Switchboard Telephonist - Maternity cover

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust; Yeovil; On-site; GBP 20,000 - 25,000; Part time

Job summary

A leading healthcare organization in Yeovil seeks a part-time Telephonist for maternity cover, responsible for managing the hospital switchboard, responding to emergencies, and handling customer inquiries. Candidates should possess a good general education, proficient IT skills, and experience in customer service. The position requires effective communication, especially under stress. The role offers flexible hours within a supportive NHS environment.

Benefits

Flexible working options

NHS pension scheme

Generous annual leave allowance

Career development opportunities

Blue Light Card for discounts

Qualifications

• Experience providing customer-focused service.
• Proficient IT skills including keyboard skills.
• Experience communicating effectively, especially in stressful situations.

Responsibilities

• Answer the hospital switchboard and respond to emergency calls.
• Take payments and store valuable items securely.
• Ensure effective communication with both internal and external stakeholders.

Skills

Customer service

Proficient IT skills

Effective communication

Calm demeanor under stress

Education

Good general education (GCSEs) including English and mathematics

City & Guilds / NVQ 2 level or equivalent experience

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Switchboard Telephonist - Maternity cover

We are currently recruiting for a part time Telephonist to work the below hours on a fixed term contract for 9 months maternity cover. The total weekly are 27 hours per week on a 2 weekly rota. The anticipated start date is mid January 2026.

Week 1

Week 2

The roles consists of answering the hospital switchboard, respond to emergency calls, providing cover to the main reception and car park intercom out of hours. To be aware of fire, major incident and lockdown procedures ensuring that all services are delivered in an efficient, courteous and polite manner to both internal and external customers.

Main duties of the job

To be responsible for taking payments out of hours and storing valuable items in the safe.

Finding relevant staff from on call rota to resolve problems

Respond to the fire alarm, Major incident and emergency calls and inform the relevant team

Effective communication including with distressed, anxious or angry individuals

Required to follow processes when responding to calls or alarms.

Manages conflicting demands within the job role on a daily basis.

About us

At Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, we're committed to supporting our employees with a range of benefits designed to enhance your professional and personal life. We offer:

• Flexible working options to help you balance work and life
• NHS pension scheme for long-term financial security
• Generous annual leave allowance to recharge and relax
• A strong focus on career development to help you grow and achieve your potential

Additionally, you'll gain access to our Blue Light Card, unlocking exclusive discounts on shopping, dining, and leisure activities, as well as NHS-specific perks to support you both inside and outside of work.

We are proud to foster a diverse, skilled, and inclusive workforce, and we encourage applications from all backgrounds.

Why Somerset? Somerset offers the perfect blend of idyllic countryside, outstanding areas of natural beauty, and breathtaking coastlines, with vibrant cities like Bristol, Bath, and Exeter just a short drive away - and only two hours to London.

The region is home to excellent educational facilities, and with affordable housing compared to other parts of the country, it's a great place to build both your career and your future.

Somerset truly has it all - the peaceful countryside and cosmopolitan city life, with something for everyone to enjoy.

Job responsibilities

The post holder will work with all levels of staff, including clinicians and senior managers, contractors, stakeholders associated with the Trust including clinicians and system users.

Communicates effectively with external stakeholders (GPs, other hospitals, Ambulance services, local authorities, police and council), dealing with service or general queries, together with taking appropriate action.

Responsible for receiving and providing information which can be of a sensitive nature and is often complex and detailed on a regular basis.

Organises own work, flexibility required switching from admin tasks, reporting or analysis to answering phone throughout the shift in order to provide an accurate and timely service.

To ensure the switchboard is manned at all times and calls are answered quickly and politely and routed to appropriate departments/personnel

Answer the emergency phone immediately, and respond to emergency by call out correct emergency team.Record call and action on appropriate record sheet

Attend to Main Reception duties giving a courteous service to enquirers outside office hours

To allocate and issue accommodation and keys via the Trusts Accommodation Booking system

Inform relevant staff of medical gas shortages, fire alarms and other alarms which are linked to switchboard

To take payment for parking, accommodation and prescription charges either with cash or using the Chip and Pin terminal for card payments.Record payments on the relevant form including refunds

Attend to the car parking assistance call system, dealing with calls using own initiative and call relevant personnel regarding car park system failure when necessary

To issue keys to relevant personnel, checking ID, and record their distribution on the key database

To be fully aware of the fire alarm procedure

To be fully aware of the major incident procedure

The position involves lone working out of hours

Answer calls for the EFM helpdesk on ext 4444 and report the faults on FM first

Provide support to the EFM admin team as required

Book contract taxis when requested and keep a central record

The post holder will be expected to support the training and development of new colleagues

Ensuring all alarms and faults are reported, communicated clearly and actioned 24/7 in a timely manner and ensuring the correct staff are contacted for the alarm and the time of day.

Keep a record of all actions taken in a major incident

Comply with all SSL Policies and Procedures including (but not exclusively), Quality, Environmental Equality, Diversity, Safety, Human Resources and Financial.

Be fully conversant with the Switchboards emergency procedures, including those for a Major Incident and fire security, cardiac arrests etc developed through training.

Undertakes surveys or audits when necessary for own work.

Competently operate the PC based ARC consoles and operator workstation equipment to provide a standard and consistent level of service in an efficient and cost effective manner.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Good general education (GCSEs) including English and mathematics or equivalent
• Relevant vocational qualification(equivalent to Microsoft Office MOST, ECDL or related qualification
• City & Guilds / NVQ 2 level or equivalent experience willing to completed vocational level 3 within agreed time scale
• NVQ Customer Services or equivalent experience.
• Vocational level 3 /BTEC) in IM&T or information systems related subject (or relevant experience in IM&T environment)

Experience

• Experience of providing customer focussed service
• Proficient IT skills including keyboard skills and experience of Microsoft packages
• Experience of effective communication including with distressed, anxious or angry individuals and able to escalated where appropriate
• NHS Switchboard / Call centre experience
• Experience of variable shift working

Additional Criteria

• Demonstrable comfort with IT systems and a willingness to learn new IT skills
• High level of digital literacy
• Good level of digital design
• Able to respond quickly to provide emergency cover in times of colleague absence
• Good organisational skills
• Willingness to learn
• Concentration is required when dealing with customers
• Able to deal with sensitive callers
• Frequent VDU use
• Long periods of sitting
• Flexible approach to working hours & practices
• Professional appearance, behaviour, and attitude
• Ability to remain calm and work effectively in stressful
• A calm, caring and empathic attitude towards patients, visitors, relatives & colleagues which is aligned with the NHS Values
• Awareness and respect for colleagues, patients and relatives cultural, religious and emotional needs and beliefs
• Previous experience of healthcare or large complex organisation

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.