Emergency Duty Service Advisor

Essex County Council; Chelmsford; On-site; GBP 18,000 - 21,000; Part time

Job summary

A local government authority in Chelmsford is seeking a part-time position for a Social Care Direct role. Responsibilities include providing information on social care policies and ensuring data compliance. The role requires customer service experience, excellent typing skills, and the ability to work under pressure. Typical shifts include evenings and weekends with a salary of £18,980 to £20,927 per annum with additional allowance.

Qualifications

• Experience of answering a high volume of calls.
• Ability to deal with challenging individuals sensitively.

Responsibilities

• Provide accurate information on Social Care policies.
• Ensure data compliance with legislation.
• Collaborate with colleagues to share knowledge.

Skills

Customer service experience

Excellent typing skills

Ability to work under pressure

Working knowledge of MS Word and Excel

Excellent interpersonal skills

Education

GCSE level or equivalent

Job description

Responsibilities

• Responsible for using specialist knowledge and judgement on Adult, Child, and Mental Health services available to respond to enquiries and requests with appropriate information and advice.
• Responsible for identifying and responding to urgent or critical situations by passing referrals to the EDS Social Workers to ensure appropriate escalation and management of situations.
• Responsible for providing accurate and up-to-date information and advice to callers on Social Care policies and services, including eligibility criteria, and services provided by other statutory, private, and voluntary agencies.
• Responsible for ensuring that all information is recorded quickly and accurately and is entered onto the appropriate database to ensure records are properly maintained.
• Responsible for ensuring that all information recorded complies with data recording legislation and guidance.
• Responsible for capturing data required for performance indicators in the correct format or style for it to be transcribed on the appropriate system.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues to support the sharing of knowledge and new information.
• Work collaboratively as a representative of Social Care Direct on project and consultation groups to ensure knowledge and information is shared with colleagues.
• Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.

Qualifications and Experience

• Educated to GCSE level or equivalent by experience.
• Customer service experience including answering a high volume of calls.
• Excellent typing and office-based skills.
• Experience of working under pressure in a busy office environment.
• A working knowledge of standard ICT software and systems, in particular MS Word and Excel.
• Experience of using own initiative to progress work.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to deal with challenging people in a sensitive manner.

About the Role

Full training for this role will be given.

We are looking for a part‑time position working 28 hours per week, including evenings, weekends, and bank holidays on a rota basis. The successful applicant will be required to complete all shifts at our office location in Chelmsford and remote working is not available for this position. Typical shift times are as follows:

• Monday – Thursday 17:00 – 00:30
• Friday 16:00 – 00:00
• All workers are required to complete one overnight bi‑weekly shift 00:00 – 07:00
• Weekend shifts vary but will be between 07:00 and 00:00

The pro‑rata salary for this role will be £18,980 to £20,927 per annum, with a 15% Out of Hours allowance in addition to your salary.

Why Essex?

As one of the largest and most dynamic UK local authorities, Essex offers a stimulating public service environment. Covering over 1,420 square miles and serving 1.8 million residents, we are committed to transformational change and delivering better quality at lower cost. Recognised in the top three of the latest IMPOWER index for productivity, we ensure everyone matters in Everyone's Essex. With flexible working options and a focus on innovation, whether you are looking to develop your career or contribute to the local community, Essex is the ideal place for you.

In February 2025, Greater Essex was accepted onto the Government's devolution priority programme, which will see local authorities in Essex work towards establishing a Mayoral Combined County Authority by May 2026. We are proud to be a Disability Confident Leader and committed to interview all disabled applicants, veterans and care leavers who meet the minimum requirements of the role. Should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service and keep your certificate up to date.

Our Commitment to Equality

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment. We value integrity and ethical behaviour, and ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the Nolan principles throughout the recruitment process.

To Apply

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