College Reception Duties and Expectations

Ashbourne is committed to providing staff with a happy, relaxed and professional
environment in which they can work as part of an effective team.

The College must also ensure that it delivers the best possible customer service and recognises that first impressions really do count. We therefore have to maintain high standards on a daily basis. In order to do this as a team, staff need to follow the simple but important guidance below:

1. No coats on the back of chairs in reception, at any time. (For Young Street, please hang coats up in the staff room; at OCP, please use the cupboard opposite the staff toilets). You can hide garments neatly under your desk, but this could limit your leg room.

2. Handovers are very important when covering each other, especially during
lunch. We must make sure there is clear communication across the team at all
times. Please ensure that you:

a) Inform the team member covering you at your desk, with either ‘There’s
nothing to handover’ or handover what the person taking over/returning needs
to know.

b) When the team member returns from their break/back to their station, make sure you repeat point ‘a’.

This should be practised every time covering desks is concerned.

3. Where possible, arrive a few minutes earlier than your contracted starting time so that you are at your desk and ready to begin your day on time. If you are going to be late please contact the Attendance Officer first on 07961 733 195, and also your Line manager (text, WhatsApp or call). The Attendance Officer will let the team member/s in your building know, so they are also aware.

Lateness and staff absence is logged on the staff absence/lateness database by the Attendance Officer.

4. If you are calling in because you are not well, please make sure that you do this by 7:30am at the latest by informing your line manager and the Attendance Officer on 07961 733 195. However, the earlier the better, as the weekly positions may need to be altered.

5. Please ensure that you arrive on time for lunch cover and if you are running late, make sure that you notify the person you are taking over on reception and where possible provide them with your estimated time of arrival (ETA).

6. Do not leave the reception unmanned. If you urgently need to leave the desk then please contact the Head of Administration immediately. When working alone in the evening or on Saturday, you can lock the front door to ensure no one can enter the building while you leave reception.

7. LANYARDS, LANYARDS, LANYARDS. No one should enter the College without wearing a lanyard. Please challenge (in a polite manner) anyone who walks into reception without one. Anyone wearing a visitor’s lanyard should be accompanied by an Ashbourne member of staff whilst in the building for safeguarding reasons.

8. Food should not be eaten in reception or at your desk; this looks
unprofessional and is unhygienic. If you need to eat/make a cup of tea, please
check with your colleagues and if it is not busy in reception then feel free
to take a short break in the staff room. (In the event that you are by yourself at
reception and you need to eat, please make sure that you are discreet and
have something that is simple and ‘mess free’.)

9. No jeans, trainers or flip flops to be worn at work. (Trainers may be permitted for medical reasons or if this has been approved by your line manager.)

10. Dealing with confidential information: please only use the hot corner to deal with confidential information held on our computer system. This is to ensure that this information is not compromised when you are away from your desk. If you do not know how to do this, please speak to the IT and Facilities Manager. Please also be mindful not discuss confidential or sensitive information in conversations you may have at reception.

11. Mobile phones should be placed discreetly on your desk. You should not be texting/taking phone calls for personal reasons during work time unless you have discussed with your line manager that you need to have your phone on you due to personal reasons.

12. Please try not to speak your native language (other than English) when you are on reception as this may lead to others feeling uncomfortable. The only occasion that you should do this is when an external party (e.g., a parent/agent) prefers to communicate using their (and your) native language.

For any concerns or suggestions, please contact your line manager who will be more than happy to discuss them.