Our dedicated team of operators are at the heart of our award-winning Careline. They provide vital support to thousands of people across the UK, whether responding to emergency telecare alarm calls, offering proactive wellbeing checks or assisting with everyday issues. But what does their day-to-day role look like?
In this third blog post in our Careline Conversations series, we take a peek behind the scenes with three of our experienced operators:
- Joanna Bennet, Customer Services Inbound Operator
- Sarah Frowley, Emergency Helpline Operator
- Wendy Thorpe, Emergency Helpline Operator
They discuss what being a Careline operator involves, what skills are important for the role and what they love about working for Appello.
Tell me about your role as a Careline operator
Joanna Bennet: “I started at Appello seven years ago, working as a door operator before moving to deal with emergency calls. I then spent some time in customer support, although I kept up the monitoring side at the weekends. Now I'm moving to learning and development as a champion.”
Sarah Frowley: “I’ve been in the role for four years and am trained to handle all types of calls, including doors and emergency calls from the residents. I also cover the SOS line, advising colleagues who need some help.”
Wendy Thorpe: “I've been working at Appello for eleven years, mostly in monitoring. I did a two year secondment in customer relations but asked to go back to monitoring because I missed it. I'm on the emergency side, which I prefer to out of hours maintenance calls as I'm just really happy chatting to the residents. I don't feel as if it's a job!”
SF: “There are different categories for the calls, depending on what these involve: TS 1 – Doors; TS 2 - Communal Areas e.g. lounge, kitchen etc.; TS 3 - Emergency calls, maintenance; TS 4 - Fire Calls; TS 5 – Administrative. You generally start by answering the TS 1 level calls, working up to the emergency calls as you gain more experience.”
How are you supported in your role?
WT: “From day one, I've always felt very supported by management. I can approach any of the managers if I need help and they'll listen and act upon it. I have to say, they've always been incredible to me.”
JB: “You really have got a lot of support, there's always someone you can reach out to in the office or at home through Teams. That's so important. I feel very comfortable and happy in my role.”
SF: “I'd never worked from home before and was a bit baffled at how that was going to work. But I felt really supported through my training and now I feel like I'm much more efficient being at home. I know if I'm stuck, there's always somebody that can help.”
JB: “We always get offered to take five or ten minutes after a call if we need it. I've never used that because I just want to move to the next call where somebody else is needing my help. But the option's there if we want it.”
WT: “I’d say we always try to help each other whenever we can. I was helping an operator recently who was quite new so I said, ‘Look, if you've ever got a question, you can always just message me.’ I’ve made a lot of friends for life through Appello.”
JB: “Yes, I think recruitment do an amazing job because I've made some lovely friends here. We're really close knit. At the moment, I'm listening to operators take the calls and giving them feedback afterwards. I always try to be positive because I think giving them that confidence is really important. I understand that, remembering when I started. I was so lucky I had a really good team leader who encouraged me and told me I could do it, so that's what I want to be able to do with the trainees.”
What qualities and skills do you think are important for the role?
JB: “I think it's really important that to remember that there's a person at the other end of the line.”
SF: “Yes, you need to be quite a caring person. You need to be able to build a rapport with people. I worked in banking previously so my background was very different! After taking some time out during the pandemic, I looked at how I could use my skills to make a difference. I wanted to have a direct impact and then I came across Appello and it all just tied in nicely. I really enjoy it.”
WT: “It's not for everybody. When I came for my interview, I'd never done anything like this before. But I sat with one of the operators and I immediately found the whole thing exciting. Obviously, it was also baffling and confusing but I had the feeling even then that I was going to enjoy it and it was something I really wanted to do.”
SF: “I'd also say you need an abundance of patience and a level of mental resilience. The call volumes can be huge – we’re talking back-to-back calls. But that means your shift goes by very quickly. In the interview, there's something called the reality of the role where you spend half an hour with an operator. I think that's really good because you get an insight into the type of calls and what it's like.”
What advice would you have for somebody who was thinking of becoming a telecare operator?
JB: “I would say go for it! You’ve got all the support around you. I love Appello and what they do.”
SF: “It's not going to suit everybody. But I really, really love it and wouldn't look to do anything else.”
WT: “There’s a skill to it, you’re juggling screens and dealing with people’s lives. But I love it. I love the flexibility, personally it works really well for me. I would recommend it to anybody. I can't see myself ever leaving!”
Take a look at the other blog posts in our Careline Conversations series to learn more about being a telecare operator:
- Careline Conversations – Day in the Life of a Telecare Operator
- Careline Conversations – Challenges and Rewards as a Telecare Operator
If you’re looking for a career that’s both meaningful and rewarding, find out about our current opportunities on our Careers website.
Careline offers 24/7 monitoring and emergency assistance for older people and vulnerable individuals living in supported housing or their own homes. As the UK's largest Careline provider, we enable people across the UK to live safely and independently, working with housing providers and local authorities.
Find out more about our award-winning Careline monitoring services.
/Resource%20Cover%20Images/Future-Proof%20Cover%20Image%20-%20No%20background.png)
