Band 3 Transport Booking Operative - Calne

at  Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust

AWP NHS Trust are looking for motivated and enthusiastic individuals to join their busy Transport Booking Team on a 12 month fixed term/secondment contract.
Working hours are 37.5 hours per week, daily hours to be discussed at interview.
The Transport booking team receive communication from stakeholders across the Trust in order to complete patient transport requests. This is in the form of emails and telephone calls into our busy department. This would require two way communication and the ability to ensure tasks are completed.
The successful applicant will need to be proactive, able to work under pressure, have the ability to problem solve, and maintain a professional manner at all times.
To provide an efficient and professional first point of contact for the Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust (AWP) Transport Department.
To take and manage incoming/outgoing communication, via Telephone/Email, to facilitate bookings from multiple stakeholders who are mainly requesting different forms of patient transport. This information to be checked against policy, recorded accurately and sent to the transport provider efficiently.
The successful candidate is expected to be skilled when it comes with multi-tasking, have excellent communication skills and be methodical in their work approach.
This role requires both the data gathering side of taking transport bookings but also the ability to enforce policy and offer alternative suggestions where appropriate.
We are AWP (Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust) a diverse organisation with over 5,000 dedicated staff providing inpatient and community-based mental health care.
We provide services from a range of locations to approximately 1.8 million people living in Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES), Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon, across the county of Wiltshire and in parts of Dorset.
Our outstanding people promote mental health and wellbeing. The expertise and resources within AWP are dedicated to a person-centred approach for those who use our services and for all employees. We recognise that happy and fulfilled employees give better care.
At AWP we actively encourage applicants from all backgrounds; we are particularly keen to encourage applications from people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, those with disabilities and from the LGBTQ+ community. We want people to bring their unique blend of experiences, backgrounds, perspectives and knowledge to AWP, as diversity makes us stronger.
Operate the computer-based Transport Booking System. Answer calls from AWP Staff and External stakeholders both efficiently and politely so transport requests are logged accurately.
Book Detained Transport and Non-Detained Transport for departments throughout the Trust, liaising with and acting as an information flow between transport providers and clinical staff.
Keep accurate records of all journeys using the booking system. To ensure the system reflects operational changes and unauthorized journeys are logged.
Enforce Transport Policy and follow procedure to ensure unauthorized journeys are not booked and offer advice on alternatives when available.
Assist Trustwide staff with resolving any transport related issues within the boundaries of the services and resources available.
Use initiative and information given to identify which transport providers should be used dependant on geographical location.
Log savings achieved by advising staff of alternative transport opportunities.
Follow local guidance and use initiative during business continuity events to ensure continued running of the service.
Ability to deal with confidential and sensitive information in the appropriate manner.
To provide AWP Transport Department with administration support.
Maintain records in a timely manner ensuring paper based and online system data is accurate.
Responsible for completion of bookings that may require enhanced support to ensure suitable transport is booked.
Manage own workloads and incoming calls effectively to ensure wait times are kept to a minimum.
Management of the AWP Central Transport email inbox, dealing with queries/requests, offering advice where necessary and liaising with line managers when appropriate.
Ability to action complaints efficiently and professionally at all times

To maintain strict confidentiality at all times on all matters relating to patients and/or staff.
Adhere to all Trust policies relating to Health & Safety legislation
Attend departmental meetings as appropriate
Any other relevant duties commensurate to the post as directed by Facilities Management.
Communications and Working Relationships
Transport Providers internal and external
Estates & Facilities Staff
Ward Staff
Community Teams
On-Call Doctors, Consultants and Managers
Pharmacists
Bed Management Team
Most challenging part of this role
Transport Booking Team receives calls from people who make transport requests. Some of these requests are for circumstances where transport would not be authorized. It would be the role of the Transport booking Operative to have these discussions with the person calling to make them aware, discuss possible alternative methods of transport or politely decline as the request is against policy. It is imperative that the team adhere to strict operational and financial procedures/policies.
Incoming volume of calls to book transport will vary throughout the day with quieter and busier periods. Operative needs to be capable of dealing with this and prioritising their work dependant on the booking activity.
Occasionally Transport Booking Operatives may work unsupervised and/or alone and must therefore be able to work autonomously and remain positive whilst managing a busy workload