Contact tracing jobs: How to apply for NHS Test and Trace Service

BRITS are being urged to download the NHS Test and Trace app – but are there jobs available through the service, and how do you apply?

The contact tracing app has been rolled out across England and Wales to help stop the spread of Covid-19.

⚠️ Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates

What are contact tracers? 

Contact tracers are hired to identify and call up people who may have been in contact with someone who has coronavirus.

They work as call handlers from their home, using information from the Test and Trace app.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said 25,000 tracers were being recruited in an update on June 18 – an increase from the 18,000 people the government initially hoped to hire.

But this number was reduced by 6,000 on August 11, with call handlers being instead used to help local authorities track down outbreaks.

The release of the Test and Trace app had been delayed several times, with it finally launching on September 24 after first being trialled in May.

The app, which can be downloaded for free on both Apple and Android devices, uses Bluetooth technology to keep a record of people that have spent 15 minutes within two metres of one another.

It later alerts people if they have been in proximity to someone who has tested positive for Covid-19.

It will also allow Brits to use QR codes when they enter venues, boosting the country’s contact tracing efforts.

The app hasn’t been without issues though, with some users saying they couldn’t upload their coronavirus test results.

The government also came under fire after it emerged up to 25,000 Brits may not have been told they had been exposed to coronavirus.

Can I apply to become a contact tracer? 

The NHS doesn’t appear to still be advertising for call handlers for its Test and Trace service – but you can check for future roles on its .

We also couldn’t see any jobs listed on Indeed and CV library, or LinkedIn, who began listing the advertisements from third-party recruiter07.

We’ve asked the NHS if any call handler roles are currently available and we’ll update this article when we know more.

Capacity has been reached for NHS clinical contact caseworkers, which is a more complex role and one you’ll need a degree for.

Clinical contact caseworkers work with call centre staff and patients to help provide more in-depth guidance for Covid-19 cases.

However, you can still register your interest through the for future roles that may come up.

A notice on its website reads: “We are currently meeting the number of Clinical Contact Caseworkers required for NHS Test and Trace.

“You can still register your interest below and we will be in touch if necessary.”

There are other roles linked to Test and Trace on the , but you’ll also need a degree for these.

For example, there are currently vacancies for laboratory assistants, laboratory managers and public health intelligence officers.

What training do contact tracers get? 

Full training in the role is provided, with call handlers being given scripts by Public Health England (PHE) to handle more straightforward cases.

For more complex issues, a team of clinicians are on hand to help give advice.

Are there any risks in the job? 

Applicants are required to work from home, so there will be no risk of being exposed to coronavirus.

In the initial job description, applications need to be “patient, caring and have the ability to handle difficult situations”.

It adds: “You will have the responsibility of contacting the general public who will need advice and the best course of action for themselves, family or friends.”

Are contact tracers paid?

When the job role for contract tracers was first advertised, the pay was £9.42 per hour, which is slightly higher than the national minimum wage.

It’s unclear if this is still the rate being paid but we’ve asked the NHS for clarification.

For more complex roles, where you’ll be leading call handlers – but you’ll need to have degree, you could earn up to £17.35 per hour.

Test and Trace staff work over a seven-day period, meaning hours are available Monday to Sunday.

The NHS Track and Trace app only works in England and Wales – Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own coronavirus tracing apps.

Police have been told not to download the Track and Trace app despite visiting homes of isolating Brits under new crackdown rules.

Those ordered to quarantine under new coronavirus rules beginning from today will be checked up on by door-knocking cops.