Integrated Advice Officer in Grimsby

About this role: Integrated Advice Officer – full time vacancy within the Adult Social Care function of the Single Point of Access (SPA). The SPA is a multidisciplinary team of nurses, social workers, occupational therapists, mental health practitioners, integrated advice officers and A3 assessors who provide frontline services to the public and other professionals.

Main duties:

• Work a 4‑week rotating rota covering 7 days a week, 365 days a year between 7a.m. and 11p.m.; the first point of contact for members of the public, other professionals and agencies wishing to access adult social care services.
• Take referrals and provide professional advice and guidance around wellbeing and adult social care, deciding the most appropriate response and diverting callers to other services or resolving the issue yourself.
• Take adult safeguarding, occupational and physiotherapy referrals and progress them to the appropriate professional.
• Undertake first‑level screening over the telephone and respond to other electronic referrals.
• Maintain accurate and comprehensive records (SystmOne).
• Undertake proportionate assessments, identify risk factors and inform speed/urgency/priority levels of onward referrals.
• Update and maintain IT systems such as client and staff databases and electronic rota management systems.
• Exercise initiative and judgement, seeking support from your supervisor when required to perform beyond the remit of your role.
• Develop an extensive knowledge of the services provided by Focus and other partner agencies to ensure the best possible service is provided for clients and other callers.
• Participate in establishing formal and informal links with appropriate staff, statutory, voluntary and community bodies in accordance with agreed policy.
• Contribute to the induction and training of new members of staff, including apprentices and people on work placement schemes.
• Actively participate in own regular supervision, using reflection and analysis to inform practice.
• Attend and participate in meetings and events as required.
• Recognise and offer peer support to promote team working.
• Identify opportunities for improvement by suggesting changes to services, through formal and informal supervision, which may require you to contribute to creating systems that improve the efficiency and productivity of the service.

Person Specification:

Qualifications:

• NVQ Level 3 in Customer Care or Health and Social Care or equivalent, or willingness to work towards.
• Solid educational background including Maths and English to GCSE (A‑C grades) standard or equivalent.
• NVQ Level 4 in Customer Care or Health and Social Care or equivalent.
• Recognised IT or word processing qualification, e.g. OCR/RSA II Word Processing; CLAIT, ECDL or equivalent.

Skills and Abilities:

• Ability to maintain accurate and legible records using written communication & IT skills.
• High levels of IT skill with meticulous attention to detail.
• Ability to use own initiative and apply independent judgement within the parameters set for the post.
• Effective interpersonal / communication skills to build and maintain networks with colleagues / partner organisations / client and their carers.
• Ability to receive complex and varied information and determine the correct course of action.
• Ability to remain calm and professional during potentially distressing and / or difficult conversations and situations using tact and diplomacy and know when to seek support / guidance.
• Ability to respond with empathy and sensitivity to people who have a range of needs.
• A high level of personal organisational ability to manage a workload, achieve targets, meet deadlines and apply a flexible approach in order to respond to customer and business needs and/or changing priorities.
• Self‑motivated with an ability to provide support and motivation as a team member to colleagues.
• Ability to deal with potential conflict situations in a rational, calm and professional manner using a range of appropriate skills.

Experience:

• Previous experience of working successfully in a frontline customer care or health and social care environment.
• Experience of competently using a range of IT packages.
• Experience of communicating with a range of people using varied media.
• Experience of dealing with / resolving complaints.
• Experience of working within a confidential environment and / or handling sensitive or personal information.

Disclosures:

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and requires a Disclosure and Barring Service check.

Salary: £24,307 to £27,097 per year pro‑rate plus shift premiums.