Emergency Dispatch Assistant

South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust

Emergency Dispatch Assistants are a vital link between a medical emergency taking place and help arriving at the scene. The Emergency Dispatch Assistant works as part of a team, assigning ambulance resources to emergency and urgent events whilst liaising with emergency call takers, ambulance crews and other emergency services.

No one day is like the last. You will be dealing with medical emergencies, traumatic events and major incidents; prioritising your workload and ensuring patients receive the right response, first time, every time.

This is a highly pressurised and quick-moving role where you will need to keep a calm and level-headed approach.

Main duties of the job

As an Emergency Dispatch Assistant based in Bicester, Oxfordshire, you will assist your team in assigning ambulance resources to patients. You will use radio, text, telephone and computer aided dispatch systems to communicate with ambulance crews, ensuring they have the details and resources they need to treat the patients they are attending.

Working as an Emergency Dispatch Assistant will expose you to a range of emergency incidents. You could be assigning an ambulance to a patient who has fallen or sending multiple resources to a cardiac arrest. You will need to think logically and tactically as you manage a workload that changes by the second. It is essential that you are able to multitask and manage tasks with competing priorities.

Benefits for this role include:

• Starting salary £22,816 + Unsocial hours payments (annual salary circa £26,000pa)
• Full training and support when you join and ongoing throughout your employment with us.
• Holiday entitlement is 27 days rising to 29 days after 5 years and 33 days after 10 years, plus 8 bank holidays (pro rata for part time).
• Enrolment into the NHS Pension Scheme.
• Access to continual professional development and opportunities within SCAS and the NHS.
• Occupational Health support along with an Employee Assistance Programme.
• NHS Discounts in over 200+ stores including Holidays, Days out, Car insurance, Restaurants and Clothing.
• Staff networking and support groups.

Job responsibilities

Roles and responsibilities of an Emergency Dispatch Assistant include:

• Support and assist emergency dispatchers by following their instructions and assisting with their duties.
• Assist the emergency dispatchers to ensure the systems are maintained and alterations to vehicle movements can be made if advised by the emergency dispatcher.
• Operate the radio and computer-assisted systems on behalf of the emergency dispatcher to ensure the correct and accurate information is logged.

Minimum Requirements

To be successful in this role we require candidates to meet the following criteria:

• Competent in the use of IT systems.
• GCSE grades 4-9 or equivalent in Maths and English.
• Customer service experience from a telephone or face-to-face role.
• Ability to multi-task and manage competing priorities.
• Good Knowledge of geographical area.
• Good written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to listen and record information accurately.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is 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.

Employer name

South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust

£22,816 to £24,336 a year pro rata per annum