Specialist Customer Advisor

About the role

**Specialist Customer Advisor**

Permanent, Full Time

Up to £23,671 per annum

Location: Colchester

Working Style: Anywhere worker

**The Opportunity**:
Essex County Council have an exciting opportunity to join our team in Adult Social Care Connects. Adult Social Care Connects is what we refer to as the “front door” to Adult Social Care. We are a telephony-based assessment team and the role of a Specialist Customer Advisor is to undertake Care Act 2014, strengths based assessments with adults contacting our service. This involves identifying what support the adult wants to achieve and how we can assist the adult to attain their identified outcome. We achieve this by using a conversational approach. Specialist Customer Advisors hold and manage a caseload, the duration can be from 1 day to several weeks depending on the situation.

The role can be demanding; however, it is rewarding. You will need to be curious, solution focussed and resilient. The enquiries we deal with are varied, both in complexity and needs, Advisors converse daily with adults and families that may be in distress, have cognitive impairments, have learning disabilities, have mental illness, frailty or are in crisis. You will need to be able to think on your feet, build a rapport, have empathy and be able to recognise if an adult is vulnerable.You will need to ensure prompt and consistent information, advice and guidance is provided to achieve an outcome focussed conversation; ensuring as many enquires as possible are resolved at the first point of contact in a timely manner.

Our Advisors work closely with Social Workers and Occupational Therapists, however the role of the Advisor does not include home visits.

**About You**:
We are looking for people who possess excellent and proven customer service skills with a natural flare for problem solving, used to working in fast paced situations and has a “can do” approach. You will enjoy being logical and inquisitive in nature, as well as empathetic whilst resilient enough to remain calm under emotionally charged circumstances. This can be a pressurized environment, so you will need to possess the necessary coping skills to manage your workload effectively.

As part of the role you must be able to accurately gather information, make decisions and manage risk, and input onto systems and electronic forms. This role will be primarily telephone based but could include electronic communications as well, so your ability to communicate clearly and effectively will be essential.

**Training**:
In return, we will offer a full and in-depth training program, including sessions on call handling, data protection, safeguarding of vulnerable adults, equipment and assistive technology, reablement services and the effects of cognitive and sensory impairment. We will provide continuous opportunities to grow and develop using our Performance Capability Framework.

Working within this area gives you an opportunity to help Adults in Essex live as happily and comfortably as possible, which will in turn, reward you with a sense of achievement.

**Knowledge, Skills and Experience**:

- Experience within an Adult Social Care environment is desirable
- Previous experience working within a team environment
- Excellent listening skills with the ability to accurately record all relevant information being shared. (Whilst there are no typing speed requirements, you must be able to type to a reasonable level to maintain efficiency and throughput)
- Strong Microsoft Office and IT skills
- Good telephone manner
- Fast and keen learner

**Why Essex?** Essex County Council has a location to be proud of. Our 1,300 square miles stretch from Constable Country to the Thames Estuary, from the dynamic M11 corridor to the traditional seaside resorts of Clacton and Walton. England’s oldest town, Colchester, and two of its newest - Basildon and Harlow - are right here. Along with the City of Chelmsford, the county town, they form our major population centres. It means real choice and makes Essex the ideal place for your career. Read more about us here.

We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

Essex County Council is proud to offer an excellent benefits package to all its employees. More information can be found here pay and reward

To view our Organisational Behaviours information please follow this link.

**What you should do next**

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

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