Helpline Advisor

The Helpline Advisor plays an integral part in a team delivering a consistent, high quality information and support service for people living with diabetes and health care professionals in line with the policy and guidelines of the Diabetes UK Helpline.

What we can offer you:

• Generous annual leave starting at 25 days plus bank holidays
• A Cash Healthcare Plan (giving you up to £1,600 towards a range of out of pocket health expenses like new glasses, dentist, chiropractor or osteopath appointments)
• Early finish Friday and flexible working
• Discounts on gym membership and days out
• Employee assistance programme to give you support on any issues that come up in life
• Annual Season ticket loan
• Very active social scene including sport teams, gardening and other activities
• Generous pension provision, life assurance and permanent health insurance

• Provide accurate and impartial information, provided at the appropriate level, to each individual who contacts Helpline Services and check their understanding of the information given.
• Use communication and listening skills to provide emotional support, and sign-posting where appropriate.
• Send out information via email or a letter, as appropriate, following a telephone contact.
• Respond to written enquiries to Helpline via email and letter, as well as relevant social media messages and posts.
• Identify and refer relevant enquiries to the Advocacy service or when necessary informing/alerting other teams within Diabetes UK about particular issues raised by enquirers (via Information Support Officer).
• To carry a small caseload of Advocacy clients, providing advocacy casework support for individuals less able to advocate for themselves.
• To be a team player, contributing to a positive, supportive and harmonious environment; actively participate in team briefings, monthly one-to-one meetings and supervision.
• Attend conferences, roadshows, voluntary groups and other events as a Helpline Advisor, where possible and appropriate.
• Regularly update knowledge of diabetes and issues affecting people with diabetes by reading relevant information updates that are provided by Information Support Officer.
• To share learning (e. following attendance at a training event) with the team and others where appropriate
• Undertake and contribute to other project work, when appropriate, related to the development of Helpline and Advocacy Services and other customer contact teams.
• Perform tasks necessary to achieve the overall objectives of the team and the Organisation.
• Follow Diabetes UK's safeguarding policy and procedures when necessary.
• To undertake any reasonable additional duties, from time to time, commensurate with the role

The best person for this job will be able to:

• Demonstrate accountability by taking personal responsibility for results/outcomes
• Effectively communicate with and influences others by role modelling their and the Charities beliefs of making a real difference through relationship building, effective written and verbal communication and sharing knowledge and information with others
• Work collaboratively in a team with all stakeholders and colleagues in an open, trusting positive way that role models, fosters working together and helps others maximise their contribution
• Demonstrate dynamism through a positive can do attitude, recognising and seizing opportunities when they arise and actively looking to anticipate the future and plan accordingly
• Demonstrate innovation through developing and improving approaches to getting things met appropriately
• Demonstrate technical expertise with the required depth of knowledge in own area of work or specialism and is duly recognised as such within the organisation
• Communicate clearly and effectively (sometimes complex) health information both orally and in writing to a wide range of people
• Work unsupervised using own initiative and experience of working as part of a team
• Handle testing and challenging calls and to develop a strategy for dealing with these, monitoring own stress levels using mechanisms to help manage this

The best person for this job will have experience in:

• Counselling or advice-giving experience, in either a voluntary or paid capacity. This will include telephone helpline experience, preferably in a health-related environment. In addition, experience in providing information and support in writing
• Working with a high volume of enquiries, which may be testing and challenging, on a continuous basis
• Computer skills (incl Word, Excel and Outlook) with the ability and willingness to learn new procedures through training provided

The best person for this job will be:

• Educated to A' level or equivalent or relevant experience and/or skills
• Willing to work across a range of hours between 9am and 6pm.