ICC Call Handler - Middlebrook, Bolton

North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust; Horwich; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 25,000; Full time

Job summary

North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust is seeking ICC Call Handler trainees to join our contact centre teams (999, 111 or Patient Transport). You will start in training and be the main point of contact for the caller, gathering information and providing calm, clear guidance in urgent situations.

You will work in a high-pressure, 24/7 environment, with full training provided and a pathway to conversion across areas.

Qualifications

• Educated to GCSE level (English) or equivalent; call handling or customer service experience preferred.
• Ability to perform data entry accurately and type quickly.
• Strong communication, empathy and ability to work under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Handle calls from patients with care and compassion.
• Complete patient assessments over the phone.
• Provide clear, accurate advice to potentially save a life.
• Support patients during distressing situations and provide reassurance.

Skills

Data entry

Keyboard skills

Communication skills

Empathy

Resilience

Customer service

Education

GCSE English

Tools

Call center software

Job description

This is a vital role where you will initially start your training as an ICC Call Handler in one of our contact centre areas - 999, 111 or Patient Transport Services, overtime being placed on conversion courses & trained in all three areas.As a Call Handler you will be the main point of contact for the person at the other end of the line.

• Manage a variety of calls from a wide range of different patients with care and compassion
• Complete patient assessments over the phone
• Where applicable, provide clear, correct advice that could potentially save a life whilst remaining calm under pressure
• Provide reassurance in what may be a very distressing situation

Handling a wide range of calls & thriving amid the challenges this presents requires an outstanding amount of resilience and emotional strength. You will be supporting unwell & upset patients at their time of need, which will make a difference to lives. It requires people who can be there for those that need it, sometimes in the face of adversity and trauma.

Course Dates; 8th February 2027

Main duties of the job

This is a highly pressurised environment where you may be in contact with people in extremely vulnerable or stressful situations; our callers can be upset, angry, anxious or hysterical.For this we ask you would need to be confident in dealing with a range of people in varying situations, able to work in a fast-paced environment and must be adaptable to change quickly.Your role is to gather as much information as possible, assess the call, and provide clear, correct advice or instructions that could potentially save a life, remaining calm and reassuring under pressure. Your support will make a difference to lives and requires people who can be there for those that need it, sometimes in the face of adversity and trauma.You will need good data entry skills and a high standard of keyboard/typing ability. Experience in a call centre or customer service environment is advantageous. We are seeking individuals with a passion for excellent customer service, strong communication skills, and the resilience to thrive in a role that is both challenging and rewarding.

We have organised some support sessions for those interested in this role to enable better understanding of this role, the application and recruitment process.

About us

North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust provides 24 hour, 365 days a year accident and emergency services to those in need of emergency medical treatment and transport.

Our highly skilled staff provide life-saving care to patients in the community and take people to hospital or a place of care if needed.We also provide non-emergency patient transport services for those patients who require non-emergency transport to and from hospital and who are unable to travel unaided because of their medical condition or clinical need.

Alongside the other emergency services, we also work to ensure the safety of the public and treatment of patients in the event of a major incident.

We also deliver the NHS 111 service in the North West. NHS 111 replaced NHS Direct in 2013. This service was introduced to make it easier for people to access local NHS healthcare services in England. It provides non-emergency medical help fast, and is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Job responsibilities

Due to the nature of the hours only applicants over the age of 18 can apply for this role.

Visa sponsorship is not possible for this role for either candidates or existing employees. Shifts: This service runs 24/7 365 days a year - A full range of shifts will need to be covered, including bank holidays, public holidays, weekends and include working nights / early hours. Please read FAQ for details on shifts- Flexibility is required.

• You are to be contracted to hours not days. Shift lengths and rota patterns you work will vary subject to the operational needs of the business - you may be asked to work anything from 8,10,11, or 12 hour shifts including overnight shifts for example. Notice will be given of any changes.
• To consider staff wellbeing consecutive shifts will have similar start times. (Usually working to a 3hr window)
• Staff will tend to work 3 out of 4 weekends.
• Staff will have 4-6 weeks notice of their allocated shifts.
• Where possible Rest Days will be scheduled together.
• rota patterns are subject to change and working shift lengths can vary and are subject to change at any time and in such circumstances

Training:Full training will be given to the successful candidates.

You will be placed on a training programme which will run Full Time 37.5 for the length of the course. It is a pre-requisite that candidates must successfully complete the each step of the training programme, including all examinations and Audits.Continued employment is conditional upon the successful completion of the mandatory training programme, which includes all required assessments and a preceptorship period. You must achieve a satisfactory pass in all components of this programme.

Assessment Centre; W/C - 16.11.2026 (These dates are subject to change)

Conversion Courses:In time you will be placed on conversion classes covering all three areas, this is mandatory to the role (you will initially be allocated to one area which would primarily be 999, 111 and/or PTS). Each stage of the conversion training will include practical experience of working in that area. This offers a clear and structured career pathway, with ongoing development and training to support you in becoming fully skilled and competent ICC Call Handler

Failure to meet this requirement will be treated as a capability issue under the Employment Rights Act 1996 and NWAS Workforce Performance Management policy and procedure. If you do not successfully pass any aspect of the training course within the specified timeframe and to the required standard, the Trust reserves the right to terminate your employment on the grounds that you are unable to perform the role for which you were employed.We currently offer full-time positions (37.5 hours per week) but may consider 30+ hours

Multiple Adverts out?: If multiple adverts out candidates will only be invited to one site and will receive one interview and assessment therefore, please ensure you apply for the correct location in which you would like to be based. Assessments will need to be passed before the candidates can progress to interview.

Full training will be given to the successful candidates. You must be able to commit to the full length of the training programme - No leave is / will be permitted within the above training weeks Courses run on a Full Time 37.5hrs pw basis. It is a pre-requisite that candidates must successfully complete the each step of the training programme, including all examinations and Audits.

Sponsorship:Visa sponsorship is not possible for this role for either candidates or existing employees. The skill level and salary for this role does not meet the eligibility criteria for Skilled Worker/ Health and Care worker visas as set out at gov.uk. Graduate visa holders should have no expectation of long-term employment through sponsorship. Additionally, your visa conditions and validity period must allow you to work in the role question and for a suitable period to allow training and execution without requiring sponsorship.

Person Specification

• Keyboard / data entry skills.
• Competent and confident user of computer-based information systems.
• Demonstrable verbal & written communication skills.
• Ability to follow and interpret policy and procedures.
• Demonstrable effective listening, analytical and decision making skills
• Ability to deal with queries from the public/patients in a tactful and appropriate manner, demonstrating empathy and compassion

Qualifications, Knowledge & Experience

• Educated to GCSE standard or equivalent (one of which must be English), or in the absence of such, previous call handling/customer service experience.

Values & Behaviours

• Proactive in identifying opportunities for improvement and innovation.
• Ability to work as part of a team
• Ability to use own initiative
• Maintaining and understanding client confidentiality
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Evidence of self-development and assisting others to develop
• Commitment to punctuality, flexible shift working, and understanding of 365 day/24 hour rostering.

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.