Customer Service Advisor - Out of Hours

As a Customer Service Advisor at Capita Business Services Limited, you will be the first point of contact for residents, members of the public, emergency services, contractors, and local authority partners contacting the Out of Hours service. As a Customer Service Advisor at Capita Business Services Limited, you will be the first point of contact for residents, members of the public, emergency services, contractors, and local authority partners contacting the Out of Hours service.

This role supports local authority services outside normal office hours by answering urgent and emergency calls that require immediate attention. You will assess the nature and urgency of each enquiry, follow agreed scripts and procedures, record accurate information, and escalate or refer cases to the appropriate duty officer, emergency contact, contractor, or service area.

The role requires calm decision-making, excellent communication skills, and the ability to support callers who may be distressed, vulnerable, or in urgent need of assistance.

The working pattern for this role will be 37.5 hours per week working between Monday to Sunday. Opening hours and shift rotation are Monday to Thursday, 17:00-09:00, and Friday 17:00 to Monday 09:00 (24 hours over the weekend)

Responsibilities

• Handle inbound calls for local authority Out of Hours services, including urgent and emergency enquiries received outside normal office hours.
• Quickly assess the nature, priority, and urgency of each call, ensuring emergency and time-critical issues are dealt with appropriately.
• Follow agreed scripts, guidance, escalation routes, and contact procedures for each local authority service area.
• Accurately record all customer details, call information, actions taken, and outcomes using the relevant CRM, call logging system, or manual process.
• Refer or escalate urgent matters to the appropriate duty officer, emergency contact, contractor, or specialist service in line with agreed procedures.
• Support callers who may be vulnerable, distressed, or experiencing emergency situations, using empathy, professionalism, and active listening skills.
• Identify non-urgent enquiries and signpost callers to daytime services, online services, or the relevant local authority contact route where appropriate.
• Liaise with emergency services, statutory bodies, contractors, and local authority representatives where required.
• Work flexibly across evenings, nights, weekends, bank holidays, and other out-of-hours periods as required by the service.

About You

• Previous experience in a customer service, contact centre, call handling, public sector, emergency response, or out-of-hours environment is desirable.
• Excellent verbal communication skills with a calm, clear, and professional telephone manner.
• Strong active listening skills and the ability to remain composed when dealing with urgent, sensitive, or distressed callers.
• Ability to assess information quickly, follow procedures accurately, and escalate issues appropriately.
• Good attention to detail with the ability to record information clearly and accurately.
• Confidence using computer systems, CRM platforms, telephony systems, and Microsoft Office applications.
• Ability to work independently during out-of-hours periods while following agreed guidance and escalation routes.
• A flexible and reliable approach to working shifts, including evenings, nights, weekends, and bank holidays.

About Capita Local Government

Capita Local Government has many close, long-standing relationships with local councils, supporting them in the challenges they face by delivering a variety of services. We know that technology can help transform public services and to do that requires investment and innovation - and we’re working to develop new approaches here.

What’s in it for you?

• A competitive basic salary (Up to £26,227.50)
• 23 days’ holiday (rising to 27) with the opportunity to buy extra leave
• The opportunity to take a paid day out of the office, volunteering for our charity partners or a cause of your choice
• Auto-enrolment to our company pension, life assurance, a cycle2work scheme, 15 weeks’ fully paid maternity, adoption and shared parental leave, paternity pay of two weeks…and plenty more
• Voluntary benefits designed to suit your lifestyle - from discounts on retail and socialising, to health & wellbeing, travel and technology
• Access to our Employee Network Gr…