Job summary
- Main area
- 111, Health Advisor, Call Handler, NHS, Ambulance, Call Centre, Contact Centre, Customer Service
- Grade
- Band 3
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time
- Part time
- Job ref
- 278-111HAC-1305-CB
- Employer
- South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Crawley HQ
- Town
- Crawley
- Salary
- £24,071 - £25,674 + unsocial enhancements evenings, weekends, bank holidays
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 22/05/2025 23:59
Employer heading

111 Health Advisor (Call Handler) - Crawley
Band 3
South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SECAmb) has a vision to ‘support our staff to provide a caring, high quality and efficient urgent and emergency care service to our communities’. We are rated ‘Good’ for care by the Care Quality Commission and while the other areas under their most recent report require improvement, our aim is to continually improve and to reach outstanding across all areas of the Trust.
Our 4,000+ workforce provide services to 4.9m people across Kent, Surrey, Sussex and North East Hampshire. We handle over 1 million calls to 999 and 1 million calls to NHS 111 every year. More information regarding our services and locations can be found on our website.
Job overview
111 Call Handler (Health Advisor) - Crawley
Join your local Ambulance Service! Your NHS needs YOU!
Our NHS 111 Call Handlers (Health Advisors) are people just like you: people who have come to us from all walks of life, from different backgrounds and age groups, people who all have the same things in common.
You are the first person our patients speak to when they call 111, it could be urgent and they may require an ambulance. Alternatively, they simply are in need of some advice and support from you.
The 111 service receive a huge variety of calls which means no two days are ever the same.
Progression Opportunities
We offer excellent training and career development opportunities for ambitious employees both within the call centres and also opportunities to explore different roles within the wider Trust such as Human Resources and Administration and operational front-line roles, leading to a career as a Paramedic or in Senior Management.
What makes a great NHS 111 Call Handler (Health Advisor)?
- Our 111 Call Handlers are all caring and empathetic
- They all have great communication skills and love talking to people
- They're all happy and able to work flexibly
- They all love making a difference to people's lives
Main duties of the job
The role of a SECAmb Call Handler
When you ring 111 or 999, your call goes through to a call handler based in one of our 3 Emergency Operation/Contact Centres. These staff are trained to use the NHS Pathways system to provide assistance in a variety of situations, from minor illness to life threatening situations. The assistance you will provide will range from offering lifesaving advice whilst an ambulance is on route, to directing callers to other more suitable services.
This role can be demanding, challenging and ultimately very rewarding however, it's not for everyone. Applicants will need to have a range of skills to be able to deal with often stressful and emotional situations, whilst also demonstrating compassion and empathy to all callers, no matter what the situation.
As we are a 24/7 service, this role will involve working a varied shift pattern including earlies, lates and weekends but due to our flexible working, we will work with you to create a rota that gives you a great work/life balance whilst meeting the needs of the trust.
Please note that it is a requirement to work 3 out of 4 weekends, even if you are applying for a part time position. Please give this consideration before making your application.
Working for our organisation
Why Work At South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust
(SECAMB)?
What we can offer you:
- Competitive salary of £24,071 - £25,674 with the earning potential of up to £30,000 per annum
- Any unsocial hours worked you will attract an enhancement in line with Section 2 Agenda for Change
- Generous NHS Pension Scheme
- 35 days’ annual leave inclusive of Bank Holidays (pro rata)
- Free parking
- Access to Blue Light discounts
- Award winning Wellbeing hub
- Staff networks
- Training and development
- Salary Sacrifice schemes for cars or push bikes
- Free Enhanced DBS check
- Bonus scheme
Training Provided
We will provide full training in a warm, friendly environment in our NHS 111 Call Centre.
Our comprehensive training programme:
- 9 weeks training
- Training will be full-time (even for part-time applicants)
- Has a ‘must’ attend policy and no annual leave is permitted during this period
- Comprises of classroom, observing and mentoring periods within the working environment
- Designed to fully support full transition to call handling independently
Training schedules
Weeks 1 - 3 - Classroom Training, Monday - Friday, 08:00 - 16:00 / 16:00 - 00:00
Week 4 & 5 – Mentoring, this will be a variable shift pattern whilst you shadow your coaches shifts
Weeks 6 - 9 – Diamond Pod, variable shift pattern
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Applicant Requirements
Successful applicants will demonstrate high levels of personal commitment to facilitate the delivery of a patient focused service.
We need individuals who have the drive and passion to make a difference to people’s lives, but also the personal resilience to work in a high-pressured environment.
You will need to be able to work well within a team and independently, have fast/accurate typing skills and a good standard of education. Successful candidates must possess GCSE Maths and English (or equivalent qualifications) at Grade C or above (2018 Grade 4).
This role is suited to people who remain calm under pressure, good at problem solving and have excellent interpersonal skills, with an empathetic nature.
Further Information
If you are successfully shortlisted, you will be required to complete an online Psychometric test as part of the recruitment process.
All successful applicants will be required to undertake an Enhanced DBS check for children and adults.
Person specification
Qualifications/Training
Essential criteria
- Educated to GCSE or Functional Skills in Maths, English and ICT skills OR evidence within previous employment that they have used Maths and English to GCSE level or higher
Desirable criteria
- NHSP Pathways trained or other medical triage system background
Experience
Essential criteria
- Previous experience working and communicating with the public
- Ability to communicate with a variety of different people and build rapport
Desirable criteria
- Experience of working in a computer based role - strong IT skills
- Previous experience of working within a team or with stakeholders across a range of settings
Applicant requirements
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Chloe Barnes
- Job title
- Recruitment Advisor
- Email address
- [email protected]
List jobs with South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust in Administrative Services or all sectors