Access Support Team Apprentice

Summary

We are recruiting an Apprentice to join our Access Support team. The team has been set up to improve and expand the support we are able to provide for our customers that experience barriers when applying to us for arts funding.

Wage

£22,932 a year

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Training course

Customer service practitioner (level 2)

Hours

Monday - Friday, exact shifts to be confirmed, core hours 10.00am - 4.00pm.

35 hours a week

Start date

Friday 5 September 2025

Duration

1 year 6 months

Positions available

1

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

This is an exciting opportunity to develop your skills while working to make a positive difference to people’s lives. We will be improving accessibility for people with a range of disabilities, physical and mental health conditions, and a range of other circumstances.

You will focus on providing general and specific information about the funding we offer to our customers. This will be by telephone, email and our website’s live chat feature. You might also trial and help develop other methods of communicating with our customers.

Day to day responsibilities will include;

Providing a high quality, empathetic and tailored customer service.
Responding to enquiries by telephone, email and our website’s live chat function.
Undertaking research which may include gathering information about past and current enquiries, complaints, customer feedback and our processes.
Acting as an advocate for the Arts Council, representing the Access Support team at meetings with colleagues, our applicants and other parties (e.g. training companies, other funders).
Providing administrative support to the rest of the team.

The team will split its time between working remotely and in the Manchester office. Travel to other locations may be required but it is not expected that this would be more than once or twice a month. The cost of journeys to other sites will be paid for by us.

You will contribute to a positive working culture in the organisation by taking a proactive approach to learning, responding to change, inclusive practice, and environmental responsibility. ·

You will reflect the Nolan Principles of Public Life and the Arts Council's values with a commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion.

This position is based on a hybrid working pattern, with a large proportion of work carried out remotely, with IT provided by Arts Council England.

This is an 18-month apprenticeship at Arts Council England - Manchester, studying for the Level 2 Customer Service Apprenticeship qualification, alongside your daily roles and responsibilities.

Please note due to Equal Opportunities and to allow all interested candidates to apply, contact to discuss your application further will be made following the vacancies closing date.

Where you'll work

The Hive
49 Lever Street
Manchester
M1 1FN

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

College or training organisation

LIFETIME TRAINING GROUP LIMITED

Your training course

Customer service practitioner (level 2)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents

Use a range of questioning skills, including listening and responding in a way that builds rapport, determines customer needs and expectations and achieves positive engagement and delivery.
Depending on your job role and work environment: Use appropriate verbal and non-verbal communication skills, along with summarising language during face-to-face communications; and/or
Depending on your job role and work environment: Use appropriate communication skills, along with reinforcement techniques (to confirm understanding) during non-facing customer interactions.
Depending on your job role and work environment: Use an appropriate ‘tone of voice’ in all communications, including written and digital, that reflect the organisation’s brand.
Provide clear explanations and offer options in order to help customers make choices that are mutually beneficial to both the customer and your organisation.
Be able to organise yourself, prioritise your own workload/activity and work to meet deadlines.
Demonstrate patience and calmness.
Show you understand the customer’s point of view.
Use appropriate sign-posting or resolution to meet your customers needs and manage expectations.
Maintain informative communication during service recovery.

Your training plan

This training plan has not been finalised. Check with this employer if you’ll need to travel to a college or training location for this apprenticeship.

Requirements

Let the company know about other relevant qualifications and industry experience you have. They can adjust the apprenticeship to reflect what you already know.

Skills

Communication skills
Customer care skills
Team working

Other requirements

Candidates do not need to have previous work experience for this role. Lived or professional experience of helping to remove barriers for others - for example D/deaf, disabled, neurodivergent, chronically ill people – would be an advantage.

About this company

We are the national development agency for creativity and culture. We help people in every corner of the country to experience and benefit from creativity. We do this by investing in artists and organisations that make and deliver exceptional, inspirational work for our communities.

After this apprenticeship

Ongoing development and support.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is: