NHS 111 Health Advisor - Ashford

NHS 111 Health Advisor 

The Role

Be the calm voice people turn to when they need help most.

Every day, thousands of people contact NHS 111 looking for advice, reassurance and urgent support.

As an IC24 Health Advisor, you'll often be their first point of contact. Through calm conversations, careful listening and guided assessment pathways, you'll assess patients’ needs and help them access the right care, from the right service, at the right time.

No two calls are the same. You could be reassuring a parent worried about their child's earache, supporting someone with a minor illness, those in mental health crises or helping a caller whose symptoms require an emergency ambulance response. Whatever the situation, you'll balance compassion with professionalism while making safe decisions in a fast-paced environment.

This isn't just a customer service role. It's a role with real responsibility, purpose and the opportunity to make a genuine difference to people's lives every single day.

The work can be relentless and emotionally demanding, but you'll never be expected to do it alone. With comprehensive training, ongoing coaching and the support of experienced colleagues and clinicians, we'll help you build the skills and confidence to succeed.

To learn more about a day in the life of a Health Advisor click here to watch our video.

What you'll be doing

→ Being the first point of contact for patients

Answer NHS 111 calls, listen carefully to patients' concerns and gather the information needed to understand their needs.

→ Assessing patient needs safely

Use NHS Pathways and approved processes to assess both urgent and non-urgent conditions, ensuring patients receive safe and appropriate outcomes.

→ Directing people to the right care

Signpost callers to the most appropriate service, whether that's self-care advice, primary care, urgent treatment, community services or an emergency response.

→ Managing challenging conversations

Support callers who may be distressed, anxious or vulnerable, demonstrating empathy while maintaining professionalism and appropriate boundaries.

→ Multitasking with accuracy

Navigate multiple IT systems, record information accurately and follow established processes while speaking with callers.

→ Delivering high-quality care

Work to quality standards, service expectations and compliance requirements while keeping patient safety at the heart of every decision.

→ Learning and developing

Take part in training, coaching, competency assessments and ongoing development to continually build your knowledge and confidence.

→ Supporting safe patient care

Recognise safeguarding concerns, escalate where appropriate and demonstrate IC24's values of Care, Excellence, Respect and Innovation in every interaction.

Who this role suits

You don't need previous healthcare experience to succeed as a Health Advisor.

What matters most is your ability to communicate, stay calm under pressure and genuinely care about helping people. We'll teach you the clinical systems and processes - you bring the right attitude, and we'll help you develop the rest.

You'll thrive in this role if you:

• Care about making a positive difference to people's lives.
• Communicate confidently, listen actively and build rapport with people from all walks of life, with excellent spoken and written English.
• Stay calm, show empathy and make sound decisions in fast-paced or emotionally challenging situations.
• Are confident using technology, navigating multiple computer systems and multitasking accurately.
• Learn quickly, welcome feedback and are committed to continuous development.
• Are reliable, take responsibility for your attendance and performance, and can work a 24/7 rota, including weekends.
• Values inclusion, dignity, confidentiality and respect for everyone 

Who are we?

Integrated Care 24 (IC24) is a leading not-for-profit social enterprise providing NHS 111, GP Out of Hours, primary care and urgent care services to more than six million patients across the UK.

Every day, our people help patients access the care they need, when they need it most.

Why IC24?

Working in NHS 111 is rewarding, but it comes with challenges. At IC24, you'll never face those challenges alone.

You'll receive comprehensive training, ongoing coaching and the support of experienced colleagues and clinicians who want to see you succeed. Whether you're joining from customer service, retail, hospitality or healthcare, we'll help you build the confidence and skills to become an outstanding Health Advisor.

Let's be honest about the role

This role isn't for everyone.

Calls can be back-to-back, and you'll regularly speak with people who are worried, distressed or experiencing serious symptoms. The pace is fast, the training is intensive and there's a lot to learn as you build confidence using NHS Pathways, clinical processes and multiple computer systems.

Some new starters underestimate:

• The intensity and volume of calls.
• The emotional impact of difficult conversations.
• The level of multitasking and IT skills required.
• The importance of attendance, punctuality and personal resilience.
• How quickly safe decisions sometimes need to be made.
• The ongoing learning, coaching and quality assessments that support safe patient care.

What can't easily be taught is resilience, emotional intelligence, compassion and a genuine desire to help people.

Working Hours
All Health Advisors must be able to work at least 50% of weekends.

Full-Time Options
 You’ll work a mix of early and late shifts, starting at 7am or 8am and finishing at 10pm.
  If preferred, you can choose to work only late shifts or night shifts (typically 10pm to 6am).
  Weekend shifts are required every other weekend, but you can opt to work more if you’d like.

Part-Time Options
Part-time roles mainly focus on evening and weekend shifts, but a mix of early and evening shifts may be offered.

Weekday shifts are between 4-6-hours, either early between 6am-12noon or late between 4pm-10pm and longer shifts on the weekends.

Weekend-only roles are also available, and additional hours may be offered during busy periods

Training and Start Dates
We’re looking for candidates who can start training in September. Please note, the training for this role runs for 5 weeks and is full time (37.5 hours per week). We offer these courses in two timetables, either Monday-Friday 9am-5pm or Evening and Weekends.

What's in it for you?

• £12.75 per hour, plus enhancements of up to 60% for unsociable hours.
• NHS Pension Scheme
• 33 days annual leave  
• Enhanced family leave policies.
• Wellbeing support, Employee Assistance Programme and occupational health services.
• Ongoing training, coaching and career development opportunities.
• Blue Light Card eligibility and access to employee reward and discount schemes.
• The opportunity to do meaningful work that genuinely makes a difference to people's lives.

Employment is subject to proof of eligibility to work in the UK, a satisfactory Enhanced DBS with Barred Lists check, and three years of satisfactory references.

Come and Meet Us
  If you are shortlisted, we will invite you to an assessment evening at our Ashford Care Coordination Centre, Kent, TN24 0GP. 
 This is a great opportunity to learn more about the role, meet the team and take part in a face-to-face interview.

We celebrate brave ideas and brave people.

We have a duty to safeguard, protect and promote the welfare of those who use our services and our employees. This means we take every step we can to protect from harm, abuse and damage.

We are committed to providing equal opportunities for all and encourage applications from ethnic minorities, those with disabilities, LGBTQ+ communities, neurodiverse individuals and other under-represented groups. We're dedicated to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels they belong.

If you need any workplace adjustments during the application or interview process, or have accessibility requirements, please contact the recruitment team.