Option Call Operator

NHS 111 Mental Health Option Call Operator – Worthing

Employer: Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Location: Swandean, Worthing, West Sussex
Salary: £28,392 – £31,157 per year, pro rata for part-time
Band: NHS AfC Band 4
Contract: 12 months, fixed term
Hours: Full-time or part-time, 37.5 hours per week
Job reference: 354-AB-21150
Closing date: 20 October 2026 at 23:59

About the Role

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is recruiting an NHS 111 Mental Health Option Call Operator to join its busy 24/7 mental health crisis service in Worthing.

The NHS 111 Mental Health Option (MHO) service provides support to people across Sussex who are experiencing a mental health crisis or urgently need help with their mental health.

The successful applicants will join a supportive team of clinicians and call operators responding to callers who need assistance with their own or someone else’s mental health difficulties.

This is an office-based, telephone role in Worthing.

Shift Pattern

The service operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and successful applicants will be expected to work a mixture of:

• Early: 7am–3pm
• Late: 1pm–9pm
• Night: 8:45pm–7:15am

Flexibility to work evenings, weekends and nights is essential. Unsocial-hours working attracts increased rates of pay under NHS Agenda for Change arrangements.

Main Responsibilities

Call Operators will be trained to use a specific triage tool alongside their existing skills to support callers, assess their needs and, where necessary, escalate concerns to a clinician or signpost callers to appropriate services across Sussex.

The role is fast-paced and varied, with no appointment system.

Staff will receive a bespoke induction, ongoing in-house training, supervision, group reflection, development and mentoring opportunities.

Essential Requirements

Applicants should have:

• Current experience of working with people with mental health problems
• Knowledge of mental health policies and procedures
• Experience and understanding of risk management in mental health
• Knowledge and experience of child and adult safeguarding procedures
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Strong IT skills
• Ability to organise and prioritise workloads
• Ability to work autonomously
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced and demanding environment
• A commitment to evidence-based care and relevant professional development
• Ability to travel and work from an office base in Sussex
• Flexibility to work evenings, weekends and nights

Additional mental health training is desirable.

Sponsorship

The advert does not state that Skilled Worker visa sponsorship is available for this vacancy. Applicants requiring sponsorship should confirm their eligibility directly with Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust before applying.

Additional Information

Successful candidates are normally appointed at the bottom of the pay scale unless previous NHS experience in a similar role can be evidenced.

The post is subject to Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks.

Due to potentially high application numbers, the Trust may close the vacancy before the advertised closing date.

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust does not charge fees for job applications, recruitment processes, sponsorship arrangements or employment offers.

Application / Selection Process

Applications should be submitted through the official recruitment system before 20 October 2026 at 23:59.

Source: HealthJobsUK / Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Job reference: 354-AB-21150