Job requirements
Essential
13 listedRequirements the employer expects applicants to meet.
- Skills
Good interpersonal and communication skills
- Skills
Ability to prioritise and manage own workload
- Skills
Enhanced Literacy skills
- Skills
Numeracy skills
- Skills
Excellent IT skills
- Personal
Flexible
- Personal
Open to change
- Personal
Open and honest
- Personal
Motivated
- Personal
Demonstrates respect, dignity and integrity
- Experience
Experience of working within a mental health setting
- Experience
Person centred care
- Qualifications
NVQ 3 in Care, Customer Care or Business Administration or commitment to work towards
Desirable
1 listedAdditional qualities the employer would prefer.
- Skills
Record keeping skills
Job overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen for patient focused Call Handlers to support the Initial Response Service (IRS)
IRS offers a single point of access into mental health services. This is an exciting time to be part of the crisis pathway and support people with mental health to ensure they access the most appropriate support at the right time. Call handlers will be expected to accept calls from both professionals and services users, and will be required to complete administrative tasks such as clarification of appointment times or general enquiries. The calls will be from callers across the trust footprint and processes will need to be followed to ensure the activity is recorded in the IRS Network stack for the callers location.
Excellent IT skills are an essential component due to the fast pace of this role and the accurate recording of information to aid onward referral.
Main duties of the job
The role involves assisting clients who may be experiencing a range of mental health conditions. You will act as a liaison between the patient and the clinical team, to support all patients in receiving a positive, high quality and seamless experience throughout.
This role also requires the post holder to manage calls from service users who may be in crisis and you will supported through a training package to determine the immediacy of the situation and needs of the individual caller at that time.
The post holder will be resilient, resourceful, and be able to manage calls that may at times be distressing or require an emergency response. A robust supervision structure is in place to support staff due to the challenges of the role.
We are excited to receive applications from people who have the drive and passion to make a difference and have the resilience to work in a high-pressured environment.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see the attached job description and person specification for more information about this role.
Applicant requirements
The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Call Handler with Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust in Preston, England. It is listed as a Band 3 Ambulance and emergency care role. The advertised salary is £25,760 - £27,476 per annum (subject to confirmation). The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 12 Oct 2026.
Before you apply, compare the job description with the person specification and mirror the employer's essential criteria in your supporting information. Use the vacancy title, employer, location, salary, contract type, closing date and posted date (28 Sep 2026) to decide whether this role fits your current NHSjob search. If the employer can close applications early, prepare the application before the stated deadline rather than waiting for the final day.
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