Clerical Officer/Receptionist in Plymouth

We are looking to recruit a professional, enthusiastic and confident individual to join our busy team of receptionists. You must have excellent interpersonal and communication skills as you will work closely with other team members and you will come into contact with a wide range of service users. The team provides support to all services who use our buildings by welcoming patients who attend for Livewell Southwest services, including Podiatry, District Nurses, Weight Management, Midwives and Cardiac Rehab among others. The team also provides high quality administrative support, carrying out tasks such as making and receiving telephone calls, booking appointments, data inputting and data quality checking. Good computer skills are essential for this role.

The post will be based at the Cumberland centre but there is a requirement to work across other locations within Plymouth. The ability to frequently travel independently and in a timely manner between Livewell Southwest sites and community locations, including areas not served by public transport, is essential. Working days will be Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday morning (excluding Bank Holidays) between the hours of 8.30am-5pm to meet service needs. Applicants should have previous experience of a similar role.

Main duties of the job

• The postholder will be required to deliver efficient and professional customer service to all patients and staff who utilise our buildings.
• You will work closely with other team members to ensure all duties are carried out correctly and in a timely manner, highlighting any concerns to senior staff and working pro-actively to resolve any issues.
• The post involves answering the telephone and dealing with face to face enquiries in an often very busy environment, so your ability to prioritise and multi-task is essential.
• You will utilise SystmOne and other IT systems to support the services that use the buildings.
• All Livewell Southwest staff are expected to be able and willing to work across a 7 day service.

Please note that this role is not eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route. Please note that Livewell may close the job advertisement earlier than the specified deadline if a high number of applications are submitted. Therefore, we recommend you submit your application at the earliest opportunity.

About us

Livewell Southwest is an independent, award-winning social enterprise delivering integrated health and social care services across Plymouth, South Hams, and West Devon, with specialist services in parts of Devon and Cornwall. Our teams work in community hospitals, GP practices, sports centres, and health hubs. As an organisation with a strong social conscience we are guided by our values, kindness, respect, inclusivity, ambition, responsibility, and collaboration. We focus on transforming services to ensure sustainability, while empowering staff and those we serve. We involve the people we care for, along with their families and carers, in shaping the care they receive, striving to deliver the right care at the right time and place. Centering our work on individual needs helps people lead healthy, independent lives. We prioritise employees' development, offering protected CPD time, training pathways, leadership programs, and funding for qualifications like the Care Certificate and Nurse Training Scholarships. Our induction and preceptorship programs ensure a smooth transition into our organisation. Livewell Southwest values diversity and encourages applications from all sections of the community, including those with armed forces experience, lived experience of mental health, neuro-diverse conditions and learning disabilities. If you need assistance or reasonable adjustments during the application process, contact the Recruiting Manager listed in the job advert.

Job responsibilities

• To provide an initial reception service for all visitors to our buildings.
• To direct patients to the appropriate department.
• To provide general reception duties, including dealing with enquiries and requests from the general public either face to face, over the telephone or by letter. Telephonist duties, including forwarding calls to appropriate departments and taking messages for absent staff etc. where necessary.
• To support the Service Administration Supervisor with administration procedures relating to the maintenance, regulatory requirements and day to day running of the Clinic in line with the policies of Livewell Southwest.
• To take part in Appraisals, Supervisory and team meetings with the Service Administration Supervisor and/or Service Support Manager and contribute to discussions regarding changes in practice and receive information regarding organisational developments. Information may be disseminated via e-mail and the Postholder should check their emails every time they are on duty.
• Promote the image of the department, checking that notices and leaflets are up to date & well presented.
• Ensure that all complaints, compliments, concerns, comments and suggestions are appropriately recorded, and where possible resolved within the level of role or escalated appropriately.
• Distribution and management of incoming and outgoing post including responsibility for sending correspondence to Mount Gould Mail Room for posting.
• Ordering of basic clinical and stationery supplies.
• Provision of clerical/reception services to support multiple different services which may now, or in the future, be run from the Centre/Clinics.
• Ordering and issuing hearing aid supplies, on behalf of Express Diagnostics and Audiology at Derriford Hospital.
• Working within Service protocols to ensure the smooth running of Podiatry Clinics using SystmOne. Completing outcome forms, booking follow up appointments, ensuring patients are placed on waiting lists as necessary, monitoring follow-up waiting lists, discharging patients and maintaining the safe storage of electronic records.
• Liaising with clients relating to any aspects of, or changes to, their scheduled appointments, either face to face, on the telephone or using the letters generated by SystmOne and recording such contacts in the patients records.
• Booking appointments for the Lower Limb Clinic as per instructions given by the District Nurse Team.

Please note: The full job description/person specification is available as a supporting document.

Person Specification

Skills

• Good communication at all levels
• Organisational skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Ability to work on own initiative
• Fully competent in the use of computerised patient management systems (SystmOne/IPM/CRIS and Smartcard) as applicable to post
• Understand and use Internet and e-mail appropriately
• Able to deal with and diffuse difficult situations
• Ability to adapt to change as and when introduced
• Committed to Continuous Personal Development

Experience

• Previous experience of working with the public on a face to face basis
• Previous experience of working in a team
• Telephone answering and message taking skills
• Previous clerical/receptionist experience
• Conversant with SystmOne/IPM/CRIS and Smartcard
• Previous experience of working in a health service environment

Knowledge

• Understanding of the concept of confidentiality
• Understanding of confidentiality issues as they relate to a health care setting and ability to apply this knowledge in the workplace
• Knowledge of Trust Policies and Procedures and how to access them

Qualifications

• Educated to GCSE level English and Mathematics Grade C or equivalent
• RSA 1 or equivalent typing/word processing
• Vocational Qualification Level II or able to demonstrate the skills; knowledge and ability required.
• RSA 2 or 3 or equivalent typing/word processing

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.