JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title:

Senior Resource Planner

Reporting To:

Resource & Capacity Planning Manager

Department(s)/Location:

Central Resource Team, Clydebank

Job Reference number (coded):

1.

JOB PURPOSE

Provide recommendations and offer subject matter expertise to Senior Operational Management on
how to effectively deploy resources in order to achieve maximum efficiency and agreed service level
targets.
Accurately forecast call demand and deliver resource requirements to Operations at national and
local level for 1000+ staff across 4 regional centres and 5 local centres.
Deputise for the Resource & Capacity Planning Manager when necessary in all aspects of the role,
including the management of the Central Resource Team.

3.

ORGANISATIONAL POSITION

Resource & Capacity

Planning Manager
Senior Resource
Planners

Resource Planners

4.

Resource Planning
Scheduler

SCOPE AND RANGE

Supporting 4 geographically distinct contact centres and 5 Local Centres, with circa 1000+ staff
members.
Assist Resource & Capacity Planning Manager in delivering resource requirements to the
organisation on an on-going basis. Provide support and information to Senior Operational
Management, in relation to the deployment of available resource.
Provide support for all members of the Central Resource Team, acting in a managerial capacity in

the absence of the Resource & Capacity Planning Manager.

5.

MAIN DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

Provide support for the Resource & Capacity Planning Manager, representing the Central Resource Team
in cross-directorate discussions, providing a resource-focussed viewpoint.
To ensure that information held within the resource planning tools is up-to-date and accurate enabling the
production of effective forecasts for the creation of shift patterns.
To design and implement national systems to track workforce development within NHS 24.
Design and review shifts and rotas in line with service requirements for all NHS 24's services, circa 1000
staff. Ensuring the best deployment of resource is achieved in order to meet all of NHS 24's service level
objectives.
Lead on specialist events, which will result in changes to call volumes/profiles and required resource
levels/deployment, such as Public Holidays, advertising campaigns and peak events, such as Festive and
Easter.
Represent the Resource Planning team in projects and provide input regarding what impact any new or
existing developments/initiatives have on our ability to achieve service level and the deployment of resources.
Deputise for Resource & Capacity Planning Manager as and when required
Lead, develop and support Resource Planners and Resource Planning Schedulers in all aspects of role.
Offering the team guidance on new initiatives and developments within NHS 24.
Support Resource & Capacity Planning Manager in strategic objectives, offering ideas and subject matter
expertise.
Drive forward the Operational Workforce Plan recommending targets for new financial year based on
historical trends and forthcoming initiatives. Maintain Workforce Plan throughout the year, highlighting any
variances against plan and offering potential solutions.
Extract and analyse historical call data from the Workforce Management System (WFM) and Symposium in
order to generate, monitor and predict call profiles.
Deal with queries from Senior Management regarding resource implications and offer best practice.
Develop, implement and maintain the Resource Planning processes and procedures, whilst continuously
striving to improve them, generating ideas and solutions.
Ensure frequent, open communication between Resource Planning and Real Time in order to
utilise feedback and understand service delivery trends which will improve planning performance.
Attend planning and performance meetings with Senior Management in order to offer resource predictions
and highlight any areas of concern, always offering recommendations for potential solution.
Liaise with the Recruitment team, making recommendations regarding contractual hours and working
patterns for new recruits. Influence the content of recruitment campaign literature.
Attend monthly Local Partnership Forum meetings, providing input and recommendations from a planning
and resource perspective on any issues which may affect service delivery.
Awareness and adherence to Working Time Regulations when implementing staff working patterns or any

changes to working patterns.

Promote Relationship Management and stakeholder Management to ensure strong communication between
Resourcing and Operations at all times
Prioritise own workload around tight deadlines in a pressurised environment. Frequently moving from one
task to another as a result of interruptions.
Take ownership of own personal development and the development of others within the team. Sharing best
practise at all times.

6.

