Mandatory/optional training for front line contact centre/call centre staff
Case reference FOI2023/00181
Published 20 February 2023
Request
Please can you confirm what training is offered whether mandatory or optional, to your front line contact centre/call centre staff who are answering calls/responding to emails.
Response
Mental health awareness and skills sessions, conflict management and personal safety training, coaching skills refresher sessions, assertiveness and presentation training have been offered to all council staff in the last 12 months. All of these courses are optional.
All staff have access to a library of optional e-learning modules which include customer service training, diversity and inclusion topics, management and leadership and personal skills training.
All staff have to complete mandatory e-learning modules in fire safety awareness, fraud awareness and prevention, diversity, employee code of conduct, information access & governance, information security, health & safety and Prevent.
Staff in customer services have received training in autism awareness.
For the business support officers that provide a telephony service for adult social care and the advice & referral team customer support officers that offer advice and triage referrals by phone and email, in addition to the above, these staff have 'learning on the job' mentoring. This is a scheme where new practitioners have a mentor to observe in practice, and then when suitable the mentor completes direct observations on the staff member's competence and confidence in practice, supporting and guiding the trainee, until they can approve them in this practice. This form of training can facilitate a bespoke model of support for the trainee.
Following this the staff members have a senior business support officer available through the working day, to ask advice from or to help the caller in more complex situations that they are skilled in. Staff have regular supervision and appraisals.
The support for business support officers that provide a telephony service for adult social care is increasing next year to have access to awareness training in their placement areas e.g. awareness training in the Care Act, Mental Capacity Act and the Human Rights Act.
For those customer support officers in the advice and referral team these staff members have access to awareness training, and identification and referral training in adult social care e.g. training in the Care Act (assessment of needs and support planning, carers assessments and support planning, and safeguarding) the Mental Capacity Act and the Human Rights Act.
Documents
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