Receptionist

Livewell Southwest; Plymouth; On-site; GBP 12,000 - 17,000; Part time

Job summary

Livewell Southwest is seeking a friendly Receptionist for The Glenbourne Unit in Plymouth. This 20-hour-per-week fixed-term role acts as the first point of contact for patients, visitors, and staff, handling enquiries and supporting administration.

The ideal candidate will be well organised, have strong communication skills, and be able to work in a busy healthcare setting. The role requires front-of-house duties and adherence to data protection and confidentiality policies.

Qualifications

• Experience in administrative data systems.
• Team working experience in healthcare settings.
• Experience in health or social care office environments.
• Proven ability to deal with the public with clear communication.
• Ability to liaise with external agencies and contractors.
• Good organisational skills and attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Provide front-of-house support for customers and visitors, acting as first point of enquiry and signposting to relevant services.
• Promote the department's image by ensuring notices and leaflets are current and well presented.
• Record and escalate complaints, compliments, and suggestions appropriately.
• Respond to telephone, email, and written queries, including call handling as agreed.
• Lock down the Unit when required, manage front door access via phone link, and oversee key security, audits, and deposits for locker keys.
• Ensure visitors sign in/out, monitor security cameras, SAS alarms, and fire systems.
• Report faults, manage mail, arrange meetings and events, and maintain accurate records in line with data protection.
• Support managers with data collection, invoices, petty cash, and stock control.
• Ensure contractors complete safety induction and comply with confidentiality.
• Work independently, prioritising tasks, and contribute ideas for service improvement.
• Physical effort: Frequent sitting/standing; keyboard input; light lifting, sorting and filing.

Skills

Administrative experience

Teamwork

Health/social care environment

Public interaction

Dealing with external agencies

Communication skills

Prioritising workload

Initiative

Organised and accurate

Education

NVQ 2 or equivalent

GCSE level education

ECDL

Tools

MS Word

MS Excel

MS Office

Job description

Receptionist Band 2 (20 hours per week) - Fixed Term - 12 Months

The Glenbourne Unit are looking for a friendly and organised individual to join our team as a Receptionist at The Glenbourne Unit. This role is key to providing a welcoming and professional first point of contact for patients, visitors, and staff.

Responsibilities include managing the reception desk, handling telephone enquiries, supporting administrative tasks, and ensuring smooth day-to-day operations. The ideal candidate will have excellent communication skills, a positive attitude, and the ability to work effectively in a busy healthcare environment.

Main duties of the job

Provide front-of-house support for customers and visitors, acting as first point of enquiry and signposting to relevant services. Promote the departments image by ensuring notices and leaflets are current and well presented. Record and escalate complaints, compliments, and suggestions appropriately. Respond to telephone, email, and written queries, including call handling as agreed. Lock down the Unit when required, manage front door access via phone link, and oversee key security, audits, and deposits for locker keys. Ensure visitors sign in/out, monitor security cameras, SAS alarms, and fire systems. Report faults, manage mail, arrange meetings and events, and maintain accurate records in line with data protection. Support managers with data collection, invoices, petty cash, and stock control. Ensure contractors complete safety induction and comply with confidentiality. Work independently, prioritising tasks, and contribute ideas for service improvement.

Please note that this role is not eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route.

Please note that Livewell may close the job advertisement earlier than the specified deadline.

All Livewell staff are expected to be able and willing to work across a 7 day service.

About us

Livewell Southwest is an independent, award-winning socialenterprise delivering integrated health and social care services acrossPlymouth, South Hams, and West Devon, with specialist services in parts ofDevon and Cornwall. Our teams work in community hospitals, GP practices, sportscentres, and health hubs.

As an organisation with a strong social conscience we are guided by our values,kindness, respect, inclusivity, ambition, responsibility, andcollaboration. We focus on transforming services to ensure sustainability, whileempowering staff and those we serve.

We involve the people we care for, along with their families and carers, inshaping the care they receive, striving to deliver the right care at the righttime and place. Centering our work on individual needs helps people leadhealthy, independent lives.

We prioritise employees' development, offering protected CPD time, trainingpathways, leadership programs, and funding for qualifications like the CareCertificate and Nurse Training Scholarships. Our induction and preceptorshipprograms ensure a smooth transition into our organisation.

Livewell Southwest values diversity and encourages applications from allsections of the community, including those with armed forces experience, lived experience of mentalhealth, neuro-diverse conditions and learning disabilities. If you need assistance or reasonable adjustments during theapplication process, contact the Recruiting Manager listed in the job advert.

Job responsibilities

Provide front-of-house support for customers and visitors, acting as first point of enquiry and signposting to relevant services.

Promote the departments image by ensuring notices and leaflets are current and well presented.

Record and escalate complaints, compliments, and suggestions appropriately.

Respond to telephone, email, and written queries, including call handling as agreed.

Lock down the Unit when required, manage front door access via phone link, and oversee key security, audits, and deposits for locker keys.

Ensure visitors sign in/out, monitor security cameras, SAS alarms, and fire systems.

Report faults, manage mail, arrange meetings and events, and maintain accurate records in line with data protection.

Support managers with data collection, invoices, petty cash, and stock control.

Ensure contractors complete safety induction and comply with confidentiality.

Work independently, prioritising tasks, and contribute ideas for service improvement.

Physical Effort: Frequent sitting & standing. Inputting at a keyboard for most of day, frequent light effort to lift, sort & file case notes.

May have to occasionally move presentation equipment and office supplies or clinic consumables.

Mental Effort:Frequent concentration is required when inputting into systems, typing documents, making appointments & processing records with a need to ensure accuracy.

The work is usually predictable but there may be interruptions from telephone calls, visitors and staff & occasionally imposed deadlines.

Emotional Effort:There may be some exposure to service users who may exhibit difficult & challenging behaviours.

Working conditions:Exposure to unpleasant conditions is rare/occasional. May be exposed to verbal aggression from patients. Will use VDU for high proportion of time.

The flexible nature of the job may require post holder to move within the team or within the wider organisational setting as required and undertake similar duties.

Person Specification

Experience

• Experience of working in an administrative environment using computerised data systems.
• Experience of team working
• Experience of working in a health or social care office environment

Experience

• Experience in dealing with the public, with good communication skills
• Ability to work and deal with outside agencies

Qualifications

• Educated to Vocational Level 2 (NVQ 2) in a relevant subject or equivalent level of qualifications or significant equivalent previous knowledge & experience
• Good general education to GCSE level or equivalent
• Intermediate word processing, MS Office word and excel
• ECDL

Skills and Abilities

• Ability to communicate verbally and in writing to a good level - face to face and over the telephone
• Ability to prioritise own workload
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team.
• Able to use own initiative and to know limitations of own role and knowledge
• Organised, efficient and accurate
• Flexible and adaptable willing to learn new skills

Knowledge

• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office including Word and Excel
• Good understanding of confidentiality
• Ability to use Business applications and patient record systems
• Knowledge of patient administration system
• Understanding of Data Protection legislation

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.