Personal Injury Handler (12 Month FTC)

Firstcentral; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 26,000 - 34,000; Full time

Job summary

First Central is seeking three Personal Injury Handlers for a 12‑month fixed term contract at our Salford Quays, Manchester office. Initial 3 months are in-office full-time for training and support, followed by a hybrid pattern with 4 days at home and 1 day in the office.

You will manage a PI claims portfolio from intake to resolution, triage MoJ/OIC portal claims, and maintain strong client and insurer relationships while meeting KPIs and service levels.

Qualifications

• Experience handling personal injury claims including indemnity validation, accurate reserve setting, liability resolution, fraud detection and large loss indicators.
• Experience of managing inbound and outbound calls.
• Knowledge of claimant representatives (KYO/ Non KYO).
• Knowledge of liability assessment.
• Knowledge of working with the OIC portal preferred.
• Experience of working in a team environment.

Responsibilities

• Triages and processes MoJ/OIC portal claims from initial contact to stage 1 conclusion.
• Owns and manages a portfolio of Personal Injury claims submitted via the OIC/MoJ portals from receipt through to conclusion.
• Manages inbound and outbound calls with policyholders, witnesses and third parties.
• Ensures files are reserved accurately and promptly per reserving policy.
• Assesses basic liability decisions and negotiates with customers and third parties as appropriate.
• Identifies potential fraud indicators and refers as required.
• Develops and maintains relationships with colleagues and stakeholders.

Skills

Investigative mindset

Negotiation

Communication skills

Time management

Attention to detail

Customer service

Tools

OIC portal

Job description

At 1st Central, everything starts with our people. As one of the UK's leading motor and home insurers, we use smart technology, data and great service to make insurance fast, fair and simple for over 1.4 million customers. We're proud to create an environment where people feel supported, trusted and able to grow - whether that's developing new skills, taking on fresh challenges or making a real impact every day. If you're looking for a role where you can make a difference, we'd love to hear from you.

Do you have third-party injury claims experience? Are you a logical thinker and keen to progress your career in a dynamic and fast growing insurer? Do you enjoy negotiating and managing a claim to a conclusion with strong knowledge of relevant legal jurisdictional rules and protocols? Well look no further!

We're looking for three Personal Injury Handlers to join our Personal Injury team on a 12-month fixed term contract based in our Salford Quays, Manchester office.

This role is all about being assertive, playing a key role in supporting the customer through their PI claims journey from initial contact to case resolution, you'll be an expert in your field showing empathy and building strong working relationships.

Core skills we're looking for to succeed in the role:

• Investigative mindset: Skilled at gathering facts, reviewing legal documents and investigating claims to build strong cases.
• Excellent communication: Able to communicate clearly with clients, insurers and Claimant solicitors.
• Negotiation: Confident negotiating with insurers and other parties to reach fair settlements.
• Deadline driven: Able to manage key claim deadlines and respond promptly to meet legal requirements.

Working flexibly, you'll spend the first 3 months in the office full-time for training and support, then hybrid begins with 4 days at home and 1 day in the office. But if you prefer to be in the office more, that's good with us too.

What's Involved:

• You’ll proactively triage and process MoJ/OIC portal claims from the outset to conclusion of "stage 1".
• You’ll own and manage a portfolio, of Personal Injury claims submitted via the OIC/MoJ portals from receipt of new claim through to conclusion contacting policyholder's, witnesses, Third Party Insurers to assess and agree liability keeping our policyholders informed on progress and managing expectations as and when required
• You’ll manage inbound and outbound phone calls
• You’ll ensure that all files are reserved accurately and promptly in accordance with our reserving philosophy
• You’ll effectively assess basic liability decisions
• You’ll effectively negotiate, as appropriate, with customers, suppliers, Unrepresented Claimants rand all relevant Third-Party representatives
• You’ll promptly identify potential fraud indicators which require referral
• You’ll ensure that any bodily injury claims with potential large loss indicators are referred promptly
• You’ll ensure that all continuous improvement ideas are raised via the Team leader or Technical Lead.
• You’ll develop and maintain effective relationships with colleagues
• You’ll be responsible for own personal development requirements in specialist area, by attending all training sessions to ensure understanding of technical issues
• You’ll ensure that all expressions of dissatisfaction are registered in accordance with FCIM's complaint procedure
• You’ll achieve all personal objectives, Key Performance Indicators (KPI's) and Service Level Agreements (SLA's)
• You’ll carry out duties, activities and tasks as directed within the Claims and Fraud pillar to ensure all departments perform effectively and efficiently and meet the demands of First Central's customers and any third parties

Experience & Knowledge

• Experience of handling personal injury claims including indemnity validation, accurate reserve setting, liability resolution. fraud detection and large loss indicators,
• Experience of managing inbound and outbound calls
• Knowledge of claimant representatives (KYO/ Non KYO)
• Knowledge of liability assessment
• Knowledge of working with the OIC portal preferred
• Experience of working in a team environment

Skills

• Effective communication skills, both verbal and written using everyday methods of communication
• Negotiation and influencing skills
• Good time management and organisation skills
• Good assertive skills
• Good time management and organisation skills with the ability to prioritise work
• Problem-solving skills with the ability to adopt a logical approach to resolving problems
• Good customer service skills
• Good numeracy and literacy skills
• Computer literate
• Good Continuous Improvement tools and techniques
• Manages Customers expectations and can identify a complaint and understand the escalation process.

Behaviours

• Tenacious and able to negotiate.
• Customer focussed
• Takes initiative to make decisions
• Self-motivated and enthusiastic
• Able to evidence a thorough approach to claims handling
• Emphasis on attention to detail and accuracy
• Ability to work on own initiative and