Receptionist in Liverpool

• £26,780 FTE (Band 2), equivalent to £16,068 pro rata
• Location

St Anne's Centre, Overbury Street, Liverpool. The role is based on site and is not suitable for remote working.

Hours

22.2 hours per week (0.6 FTE), worked across four days from Monday to Thursday. Normal working hours will be 8.45 am to 2.48 pm, with a 30-minute unpaid lunch break.

Overview of the role

The Receptionist will provide a welcoming, calm and efficient first point of contact for people visiting or contacting Asylum Link Merseyside (ALM).

Many people using the Centre are navigating the asylum system and may be experiencing distress, uncertainty or destitution.

The postholder will listen carefully, provide clear initial information, direct people to the appropriate service and seek support promptly where a matter is urgent or outside the scope of the role.

The postholder will support volunteers to carry out reception duties consistently.

They will also maintain accurate service-user records, provide agreed cover for the main telephone line, and deal with post and deliveries.

This is an administrative and front-of-house role; it does not involve providing immigration advice or specialist casework.

Key responsibilities

• Reception and Service-User Support
• Provide a friendly, respectful and professional reception service to everyone visiting St Anne's Centre.
• Welcome service users, establish the purpose of their visit and direct them to the appropriate ALM service, staff member or on-site partner.
• Provide accurate basic information about Centre opening times, activities, appointments and access arrangements, without giving immigration advice or other specialist advice.
• Manage waiting areas and visitor flow, helping to maintain a calm, safe and orderly environment.
• Recognise urgent, safeguarding or welfare concerns and refer them immediately to the appropriate staff member in line with ALM procedures.
• Maintain appropriate professional boundaries and respond sensitively to people who may be distressed, frustrated or have limited English.
• Support the Volunteer Coordinator to organise and maintain the reception volunteer rota and identify any gaps in cover.
• Provide reception volunteers with day-to-day guidance and practical support, escalating performance, conduct or welfare concerns to the line manager.
• Help ensure that reception volunteers follow agreed procedures on confidentiality, data protection, safeguarding, record-keeping and referrals.
• Contribute to the induction and ongoing briefing of volunteers undertaking reception duties.
• Service-User Data and Administration
• Enter and update service-user information accurately and promptly on ALM's CRM system.
• Handle personal and sensitive information securely and in accordance with ALM's data-protection, confidentiality and record-keeping requirements.
• Maintain reception information, sign-in arrangements, forms and supplies so that they are accurate, accessible and ready for use.
• Telephone Enquiries
• Provide cover for the main telephone line as part of an agreed rota or when requested by the Volunteer Coordinator, taking accurate messages and directing calls to the appropriate person or service.
• Respond to routine telephone enquiries using agreed information and templates, referring complex, sensitive or specialist enquiries to the appropriate colleague.
• Maintain clear records of telephone enquiries and follow-up actions where required.
• Post, Deliveries and Centre Support
• Receive incoming post and deliveries, keep them secure and pass them promptly to the Finance and Administration Manager or another appropriate colleague for distribution.
• Welcome contractors and other expected visitors and notify the relevant member of staff.
• General Responsibilities
• Work collaboratively with staff, volunteers, trustees and partner organisations based at St Anne's Centre.
• Maintain appropriate confidentiality and comply with ALM's policies and procedures.
• Promote ALM's values and its commitment to dignity, inclusion, and equality.
• Carry out other reasonable duties consistent with the nature and level of the role, as agreed with the line manager.

Skills and experience

• Experience of providing reception, customer-service or front-of-house support in a busy environment.
• A welcoming and respectful manner, with the ability to communicate sensitively with people from a wide range of backgrounds.
• The ability to remain calm, patient and professional when dealing with competing demands or people who may be distressed.
• Good spoken and written English and the ability to explain routine information clearly.
• Good administrative and organisational skills, including accurate data entry and record-keeping.
• Confidence using databases and standard Microsoft Office applications.
• The ability to support volunteers in their day-to-day reception duties.
• Sound judgement, including knowing when and how to refer an enquiry, safeguarding concern or difficult situation to a colleague.
• A clear understanding of confidentiality, professional boundaries and the importance of protecting sensitive personal information.
• A commitment to ALM's mission and values.
• Experience of working or volunteering in a charity, community organisation or service supporting people experiencing disadvantage.
• Experience of working with interpreters or communicating with people who have limited English.
• Knowledge or lived experience of issues affecting people seeking asylum and refugees.
• Ability to communicate in a language other than English commonly spoken by people using ALM's services.
• Candidates must have the right to work in the UK.
• Applications from people with lived experience of the asylum system are encouraged.
• #J-18808-Ljbffr