Customer Service Specialist Level 3 Apprenticeship Standard
Practice Managers Association
Delivery Method: Blended Induction
This unit will include an initial workplace observation and one-to-one discussion and will cover:
- Understanding of candidate’s duties and responsibilities
- Understanding candidate’s personal development in a healthcare setting
- Understanding key principles of customer service
- Exploration of patient/customer relationship
- Core attitudes and behaviours
- Importance of presentation
- Understanding of how to deliver integrated care in general practice
Skills & Understanding
This qualification includes knowledge and skills units focused on:
1. Business knowledge and understanding
- Understand the practice and localities’ current strategies in relation to their customers/patients and how this impacts on the wider healthcare environment., e.g. GPFV; Making Time in General Practice.
- Understand the concept of continuous improvement
- Ability to make recommendations for change and improvement in service related decisions
- Explore and understand a range of leadership styles in the context of the customer service environment
2. Customer/Patient journey knowledge
- Recognise and evaluate the range of experiences and challenges of the patients/customers
- Identify the impact the organisation’s service offering may have on the customer/patient
- Knowledge and application of all relevant processes and procedures supporting customer service
- Ability to map the patient journey for a range of individuals and signpost appropriately
- Understand balance in healthcare environment between individual’s expectations and commercial and business factors
3. Customer insight
- Understand the locality and the impact of varying cultures on expectations
- Knowledge of patient profile and who are the organisation’s internal and external customers
- Effective use of relevant information and data to provide customer insights and variances
- Understand the factors influencing patient/customer retention and satisfaction in the practice and how this is measured
- Champion the effective delivery of care navigation and signposting.
4. Culture and environment awareness
- Relevant knowledge and understanding of legislation, policies and protocols impacting on customer service in primary care – national and local, e.g. GPFV, GDPR
- Awareness of how to find information on best practice for the healthcare environment and how to present recommendations
- Explore the role of customer service in the organisation, its wider impact and implications of poor customer service
5. Business focused service delivery
- Ability to resolve complex patient/customer service issues
- Suggest recommendations for customer service improvement balancing needs of organisation with patient requirements and expectations.
- Understanding of unique healthcare business environment and how it differs from some other customer service environments
- Insight into issues facing general practice and need for increased resilience
6. Providing a positive customer experience
- Use advanced communication and care navigation to enhance patient experience
- Assist patients in making choices and agreeing next steps
- Act as an escalation point for complex and challenging customer service situations
- Resolve customer complaints and identify key areas of dissatisfaction
- Utilise a range of data and information to provide insights on the service provided and satisfaction levels
7. Working with customers/patients
- Proactively gather and analyse customer/patient information and data and act upon results to make service improvements
- Use information on patient profiles and groups to anticipate needs and expectations of the service
8. Customer service performance
- Use effective communication and negotiation to maintain positive patient/customer relations even when their expectations are not met.
- Effective management of referrals and escalations to achieve resolution
- Understand, uphold and develop complaints procedure
9. Service improvements
- Analyse the entire patient/customer journey and suggest recommendations
- Understand and implement any new relevant legislation, regulations and ways of working
- Review how services are promoted and make recommendations
End Point Assessment
Candidates are supported and coached towards the End Point Assessment, working on collecting evidence and their work-based project. The EPA will comprise of:
- A practical observation in the work place with Q&As
- A work-based project report of 2,500 words & interview
- A professional discussion supported by portfolio evidence
Completion of the Level 3 qualification leads to eligibility to join the Institute of Customer Service.
A PMA Tutor/Assessor will be assigned to work with you throughout the duration of the course and will support you through your journey. There are normally between 289-375 guided learning hours for the programme and these will be delivered through face-to-face learning with your Tutor, group teaching, workplace learning and observations.
The time commitment to achieve your City & Guilds Level 3 Diploma is in the region of 4 hours a week which includes the off the job element, this is flexible, and should you have more time available your PMA Tutor/Assessor will be able to adjust your pace of learning accordingly.
Depending on the employer, the candidate and the pace of work, the course will typically take a minimum of 15 months to complete.
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