Customer Service Practitioner Apprentice

Age UK Sunderland

SUNDERLAND (SR2 7AQ)

Closes in 12 days (Friday 19 June 2026 at 11:59pm)

Posted on 5 June 2026

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Summary

An exciting opportunity to join Sunderland’s largest local independent charity, providing help and support to the older people of the city. We’re looking for an enthusiastic person with great people skills to join our front of house team.

Wage

£12,480 a year

Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Training course
Customer service practitioner (level 2)
Hours
Monday -Friday, 10.00am - 5.00pm with a 1 hour lunch break.

30 hours a week

Start date

Friday 31 July 2026

Duration

1 year

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

  • Answer telephone enquiries
  • Act as a first point of contact to visitors to the Bradbury Centre
  • Welcoming visitors and using a sign in and out process
  • Manage initial enquiries, accurately record details in a CRM system and forward information to relevant staff
  • Contact service users to support service delivery
  • Booking of meeting rooms.
  • Cash handling, issue of receipts and recording all payments received
  • Ordering of stationery and monitoring stock
  • Filing, photocopying and word processing within the general office as required including data input
  • Scan, save and dispose of documents as requested and in accordance with GDPR
  • Stamp and record all incoming mail and despatch to staff members and ensure that all outgoing mail is franked and processed accordingly
  • Maintain and update leaflet displays and monitor stock
  • To follow all organisational Safeguarding policies and procedures
  • To follow all GDPR procedures and principles
  • To abide by all policies and procedures of Age UK Sunderland, including being aware of and responsible corporately and as an individual for Health and Safety policy
  • To undertake all reasonable tasks, in keeping with the level of responsibility of the post, as requested by the CEO

Where you'll work

BRADBURY CENTRE
GRANGE HOUSE
STOCKTON ROAD
SUNDERLAND
SR2 7AQ

Training

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

Training provider

CITY OF SUNDERLAND COLLEGE

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.

Training schedule

  • Level 2 Customer Service Practitioner
  • Safeguarding Training
  • CharityLog Training (CRM system)
  • All training will be completed on site at the Bradbury Centre

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

  • English (grade 4-9)
  • Maths (grade 4-9)

Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Skills

  • Communication skills
  • IT skills
  • Organisation skills
  • Customer care skills
  • Administrative skills
  • Team working
  • Non judgemental
  • Patience

About this employer

Age UK Sunderland is a strong, local and independent charity run by and for the people of Sunderland. We support older people throughout the city through the provision of quality services and by campaigning on issues that affect them.

Age UK Sunderland aims to promote the well-being of all older people throughout the City of Sunderland, improve their quality of life and help them maintain independence.

Disability Confident

Disability Confident

A fair proportion of interviews for this apprenticeship will be offered to applicants with a disability or long-term health condition. This includes non-visible disabilities and conditions.

You can choose to be considered for an interview under the Disability Confident scheme. You’ll need to meet the essential requirements to be considered for an interview.

After this apprenticeship

  • There will be the possibility of full time employment upon successful completion of the apprenticeship

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

CITY OF SUNDERLAND COLLEGE

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000035114.

Apply now

Closes in 12 days (Friday 19 June 2026 at 11:59pm)