Dispatch Support Assistant - Hampshire

The closing date is 28 May 2026

An exciting opportunity has become available to join South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust as a Dispatch Support Assistant.

We would be looking for successful candidates to start on our 27th July 2026 course.

Dispatch Support Assistants are a vital link between a medical emergency occurring and help arriving at the scene. The Dispatch Support Assistant works as part of a team, assigning ambulance resources to emergency and urgent events whilst liaising with emergency call takers, ambulance crews and other emergency services.

No one day is the same. You will be dealing with medical emergencies, traumatic events and major incidents; prioritising your workload and ensuring patients receive the right response, first time, every time.

This is a highly pressurised and quick moving role where you will need to keep a calm and level headed approach.

Please note: This role does not support remote working. You will need to be available to work from our Emergency Operations Centre in Otterbourne, Hampshire.

Please use the link below to watch our video about the Dispatch Support Assistant role.

Main duties of the job

As a Dispatch Support Assistant based in Otterbourne, Hampshire, you will assist your team in assigning ambulance resources to patients. You will use radio, text, telephone and computer aided dispatch systems to communicate with ambulance crews, ensuring they have the details and resources they need to treat the patients they are attending.

Working in this role will expose you to a range of emergency incidents. You could be assigning an ambulance to a patient who has fallen or sending multiple resources to a cardiac arrest. You will need to think logically and tactically as you manage a workload that changes by the second. It is essential that you are able to multitask and manage tasks with competing priorities.

About us

Benefits we offer:

• Full training and a range of courses which you can book locally.
• Holiday entitlement of 27 days, rising to 29 days after 5 years' service and 33 days after 10 years' service, plus an additional 8 days bank holiday (pro rata for part time).
• Automatic enrolment into the NHS Pension Scheme.
• Access to continual professional development within SCAS and the wider NHS.
• Occupational Health support and direct access to our Employee Assistance Programme as well as our own Health and Wellbeing Team.
• NHS Discounts in over 200 stores saving money on holidays, days out, car insurance, restaurants, clothing and much more.
• Ability to join our staff networking groups (as a member, ally or just for interest).

Corporate Induction

It's really important for us to ensure you have the best onboarding experience which allows you to feel a sense of belonging from the start. To help with this, we will book your Corporate Induction as soon as we possibly can (depending on availability).

All new starters need to attend our Corporate Induction in person, this is held over one and a half days from our educational centres based in: Newbury (Berkshire), Bicester (Oxfordshire) or Whiteley (Hampshire). More specific details will be sent to you once your start date has been confirmed.

Please note - depending on your role additional training may be required following on from your corporate induction.

Job responsibilities

Roles and responsibilities of a Dispatch Support Assistant include:

• Support and assist emergency dispatchers by following their instructions and assisting with their duties.
• Assist the emergency dispatchers to ensure the systems are maintained and alterations to vehicle movements can be made if advised by the emergency dispatcher.
• Operate the radio and computer assisted systems on behalf of the emergency dispatcher to ensure the correct and accurate information is logged.

To be successful in this role we require candidates to meet the following criteria:

• Competent in the use of IT systems.
• GCSE grades 4-9 or equivalent in Maths and English.
• Customer service experience from a telephone or face to face role.
• Ability to multi task and manage competing priorities.
• Good knowledge of geographical area.
• Good written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to listen and record information accurately.

Qualifications

• GCSE grades 4-9 or equivalent in Maths and English.
• NHS Pathways Licence.
• NVQ 2/3 in Customer Care, Contact Centre Operations or Call Handling Operations.

Knowledge & Experience

• Customer Service experience from a telephone based or face to face role.
• Competent in the use of IT systems.
• Good Knowledge of geographical area.
• Demonstrable ability to multitask and manage competing priorities.
• Demonstrable Experience of working in a time pressured environment.
• Previous experience of working in an Emergency Communications Centre or Call Centre.
• Previous experience of using Emergency Dispatch IT Systems.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer name

South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust

£25,760 to £27,476 a year pro rata per annum