Access Assessor

Job description

Job responsibilities

The Service and Team

The Independence and Wellbeing Service is the first point of contact for Adult Social Care in Cornwall. Our Access Assessors help people over 18 get the right support by giving clear information, advice, and connecting them to services that promote independence and wellbeing.

About the RoleAs an Access Assessor, youll be the first point of contact for adult social care enquiries. This role is within a busy team and is predominantly phone and computer-based, requiring strong communication skills for telephone interactions and proficiency in using digital systems to manage information and complete tasks.

Your day will typically include:Answering calls and emails from people who need support, listening carefully to understand their situation.Recording accurate information in our digital systems.Giving advice and signposting people to the right services.Deciding next steps, which might include arranging reablement, recommending an assessment, or contacting partner agencies.Responding quickly and professionally to safeguarding concerns and escalating when needed.In this rewarding role, every day is different and gives you the chance to help people in meaningful ways. Youll work in a supportive team with regular supervision and training and opportunities to develop your career.

What youll need to succeed

• Excellent communication skills confident on the phone and strong written ability.
• Active listening and empathy understanding peoples needs and responding sensitively.
• Problem-solving and negotiation finding practical solutions under pressure.
• Organisational skills prioritising tasks in a busy environment.
• IT skills comfortable using computer systems and digital tools.

• Understanding of Adult Social Care experience working in or alongside adult social care services, or a clear understanding of how local authority social care supports people.

This is a public/customer-facing role, where the statutory English language requirement for public sector workers applies.

This position will be subject to a criminal record disclosure check.

Working Pattern:

Youll work 37 hours per week, Monday to Friday, from 8:45 am to 5:15 pm (finishing at 4:45 pm on Fridays). This is a hybrid role, with time split between home and the office in Mid Cornwall, so youll need to live within a reasonable commuting distance.

For an informal discussion, please contact Jo Hughes, Lead Access Assessor for Mid Cornwall, atjo.hughes@cornwall.gov.uk.

Please read the role profile for the full details of this role attached below in this advert

What youll get in return:

Cornwall Councils ambition is to be an employer of choice, a high performing Council and a learning organisation. We commit to providing a reward and benefits package to attract, motivate and reward our employees. We offer a range of flexible working options to our staff. This helps provide our employees with a greater work/life balance. Whilst still ensuring that service needs are met.

Our core employee rewards and benefits include:

a competitive salary.

a defined benefit pension scheme, based on your career average earnings. This includes the option for extra voluntary contributions

a generous annual leave entitlement with the potential to purchase additional leave.

A national award-winning employee health and wellbeing programme

Employee benefits scheme giving employees access to a wide range of discounts to local and national goods and services.

Additional Information:

Cornwall Council is unable to offer visa sponsorship or transfer existing sponsorship for this role.

The full role profile is attached on this advert

We recommend saving a copy of this to refer to if you are invited to an interview.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working in a customer care environment, using a
• customer focused approach.
• Experience of working with people who have care and support
• needs knowledge of the social care sector/ provision and
• understanding of interagency working.
• Ability to gather information through appropriate questioning on
• the telephone and evaluate and assess information to make best
• next steps decisions. Ability to communicate well with both written
• and spoken English.
• Good telephone manner, excellent active listening, oral and
• written communication skills, and evidence of negotiation,
• empathy and diplomacy.
• Ability to research information, inform and advise people and to
• be able to accurately record that information reflecting a summary
• of the persons.
• Self-motivated with ability to prioritise, work under pressure and
• to stay professionally focussed within a busy and demanding
• environment.

Qualifications

Essential

• Good general education, including literacy and numeracy e.g.
• English Language & Mathematics GCSE grade C or above.
• NVQ level 3 in Advice and Guidance or equivalent or capable of
• working towards this qualification.

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.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Cornwall Council

Address

Carlyon House

20 Carlyon Road

St Austell

Cornwall

PL25 4DB

Employer's website

https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)