Until then, we remain focused on maintaining continuity, supporting our workforce, and continuing to deliver excellent services to our residents throughout the transition to the new unitary authority.

This is an exciting time to join us, offering the opportunity to contribute to organisational transformation, develop your career, and help shape future services for our communities.

More information about Local Government Reorganisation can be found on our website: https://www.portsmouth.gov.uk/services/council-and-democracy/your-council/devolution-and-lgr/

Additional Information

This role is based 5 days per week in the Hive. Portsmouth. Please ensure you can fulfil this prior to submitting your application.

We are not able to offer sponsorship for this position.

Our recruitment process

We are a disability confident employer and Armed Forces Covenant gold standard. More information can be found at Equality, diversity and inclusion - Careers portal

You will need to demonstrate that you have the Right to Work in the UK. No post will be offered without it.

Read more about working at Portsmouth City Council and our benefits on our career's portal homepage: Careers Portal - Find jobs with Portsmouth City Council