Integrated Care Navigator

Job description

Job responsibilities

My role helps deliver patient care by

The Care Navigator plays a crucial role in supporting the delivery of safe, timely, and effective patient care within the Cornwall 111 Integrated Urgent Care Service. Working closely with clinicians, they act as a key point of contact for patients, helping to direct calls and navigate individuals to the most appropriate services based on clinical guidance and system protocols.

By managing the triage queue and identifying patients who may require urgent attention, Care Navigators ensure that clinical priorities are addressed swiftly. Under the direction of a clinician, they help direct Single Point of Access (SPA) calls, contact patients to gather further health information, and use structured templates and forms to record and relay accurate data. This enables clinicians to make informed decisions and maintain continuity of care.

Their ability to handle high volumes of calls professionally and empathetically contributes to a positive patient experience, while their knowledge of local services allows for effective signposting and resource utilisation. Care Navigators also support the dispatch of home visits and booking of treatment centre appointments, helping to manage patient flow and maintain safety across the system.

Their visible presence within the Clinical Advisory Service team fosters collaboration and operational awareness, while their communication with patients, clinicians, and external partners ensures that queries are resolved efficiently. By combining administrative precision with compassionate engagement, Care Navigators are essential to the smooth functioning of the urgent care pathway and the delivery of high-quality patient care.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Call Handling - Manage incoming calls to the IUCS and Acute GP Service using the clinical systems, ensuring patients are greeted professionally and navigated efficiently to appropriate services.
• Triage Queue Monitoring - Regularly assess the triage queue to identify patients needing urgent attention, escalating to clinicians to maintain safety and responsiveness.
• SPOA Call Direction - Direct Single Point of Access calls under clinician instruction, ensuring patients are routed to the correct service based on clinical need.
• Care Navigation - Support care navigation within integrated care across, primary, urgent and emergency care.
• Patient Contact - Contact patients to gather additional health information using structured forms and templates, supporting accurate clinical assessment.
• Information Recording - Accurately document patient interactions and health details, ensuring data integrity and compliance with clinical governance standards.
• Documentation Handling - Manage and support organisational process for documents received in relation to special patient notes, clinical care and child protection notifications.
• Clinical Care Navigation - Work with clinicians within the IUCS service to deliver the clinical care navigation model.
• Home Visit Dispatch - Prioritise and dispatch home visits according to clinical urgency, ensuring timely care and efficient use of resources.
• Appointment Booking - Schedule treatment centre appointments, balancing clinical priority with service capacity to maintain safe patient flow.
• Capacity Monitoring - Monitor demand for home visits and appointments, alerting managers when capacity risks patient safety or service performance.
• Service Knowledge - Maintain detailed knowledge of local healthcare services and pathways to enable effective patient navigation and signposting.
• Professional Liaison - Communicate with clinicians, service managers, and external partners to resolve queries and coordinate patient care.
• System Maintenance - Update the Adastra database, including special patient notes and record corrections, ensuring accurate and current patient records.
• Team Support - Assist with team meetings, training sessions, and business continuity planning, contributing to a cohesive and prepared workforce.
• Challenging Behaviour Management - Handle interactions with distressed or challenging individuals using calm, professional communication and escalation protocols.
• Performance Contribution - Support the achievement of service KPIs and quality standards through efficient call handling and patient navigation.
• Escalation Protocols - Recognise and escalate clinical or operational issues to Service Delivery Managers, ensuring timely resolution and patient safety.
• Compliance - Adhere to all mandatory training, policies, and protocols, maintaining professional standards and regulatory compliance.
• Flexibility - Adapt to changing organisational needs, working across shifts and roles to support continuous service delivery.
• Prescriptions - Manage and complete documentation to support operational process for prescription management.

You will be expected to carry out any other duties that may reasonably be required in line with your main duties, as directed by your line manager.

We recognise that AI is becoming part of daily life, and you may choose to use it to help prepare your application. We welcome innovation but ask that anything you submit reflects your own abilities, experience, and voice. AI can support how you describe your skills and experience, but it should never replace your own words as we want to get to know you.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• GCSEs in Maths and English at grade C or above
• Good level of literacy and numeracy
• Demonstrated IT competence, including digital literacy and ability to navigate systems while communicating with patients

Desirable

• Education to A-level (or equivalent)

Experience

Essential

• Previous call centre or customer service experience, or experience working with members of the public
• Commitment to providing excellent patient care and ability to communicate effectively in a professional and empathetic manner

Desirable

• Experience working within an NHS environment, particularly in primary, urgent, or emergency care
• Prior experience handling high volumes of inbound calls or working in an out-of-hours control centre
• Knowledge of Cornwalls healthcare system and geography
• Experience working to targets and KPIs
• Training or experience in conflict management

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

Kernow Health CIC

Address

Cudmore House

Treliske Industrial Estate

Truro

Cornwall

TR1 3LP

Employer's website

https://www.kernowhealthcic.org.uk (Opens in a new tab)