LAP Triage Administrator (Call Handler)

Job description

Job responsibilities

'This vacancy is only open at this stage to internal employees of the following organisations within the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care System:

• North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust
• If anybody is unsure of the process that follows, please give me a shout and I'll fully go through the process of what we do with internal applicants after the 7 days.
• Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
• University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust, inclusive of Black Country Procurement Group and North Midlands and Cheshire Pathology Service.

This will be the case for 7 calendar days from: 10/03/2026 to 17/03/2026 following this the vacancy will be open externally.

RESPONSIBLE FOR:

Referrals received for the community nursing service (District Nursing, Ambulatory Clinics, Community Intervention Service, OT, Physio and Community Matron) by the LAP for patients registered with a GP in South Staffordshire (South East Alliance).

Processing all referrals in line with agreed protocols, utilising available IT systems (clinical and nonclinical).

WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

INTERNAL: Community nursing teams; all services in MPFT who have input into the support of adults referred to the community nursing teams.

EXTERNAL: Patients, Carers, members of the public, GPs, Acute Trusts, Hospice Staff. Care Agencies and other service providers.

Main Duties:

To provide high quality customer service as the first point of contact for telephone calls into Community Nursing Teams, Therapy Services, Specialist Pelvic Health and Falls Prevention Services in South East Staffordshire.

Job Description:

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Main duties and responsibilities

To provide high quality customer service as the first point of contact for telephone calls into Community Nursing Teams, Therapy Services, Specialist Pelvic Health and Falls Prevention Services in South East Staffordshire.

To manage and action all mail in the LAP email inbox and other sources of referrals, directing messages and referrals to the clinical triage team where appropriate. RAG rate all referrals to ensure priority levels are managed effectively.

Action appropriate referrals ensuring the demographics are correct and plan outcome within agreed scope. Returning any inappropriate referrals back to the sender for further information.

Utilising triage protocols to direct calls to other services as required (internal and external).

To have an understanding of local adult health and social care services to direct calls supporting a no wrong door approach with the ability to signpost to the relevant service.

Ensuring a minimum standard of information is recorded for all referrals and messages to the service. This may include contacting the referrer or patient if the call is not taken directly by the call handler.

Process referrals on electronic clinical systems following agreed protocols; ensuring all new referrals are sent to the clinical triage team in a timely way.

Support Triage Nurses with information gathering, returning calls and scheduling visits as required.

To sensitively handle personal imagery/digital photography.

To manage venepuncture requests ensuring that ICE forms/referrals are processed accordingly using clinical and allocation systems.

To regularly check the teams voicemail boxes, retrieving messages left and directing to the correct team.

Demonstrating activities to new starters, support induction for new staff and maintain an up to date new starter handbook.

Ability to work alone unsupervised and escalate appropriately.

Support Triage Nurse diaries including outcoming interventions on Clinical Systems.

Participate in audits (data collection) as requested.

To participate in team meetings and huddles, taking minutes and completing actions as appropriate.

Completing off duty, populating Healthroster and supporting with annual leave planning alongside Triage Nurse/Operational Manager.

To promote the use of digital platforms to aid self-management and prevention in relation to patients health and well-being.

To work in collaboration with the PALS service to capture service user feedback using this to drive service improvements.

Communication and relationships

The post holder will communicate daily with members of the LAP team and community nursing teams, including out of hours nursing.

To communicate frequently with other adult service providers as needed; this will include talking to GPs; hospital medical staff; nursing and therapy staff to gather information required to support the patient or to escalate to the triage nurse.

The post holder will need to communicate effectively with patients using voice or video calls for the duration of each shift. This will involve using empathy; persuasion and de-escalation skills when contacting patients or carers who may be calling with urgent health needs.

The post holder will be exposed to highly sensitive information and will be expected to follow MPFT information governance policies at all times, particularly in relation to confidentiality and data security.

Decisions and judgements

The post holder will be expected to follow LAP team protocols and will be supervised either face to face or remotely.

Will be expected to demonstrate compassion and empathy when answering phone calls from patients or family members where callers may be distressed or emotional. They will be expected to recognise when and how to gain support with distressing calls, from their immediate supervisor.

There is a need for frequent concentration when coordinating information from multiple sources and prioritising competing demands.

Expectation to identify, and share, opportunities for service developments or quality improvements related to the LAP team.

Person Specification

Customer service/call handling experience

Essential

• Customer service/call handling experience

IT qualification or equivalent experience/competency

Essential

• IT qualification or equivalent experience/competency

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.

Employer details

Employer name

Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Merlin House

Etchell Road

Tamworth

B78 3HF

Employer's website

https://www.mpft.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)