Switchboard Operator

Role overview

The Health Board is seeking a Switchboard Operator to act as a first point of contact for staff, members of the public, and partner organisations. The role is centered on delivering a prompt, courteous, and efficient switchboard and information service.

Switchboard services operate 24 hours a day, so the post involves a range of shift patterns. Working hours are arranged on a rota, and you may be asked to work at different sites within the Health Board area to help maintain service continuity.

This appointment is fixed term for 9 months to support service needs.

Main duties

• Handle switchboard and information enquiries for 17 sites across the Health Board area.
• Coordinate transport requests received by phone or email.
• Arrange interpreting and translation requests through telephone and email channels.
• Receive, log, and pass on child protection calls promptly and accurately.
• Support out-of-hours requests for Works and Estates, District Nursing, and IT services.
• Collect rota information for clinical and non-clinical staff by email and keep the out-of-hours rota records up to date.
• Share urgent clinical and non-clinical alerts, including major incident information, with the correct teams and individuals.
• Help keep the internal directory accurate and current.
• Test the bleep communication system and programme bleeps as needed.
• Carry out other administrative tasks when required.

What the role requires

Operators are expected to use their own judgement when situations fall outside standard procedures and to respond appropriately under pressure.

Additional information

Applications are welcomed from people with protected characteristics, including disabled and neurodiverse candidates, and members of the Armed Forces Community. Applicants may submit their application in Welsh, and Welsh submissions will be treated equally to English applications.

If you need adjustments or support during the recruitment process, you can discuss this directly with the hiring manager named in the advert. There is no requirement to share personal or medical details; simply explain what help would allow you to take part fully.

If you need application documents in a larger font or another format such as braille, contact the recruiting manager or the Health Board recruitment team on 01495 745805 option 3, or email [email protected].

If you are shortlisted, you will be contacted through the email address used in your application. Successful candidates will also receive the conditional offer and information pack by email, so the inbox registered on the form should be checked regularly.

The organisation supports flexible working.

The Health Board is legally smoke-free, and smoking is not allowed on any of its sites for staff, contractors, patients, or visitors. Support for quitting is available through the Help Me Quit Team.

This vacancy may be removed earlier if it is filled through the internal redeployment process.

About the organisation

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board is a multi-award-winning NHS employer focused on compassionate care. It serves a population of 650,000 and employs more than 16,000 staff. The organisation offers integrated acute, primary, and community care, along with training, development, flexible working, occupational health support, and professional career pathways.

The Health Board’s Clinical Futures strategy continues to expand care closer to home alongside high-quality hospital services, including the Grange University Hospital, which opened in November 2020.

Eligibility and person specification

Welsh language ability is essential for this post, or you must be willing to undertake the required training. Welsh and English speakers are both encouraged to apply.

Experience

• Essential: prior experience in a customer-focused environment.
• Desirable: experience working in a call centre setting.

Qualifications

• Essential: GCSEs or equivalent qualifications, or relevant work-based experience.
• Desirable: NVQ Level 2 or equivalent work-based experience.

Working style

The role requires flexibility, strong teamwork, the ability to work independently, attention to detail, and a professional approach when dealing with difficult or urgent situations.

Benefits and development

The Health Board offers paid mandatory training, in-house development opportunities, access to recognised qualifications, management development pathways, flexible working, work-life balance support, occupational health support, and wider wellbeing initiatives.