Emergency Call Taker Bicester

NHS; Bicester; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 26,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a dedicated team as an Emergency Call Taker, where your calm and compassionate demeanor will be crucial in high-pressure situations. This role offers the opportunity to make a real difference in people's lives, providing vital support during emergencies. You will be trained to handle calls efficiently, ensuring that help is dispatched promptly. With a strong focus on teamwork and professional development, this position is ideal for those who thrive in dynamic environments and are passionate about patient care. Embrace the challenge and be part of a service that plays a crucial role in community health.

Benefits

Full training and support

27 days holiday entitlement

NHS Pension Scheme

Access to continual professional development

Occupational Health support

Employee Assistance Programme

NHS Discounts in over 200+ stores

Staff networking and support groups

Qualifications

• Good standard of education or equivalent experience required.
• Experience in customer-focused environments is essential.

Responsibilities

• Provide support to callers in emergency situations.
• Use communication skills to manage and calm distressed callers.

Skills

Attention to detail

Accurate data entry

Communication skills

Customer service experience

Education

2 GCSEs at Grade 4 or above including English

Tools

Computerised systems

Job description

Job Summary

Imagine a large tree has fallen on your child and they're trapped, screaming and helpless unable to move, or your friend collapses in front of you and they're no longer breathing, a train crash with multiple casualties or someone on the edge of a bridge threatening to take their own life. What do you do? What's your instinct? Most of us will pick up the phone and dial 999 straight away. Do you have the ability to be logical when those around you are lost in the middle of a crisis? Can you be the calm, soothing, and level-headed influence when we help new parents welcome their children to the world?

Please note: This role does not support remote working. You will need to be available to work from our Emergency Operations Centre in Bicester, Oxfordshire.

Please use the link below to watch our video about the Emergency Call Taker role.

Watch Video

Main Duties of the Job

As an ambulance Emergency Call Taker here at SCAS based in Bicester, Oxfordshire, you could be the last voice that someone hears, as well as the first. We focus on caring for others during the best and worst moments of their life. In 2022, Emergency Call Takers at SCAS helped deliver 48 babies and successfully resuscitated 161 patients at the scene of an emergency. To be a part of our team and work in a privileged and trusted role with members of the public, you'll need a good listening ear, attention to detail and accuracy, with the ability to use your voice to control a situation. Your words will lead your caller to a state of calm from afar, whilst you arrange the appropriate help for them. You do not need to have a medical background, just a desire to help. You'll need to be detailed and efficient, assertive but compassionate.

Looking after yourself and caring for the team around you should also be a priority for you. We all contribute professionally to the wider team that we operate within here at SCAS, as we all have an important role to play in patient care. If this sounds like a challenge you'll relish, and you have the resilience to achieve this time and time again throughout your working day, we want to hear from you!

About Us

Benefits for this role include:

• Full training and support when you join and ongoing throughout your employment with us.
• 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.
• Staff networking and support groups.

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 as well as non-emergency patient transport services in Surrey and Sussex.

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.

Date posted: 14 April 2025

Pay scheme: Agenda for change

Band: Band 3

Salary: £24,071 to £25,674 a year Pro rata per annum

Contract: Permanent

Working pattern: Full-time, Part-time

Reference number: 195-25-ECTN-CWB

Job Responsibilities

Disability Support

To hear how we support our workforce, have a look at our recent video for our disability friendly recruitment event on our SCASJobs Facebook page.

If you have any queries relating to disability and the role or recruitment process, get in touch at: [e-mail]

If you are interested in a rewarding, yet demanding role where each day you make an impact to our patients care, then submit your application now!

Person Specification

Qualifications & Training Essential

• Good standard of education (i.e 2 GCSEs at Grade 4 or above including English) or equivalent demonstrable experience

Knowledge & Experience Essential

• Experience of working in a customer focused environment
• Experience of using a computerised system

Desirable

• Experience of working in a call centre
• Experience of working rotating shifts
• Previous NHS experience
• Previous experience of patient care

Skills & Aptitudes Essential

• Attention to detail and accurate data entry skills
• Ability to use communication and computerised systems.

Desirable

• Map reading.

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 Details

Employer Name: South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust

Address: Northern House, Talisman Road, Bicester, OX26 6HR

Employer's Website: https://scasjobs.co.uk/