Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust

Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust Crisis Line Call Handler

The closing date is 12 January 2026

Job summary

We are Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust, providing mental health, learning disability and specialist services, serving 1.8 million people across the county.

Are you looking for a new and exciting opportunity? Are you an exceptional candidate who wants to be part of an innovative and evolving service?

The Kent & Medway Mental Health Crisis Line is expanding and it's an exciting time to join us. The service provides a mental health crisis line, offering urgent mental health help and support over the phone to members of the public who are not currently receiving care and treatment from KMPT services. It also provides a referral management function for professionals. This is a critical role within the organisation as the first point of contact for those contacting secondary mental health care.

We operate 24/7 and staff are required to work across a full roster period, including early, late and night shifts. We can offer roles on both a full and part time basis.

The primary team base is at Eastern and Coastal Area Offices on the St Martins Hospital site in Canterbury. After an initial office-based induction period, there is some flexibility to work from home on an agile basis, for up to two shifts per week for full time staff.

Main duties of the job

As a call handler within our service, you will be the first person that callers speak to, so excellent communication and customer service skills are essential. You will be responsible for undertaking initial screening of callers, using defined processes, to offer advice, reassurance, or signposting. You will be supported by a qualified mental health clinician.

Our contact centre-based service utilises an online telephone system, so applicants must be confident computer users. You will also be required to enter details into our clinical systems promptly. All staff receive a comprehensive induction when they join the service, supporting you to develop skills appropriate to your new role.

About us

We are the Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust. We care for the mental health and wellbeing of people across Kent and Medway. Our teams support adults with a wide range of mental health needs. Because we cover the whole county and both hospital and community settings, we can make care more joined up and easier to access for the 1.8 million people of Kent and Medway. Rated 'Good' by the CQC, we care for over 2,000 people in our hospitals and 54,000 in the community each year.

Our vision is simple: We are here to help communities not just live with mental illness, but live well. It's why we're passionate about working with communities to make mental health care better for everyone. And everything we do is guided by our values caring, inclusive, curious and confident.

Join us - if you share our passion for better mental health care and want to be part of a team that's doing well together.

Please refer to the attached job description for the full details on the responsibilities and person specification

Details

Date posted

29 December 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£24,937 to £26,598 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

380-WK0335-A

Job locations

Eastern & Coastal Area Office, Canterbury

Littlebourne Road

Canterbury

CT1 1AZ


Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see the attached job description for full details of the main duties and responsibilities of the role.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see the attached job description for full details of the main duties and responsibilities of the role.

Person Specification

Training, Qualifications and Registration

Essential

  • GCSEs x 5 (Grade A-C) or equivalent
  • Level 3 Qualification (NVQ 3 or equivalent)

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

  • Self-motivated and able to work under own initiative
  • Customer Care
  • Excellent verbal, interpersonal and written communication skills.

Experience

Essential

  • Professional/lived experience of working with individuals with mental health difficulties
  • Work with electronic systems

Desirable

  • Contact / call centre experience
  • NHS experience
Person Specification

Training, Qualifications and Registration

Essential

  • GCSEs x 5 (Grade A-C) or equivalent
  • Level 3 Qualification (NVQ 3 or equivalent)

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

  • Self-motivated and able to work under own initiative
  • Customer Care
  • Excellent verbal, interpersonal and written communication skills.

Experience

Essential

  • Professional/lived experience of working with individuals with mental health difficulties
  • Work with electronic systems

Desirable

  • Contact / call centre experience
  • NHS experience

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

Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust

Address

Eastern & Coastal Area Office, Canterbury

Littlebourne Road

Canterbury

CT1 1AZ


Employer's website

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


Employer details

Employer name

Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust

Address

Eastern & Coastal Area Office, Canterbury

Littlebourne Road

Canterbury

CT1 1AZ


Employer's website

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


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Service Manager

Tom Young

tom.young1@nhs.net

07860342936

Details

Date posted

29 December 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£24,937 to £26,598 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

380-WK0335-A

Job locations

Eastern & Coastal Area Office, Canterbury

Littlebourne Road

Canterbury

CT1 1AZ


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)