Rate of Pay: £13.02
Hours: 37
Location: Independent Living Centre
Start Date: Immediate

An opportunity has arisen for two Customer Service Advisor’s to join the Adult Social Care Enquiry Team on a temporary basis.

Overarching principles:

• Deliver an enhanced customer experience that promotes wellbeing to local people in their local communities.
• Enable people to live independently for longer by supporting people to retain or regain their skills and confidence, and prevent the need or delays in deterioration wherever possible.
• Focus on the customer’s outcomes, will also contribute to the strategic outcomes of Sandwell MBC and partner organizations.

Within this role, you will undertake the following duties;

• To have knowledge and understanding of relevant legislative and regulatory framework and Government initiatives relating to your service area, including safeguarding, and the needs of vulnerable adults.

• To have knowledge of the principles and responsibility of information sharing and data protection in line with legislation.

• To act as the first point of contact for Adult Social Care enquiries, identifying customer need through the provision of excellent customer service.
• On receipt of an enquiry, you will be required to undertake initial assessment to determine the most appropriate response. This will include resolving queries through the provision of advice and information; signposting customers to other agencies who can meet their needs; referral onto the appropriate team; arranging for the provision of services; or assisting with the completion of the self-assessment.
• To process correspondence/assessments/applications received and sent by the Adult Social Care. These may be received electronically or in hard copy.
• To AI to support in assessments and decision making
• To carry out appropriate checks prior to issuing/arranging services
• To book appointments for officers for telephone or face to face visits in line with agreed procedures, and the notification of customers
• To undertake market research in line with the change management vision to improve the service delivery and performance improvement.
• To undertake specific duties and responsibilities determined by the line manager.
• To work with managers and other staff members to share and promote good practice and work co-operatively to ensure consistency in working practices wherever feasible and champion all changes particularly in relation to the personalisation agenda.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• To support and maintain a culture that puts the customer at the centre of the service delivery, working positively with local communities.
• To focus on the importance of customer service and emphasise this in all activities.
• To act in the best interests of service users by setting clear, agreed and achievable standards of customer service.
• To respect the confidentiality of service users by treating information about service users as confidential and use it only for the purposes they have provided it for.
• To act within the limits of your knowledge, skills and experience.
• To communicate properly and effectively with service users and other practitioners.
• To manage a workload of vulnerable people and children who are referred within the service, ensuring a customer outcome focus approach.
• To ensure all case records are accurate and recorded in a timely manner.
• To liaise with service providers, partner agencies etc to ensure the effective delivery of services.
• To undertake market research/ customer surveys in line with the Change Management Vision to improve service delivery and performance improvement.
• To complete an update appropriate paperwork and electronic records/databases, to record enquiries, assessments and responses/ resolutions to queries. Records to be maintained and updated accurately and in a timely manner in accordance with service standards and targets. This will include the scanning and indexing of relevant paperwork and supporting documentation.
• Extracts and provides, as requested, information from service users/carers electronic and paper records in accordance with all relevant legislation. E.g. Data Protection, Freedom of Information etc.
• Collates and maintains information and statistical data for the preparation of reports, returns and management information
• Responsible for presenting a professional image of Sandwell MBC at all times.
• Processes financial transactions in accordance with financial regulations.
• Undertakes the ordering of services and/or equipment using the SBS ordering system or other systems, ensuring accurate recording.
• Uses IT equipment and specialist software to input, amend or extract information or utilising specialist training with reference to operating manuals, including work of a confidential nature.

Responsible for identifying process improvements and contributing to the implementation of new procedures, developments and working methods, including updating and guidance manuals and briefing team members

The post involves delivering an enhanced customer experience to people accessing Adult Social Care, that promotes wellbeing to local people in their local communities. The ideal candidate will have experience of working within a busy Contact Centre environment and will need to:
deal with incoming calls and process requests for services from all customer enquiries across multiple channels,
be an active listener, with clear communication skills,
have excellent IT skills as the role requires the use of numerous systems and applications
be able to offer a service focused on customer experience and care
You must have GSCE English and Maths or an equivalent qualification

This role is for 37 hours per week and the service operates 9am to 5.30pm Monday to Thursday and 9am to 5pm on Fridays. The Enquiry service operates from a fixed office location.

A standard DBS check is required for this role.