Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust provides child and adult mental health services, learning disability, wellbeing, older people's and eating disorder services across Norfolk and Suffolk.
We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and want to reflect the diversity of our local communities within our teams. We welcome applications from all talented individuals with the relevant qualifications, skills, knowledge and experience
Our Initial Response Service (IRS) is a centralised, triage-led function designed to provide a single point of access for urgent mental health referrals, bringing together the elements of 111 Mental Health Option, Crisis and Home Treatment pathways. It is responsible for receiving, screening and clinically triaging referrals, ensuring service users are directed to the most appropriate service in a timely and safe manner. The model supports rapid decision making, prioritisation of risk, and coordination of responses, including escalation to face-to-face crisis assessment where indicated. The service aims to reduce duplication across services, and deliver consistent performance against response standard.
This is an exciting opportunity to join a new, dynamic service which will improve the experience of people who use services!
Join our Initial Response Service (IRS) as a call handler and become a vital first point of contact for people seeking urgent mental health support. In this fast-paced and rewarding role, you will manage and triage incoming calls, ensuring each person receives a timely, compassionate and appropriate response while supporting safe and effective referral pathways.
You will use your communication skills to engage with individuals who may be distressed, providing reassurance, clear information and support, while working closely with clinical teams and partner services to ensure the right care is delivered at the right time.
You will also play a key role in supporting the smooth running and development of the service, using your organisational skills to maintain accurate records, prioritise workload and ensure information is managed effectively. You will contribute to continuous service improvement by identifying opportunities to enhance processes, supporting team learning, and helping shape a responsive, high-quality service.
This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a forward-thinking team, where your contribution will directly influence how urgent mental services evolve and improve for the people who need them most.
If you think this could be you, someone compassionate, resilient and motived to support people at times of crisis - we would love to hear from you.
We encourage you to review the full Job Description for further details on the scope and responsibilities of the post.
Here at NSFT we pride ourselves on being a welcoming, talented, friendly and supportive team who like nothing better than sharing experiences and learning from each other. In addition to ongoing training and development opportunities, we are committed to providing an environment in which you can thrive.
Why work for us? We have challenges as a Trust, but we have ambitious aspirations, are pushing ahead with exciting transformation work and we need dedicated individuals to support us on our journey. We have strong, established professional networks coupled with an exceptional leadership team who will ensure you are truly cared for and cared about.
Why Norfolk and Suffolk? The people here are warm and welcoming, you’ll never be far from the beautiful coastline or Broads National Park. We’re an hour and a half away from London and have an international airport in Norwich too. Our villages, towns and cities are packed full of history, independent cafes, shops and theatres. We have excellent shopping, eating out, top ranking schooling and affordable house prices too.
The postholder will provide professional call handling and referral support as part of the Initial Response Service, acting as a key point of contact for services users, carers and professionals. Key responsibilities include receiving and triaging calls, accurately recording information, and ensuring enquiries are appropriately routed in line with agreed referral pathways.
The role involves effective communication in often sensitive or distressing situations, providing reassurance, guidance and information, while working collaboratively with clinical teams and partner agencies. The post holder must maintain confidentiality, escalate risks appropriately and ensure timely onward referrals.
Additional responsibilities include prioritising workload, supporting administrative processes such as appointment booking, contributing to service improvement, and adhering to Trust policies, standards and values at all times.
Please be aware that, due to the high number of applications for certain roles, this vacancy may close earlier than the advertised closing date. We encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible.
YOUR APPLICATION
We can provide all our job application materials in alternative formats so that these are accessible to everyone. Should you require any documents within this job pack in an alternative format, please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected].
PLEASE NOTE: If you use a hotmail, msn or yahoo e-mail account, you will need to check your "junk" mail regularly as these email providers will divert any communication from this Trust/NHS JOBS straight into your " junk" inbox.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES Apart from its legal duties in relation to equality and diversity, the Trust recognises and actively promotes the benefits of a diverse workforce and is committed to treating all employees with dignity and respect regardless of race, gender, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief.
As a part of the Disability Confident Employer Guaranteed Interview Scheme we interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the job vacancy (outlined in the Person Specification).. We encourage you to indicate your eligibility through TRAC jobs when applying.
This post may be 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.
