Hearings Support Officer

Hearings Support Officer

Salary: £27,835 - £30,929 pa

Location: London – Hybrid

Contract: Fixed-term contract for 12 months

Hours: Full-time

We have an exciting opportunity for a Hearings Support Officer to join our Hearings team and provide an efficient customer service to internal and external visitors attending hearings. The Hearings Support Officer deals with front-line face-to-face, telephone and email enquiries, providing a professional and welcoming service at all times.

The Dental Professionals Hearings Service (the Hearings Service) conducts hearings for cases investigated and brought by the General Dental Council (GDC). Cases are adjudicated by independent committees consisting of lay and dental professional panellists.

The Hearings Service is administratively separated from the GDC.

Hearings are formal adjudication proceedings. Decisions made at hearings can have serious consequences for the dental professionals and can be difficult and stressful for all those involved. Cases often include patients, witnesses and legal representatives.

About the role:

- To provide general on-the-day support and assistance to registrants, legal teams, witnesses, and observers to ensure their needs are fully met.
- Meet unrepresented registrants and witnesses, including vulnerable witnesses, at the hearing to explain the hearing process and answer any initial questions they have and provide continued/additional support throughout their attendance.
- Provide a welcoming and professional face of the organisation by being the first point of contact to external parties and members of the public attending hearings.
- Resolve face-to-face, telephone and email enquiries effectively and efficiently in a professional manner and to escalate where necessary.
- Provide support with the operation of digital audio, video and voice conferencing equipment and iPad equipment, for both physical and remote hearings. Troubleshooting any issues and escalating where necessary.
- Ensure only authorised persons enter the premises for hearings by checking and issuing visitor passes and informing staff when visitors arrive.
- Assist in generating documentation prior to and following hearings and manage confidential and sensitive information in line with GDPR regulations.

About you:

The successful candidate will have:

- Proven experience of working within a busy customer-focused environment and able to deliver excellent customer service in a similar environment.
- Well-developed interpersonal skills with the ability to engage confidently, collaboratively and effectively with a range of customers and stakeholders internally and externally, demonstrating empathy, tact and discretion in discussing cases.
- Proven ability to work on own initiative and as part of a wider team, developing effective relationships with the Hearings team and at all levels of the organisation.
- Excellent written communication, with experience of generating documentation with accuracy and attention to detail.
- Excellent knowledge of MS Office, including PowerPoint, Word, Excel, Outlook and MS Teams.
- The ability to remain calm and professional in potentially high-pressure or emotionally charged situations.
- Strong organisational skills, with proven experience and knowledge of prioritising multiple conflicting demands expeditiously.

Benefits:

The GDC is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace that provides an environment that reflects our values and culture and allows employees to flourish.

To support this, we offer a range of family-friendly, inclusive employment policies, including flexible working arrangements from day one and employee networks that aid growth and development.

Some of our benefits include:

- 27 days’ holiday pro-rata (plus statutory) - rising to 30 days after 2 years’ service.
- Flexitime scheme.
- Employer pension contributions up to 10%.
- Buy/Sell annual leave.
- Enhanced Maternity, Paternity and Adoption leave from 1 year’s service.
- Life assurance, income protection plan and enhanced sick leave policy.
- Staff discounts, including eye care contributions and discounted gym membership.

How to apply:

For further details and to apply, please click the apply button.

As part of your supporting statement, please provide examples of your work experience that align with the role and person specification below, using the STAR format:

- Proven experience of working within a busy customer-focused environment and able to deliver excellent customer service in a similar environment.
- Well-developed interpersonal skills dealing with a range of customers and stakeholders internally and externally, demonstrating empathy, tact and discretion and remaining calm in potentially high-pressure or emotionally charged situations.
- Prioritisation and organisational skills.

Closing date: 23:59 on 26 April 2026.

Please note that we reserve the right to bring this recruitment campaign to an end without notice, and we encourage all interested candidates to apply as soon as possible.

The GDC is committed to equality and diversity. We encourage and support the recruitment, retention, and career development of people from as wide a range as possible of ethnic, cultural and social backgrounds