SYSTEMS AND EQUIPMENT

Desktop PC Equipment
Total View (Workforce Management System) Maintained by Resource Planning, but viewed by Managers
and support staff across the organisation. Extract, analyse, format and present data from all systems and
tools which are operated by Resource Planning.
Knowledge of various office equipment and filing systems.
Symposium (Automated Call Distribution System) Provides historical call data to allow call projections and
staffing projections to be made.
Corvu (Performance Management Tool) Interrogation of call data information to allow us to make necessary
resource calculations.
Microsoft Office Applications (Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint and Access)
Intranet and internet
Webstation (Total View Interface) Viewed by Frontline staff and Management. Deal with queries in relation
to Webstation and provide ongoing support through training.

7.

DECISIONS AND JUDGEMENTS

Decision-making responsibility for the processes and procedures followed by various roles within Central
Resource Team.
Provide decisions to Senior Operational staff on requests to alter staff's working patterns, both short and long
term.
Work in conjunction with Senior Management Teams across all directorates to ensure any potential
developments/initiatives taking place have minimal negative impact on resource delivery.

8.

COMMUNICATIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS

As a senior member of the Resource Planning team, there is a requirement to develop and maintain
relationships with a wide range of people, these include:Frontline staff
Human Resources 4 centres & Head Quarters
Payroll Team
Training Department
Information Services Team
IT
Service Support 4 centres
Clinical Service Managers
Service Delivery Analysts (Real Time)
Recruitment Department
Senior Operational Managers including Director Level
This list is not exhaustive
Communication with the above people/departments can take the form of telephone calls, E-mails, written
and face-to-face.
Tactfully resolve contentious issues as and when they occur. Empathise whilst maintaining professional
integrity and ensure any decisions taken have minimal impact service delivery.
Make recommendations to Resource & Capacity Planning Manager to take appropriate action to achieve
best outcome, ensuring minimal impact to service delivery
Peer group communication
Attending meetings and representing Resource Planning, as and when required.
Required to communicate on a range of complex matters at Senior Level as well as communicating on day
to day matters

9.PHYSICAL DEMANDS OF THE JOB

Required to travel between all NHS 24's sites.
Required to sit at PC in front of VDU for extended periods.

10.

MOST CHALLENGING/DIFFICULT PARTS OF THE JOB

Working to tight deadlines in a pressurised environment whilst ensuring accuracy and most effective
decisions are taken.
Deal with conflicting priorities from Senior Management whilst demonstrating a professional and helpful
manner at all times.
Achieving the required resource in line with patient needs whilst adhering to government directives in
relation to flexible working and joint partnership working within the NHS.

11.

KNOWLEDGE, TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED TO DO THE JOB

Educated to degree level or equivalent experience

Minimum of 3 years experience in a Resource Planning role, specifically within a Contact centre
environment
Experience of operating and maintaining a workforce management system for 1000+ staff in a virtual set-up.
Experience of working in a pressurised environment, delivering to tight deadlines and providing input as
high at Senior Management/Director level.
A high level of PC literacy is required, with particular strengths in Microsoft Office applications
Experienced in the use of Contact Centre tools such as Symposium and Corvu
Evidence of a highly numeric, fast thinking approach to problem solving
Ability to balance a heavy workload and aggressive timescales whilst having an attention to detail
Ability to translate often complex or detailed information into simple, brief reports whilst highlighting any
issues and meeting the needs of internal/external customers
Ability to work independently and with others with minimal supervision
Flexibility to adapt to changing requests and timescales
Ability to extract relevant information from systems and to audit this information against other sources
Have a high level of persuasion and negotiating skills
Previous experience of working in a pressurised environment, delivering to tight deadlines.
Ability to offer direction and guidance to junior staff members, leading by example at all times.

12.

JOB DESCRIPTION AGREEMENT

A separate job description will need to be signed off by each jobholder to

whom the job description applies.

Job Holders Signature:

Date:

Head of Department Signature:

Date: