Job vacancy: Telephonist, Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Kettering

Job summary

Main area: Admin
Grade: Band 2
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Part time - 37.5 hours per week (mixture of hours 10, 27.5 & 24)
Job ref: 264-7553190-COR

Employer: Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type: NHS
Site: Kettering General Hospital
Town: Kettering
Salary: £24,465 pro rata
Salary period: Yearly
Closing: 27/01/2026 23:59

Telephonist

Band 2

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To operate the Group’s switchboard consoles in an efficient, courteous and friendly
manner, answering calls within agreed timescales
• To answer incoming telephone calls and enquiries.
• To connect outgoing telephone calls made by users. To monitor and log, if
necessary, information concerning all personal calls made by staff for re-charge
purposes.
• Ability to adapt communication style to understand the needs of others and ensure
effective and compassionate communication. Ability to communicate in instances
where communication is difficult due to language barriers, distress, emotion, hearing
difficulties etc.
• The efficient operation of the Group’s paging systems for both emergency and nonemergency calls. To be fully aware of the Group’s Emergency process and the
Switchboards responsibilities upon activation.
• Responsible for ensuring that all alarm and notification panels / screens are
monitored, alerting the appropriate teams as quickly as possible.
• Responsible for prioritising emergency calls and take the appropriate actions as
quickly as possible.
• To provide Out Of Hours reception cover as required dealing with general enquiries.
• Receive and document key transactions including accommodation for new and oncall staff.
• To monitor CCTV cameras within the switchboard areas when requested.
• To receive deposits for accommodation using debit/credit card transactions ensuring
relevant paperwork (receipts) are completed in line with the departmental
procedures.
• Booking taxis for staff, patients and equipment.
• Responsible for ensuring that all staffing and on-call rota changes reported to
Switchboard are made available to all staff.
• Contribute to the training of new team members.
• Flexibility in the hours worked will include cover at w

Person specification

Knowledge and Experience

Essential criteria

Evidence of continuing professional development
Knowledge of Switchboard directories / telephony systems
Experience of delivering a switchboard function preferably in the public sector

Desirable criteria

Knowledge of Avaya telephony
Knowledge of pager solutions and the management of pager devices

Qualifications

Essential criteria

Educated to Vocational Level 2 education or equivalent level or equivalent experience delivering Digital services

Desirable criteria

Knowledge of working within a health care setting

Skills

Essential criteria

Good verbal and written communication and presentation skills, suitable for a range of audiences.
Ability to adapt communication style to understand the needs of others, ensure effective and compassionate communication.
Ability to communicate in instances, where communication is difficult due to language barriers, distress, emotion and hearing difficulties.
Advanced telephone and keyboard skills
Occasional working in isolation
Able to clearly manage priorities for self, staff and teams in order to meet targets.

Important Information

Applications will be transferred to TRAC system, by completing an application your are giving authorisation for the transfer of your data.

Correspondence regarding your application will be sent to you via a TRAC system account.

We are an equal opportunities employer, which aims to employ a workforce that reflects the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons from all backgrounds.

We welcome applications from members of our black and minority ethnic (BME) communities, especially in relation to senior posts within at KGH.

Applicants who have a disability and meet the essential criteria for the job will be interviewed if you indicate you wish to be considered under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme. If you require a reasonable adjustment at any stage of the recruitment process please make the recruitment services team aware as soon as possible.

Appointments will be made on merit.

In submitting an application form, you authorise Kettering General Hospital (KGH) NHS Foundation Trust to confirm any previous NHS service details via the Electronic Staff Record (ESR) Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) process. Including factual reference, occupational health clearance and statutory and mandatory training record.

If you need to have a Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check, as a requirement of the role, you will be required to repay the cost of obtaining a DBS check (£49.50) and this amount will be reclaimed from your first salary. From 1st February 2019 all new starters to the Trust are required to join the DBS update service as per Trust DBS Re-checking Policy which has an annual cost of £16. New employees who do not join the update service will be required to pay £49.50 for a new DBS check in 3 years time.

Please note that news starters with KGH are subject to a six month probationary period.

Please ensure that the information you provide on your application form is correct, accurate and that nothing has been omitted. Any information that is stated in your application form in relation to qualifications/training courses/work/education experience/references must be able to be evidenced. Failure to do so may result if your offer being withdrawn.

"Safeguarding is everyone's business. KGH considers Safeguarding a priority amongst its citizen's and a key value for all employed to the service."

We want to recruit the best people to deliver our services across the University Hospitals of Northamptonshire and help to unleash everyone’s full potential. As an organisation, we value how we communicate and promote our vacancies to all communities. The Hospital Group encourages applications from people who identify from all protected groups, especially those from BAME, Disabled and LGBTQ+ backgrounds as these are underrepresented in our hospitals. We understand that we need to work with colleagues from diverse backgrounds and make sure the environment they work in is inclusive and collaborative. We have active Networks that promote and support colleagues from all backgrounds. This ensures everyone feels supported and has a sense of belonging working for Kettering and Northampton General Hospitals.