Business Support Administrator

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Purpose

Administration services underpin all of our clinical activity at Devon Partnership NHS Trust, which means our dedicated and enthusiastic administration workforce is vital to the delivery of first class care.

To provide comprehensive administrative support a senior manager/s and their associated team members. There will be an expectation for the post holder to be highly motivated, flexible and multi-skilled with excellent organisational skills. The post holder will have high standard of skills using Microsoft Office packages and experience of using bespoke IT systems. The post holder will need to meet deadlines, collate data and maintain standards relating to administrative processes.

They will need to be able to work within a team effectively and share work streams where appropriate. The role will involve the coordination and implementation of office procedures and will require a high degree of organisational skills and excellent working knowledge of administrative systems.

Duties and Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities include:

• Work within an administration team supporting members within a healthcare service
• Comprehensive diary management
• Meetings administration; taking and distributing formal minutes; recording clear actions and following these up to check completion; maintaining attendance records
• Support the manager and team by ensuring that records are up to date on all staffing and patient systems and that items are dealt with quickly and efficiently on finance systems.

Profile

• Excellent planning and organisation skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Excellent attention to detail
• Professional telephone manner
• Collegiate approach and diligent
• Take pride in work and consistently strive to produce work of the highest standard
• Seek to deliver the best possible outcome rather than just the task at hand
• Work in partnership with the associated team to understand their needs and priorities (which may change depending on workload)
• Excellent time management skills
• Experience of prioritising a varied and busy workload
• Experience of working under pressure with the ability to work to and achieve deadlines
• The role will involve the development and implementation of office procedures and will require a high degree of organisational skills and excellent working knowledge of administrative practices.

Communication and Working Relationship Skills

• To use a variety of software packages including Microsoft Suit and bespoke packages relating to Trust informatics and patient records to produce correspondence and maintain presentations, records, spreadsheets and databases.
• To exchange factual information with people who use our services using persuasion tact, reassurance empathy and acknowledging barriers to understanding.
• To document information in accordance with record keeping standards.
• The postholder will often be the first point of contact and the focal point of services; therefore clear communication skills are required.
• To ensure that any information relating to safety of people who use our services and others is communicated immediately to senior team members.
• Communication with staff on work procedures and external agencies on behalf of the service.
• Working within a multi-disciplinary environment ensuring that communication with appropriate team members is effective and contemporary.
• Produce clear and accurate written correspondence (including the composition of adhoc routine letters) eg letters, memos, report, presentations, audio recording of minutes and use of Trust Intranet and Internet as required.
• To provide effective communication with people who use our services, relatives and carers, visitors, staff and others.
• To ensure that all communication is within the boundaries of patient confidentiality and to seek guidance when unsure.
• To manage both telephone and face to face contacts with distressed people who use our services in a supportive manner.

Analytical and Judgemental Skills

• Judgement involving facts or situations, some requiring analysis.
• Keep appropriate statistical records/information as and when required by the team/service for audit purpose.
• Provide statistical returns when required which may involve entering statistical data onto data bases.
• Maintain and monitor service/department staff records, eg annual leave, training and personal contact information and proactively support cover arrangements in times of absence.

Planning and Organisational Skills

• Deliver excellent levels of service by regularly assessing, problem solving, evaluating and reporting to line manager in a timely proactive manner when these standards have not been met, and enabling appropriate action to be taken. Implement planned actions and response, communicating changes as appropriate.
• Arrange meetings, hospitality, venues, distributing agendas/notes and managing multiple diaries.
• Maintain room booking schedules.
• Contribute to the smooth running of administrative systems including management of generic email accounts and electronic and paper filing systems as well as other forms of correspondence.

• Prioritise own tasks, exercising a degree of independence, initiative and judgement. Assess situations, identify and resolve potential problems within own skill set. Refer and seek guidance on issues outside of post holders level of competency or authority to line manager.
• Using appropriate electronic systems, ie room booking system to adjust appointment/meeting times as required.

Responsibility for Patient/Client Care, Treatment and Therapy

• Act as a principle point of contact for individuals from within/outside the Trust, people who use our services and members of the public where appropriate.

Responsibility for Policy and Service Development Implementation

• Maintain and continue to improve knowledge and understanding of the Trust/Service including systems, policy and current issues, particularly to own area of work.
• Adhere to all Trust and departmental policies and procedures relating to their role.
• Comply with local administrative procedures.
• Participate in local review of administration services.

Responsibility for Finance, Equipment and Other Resources

• The post holder will order stationery and other necessary items for the team via the procurement system.
• May be required to order and maintain stationery and stores stocks; may be responsible for petty cash float.
• Maintain the safe keeping of Trust property. Any concerns regarding misuse shall be raised immediately with the Trust Counter Fraud Specialist.

• Ensure the proper use of the Trust resources, such as stationary, telephone usage photocopying and other consumables used within the course of business. Ensuring minimal waste and cost. Suggest efficiency savings to more senior staff.

Responsibility for Human Resources, e.g. Supervision, Training, HR Advice and Management

• The postholder has no managerial supervision responsibility but is expected to be a good example to other staff and use their experience to assist/guide new starter induction.

Responsibility for Information Resources and Administrative Duties

• Produce confidential correspondence and reports.
• Maintain efficient and effective electronic filing system/s.
• Take and distribute formal minutes as necessary.
• The post holder will be partly responsible for ensuring accurate and up to date data is recorded onto electronic records systems, and that this information is communicated with the team and other professionals as required.

Responsibility for Research and Development

• Undertake surveys or audits as necessary to own work.

Freedom to Act

• Work is managed rather than supervised.
• Accountable for own actions manager is available for reference.
• Prioritise own tasks, exercising a degree of independence, initiative and judgement. Assess situations, identify and resolve potential problems within own skill set. Refer and seek guidance on issues outside of post holders level of competency or authority to line manager.

Any Other Specific Tasks Required

• Provide cover for colleagues when and where necessary.
• Duty of Candour you must adhere to the principles of openness, transparency and the statutory duty of candour in your day to day work and conduct and encourage the same behaviours within the wider organisation.
• All employees must adhere to the policy on the protection and use of personal information which provides guidance on the use of disclosure of information.
• The Trust also has a range of policies which outline the appropriate use of computer equipment and computer generated information. All employees are expected to meet the requirements of these policies.

Person Specification

Physical Skills

Essential

• Ability to recognise and manage challenging situations in a calm and professional manner.
• Adaptable in continuous change and able to learn quickly.

Desirable

• Advanced keyboard skills

Qualifications

Essential

• RSA 3 Word Processing or equivalent level of experience in practice
• NVQ3 in administration or equivalent level administrative knowledge and experience
• GCSE English or equivalent
• Evidence of continuing professional and personal development

Desirable

• ECDL (European Computer Driving Licence).
• Shorthand or Speedwriting
• Intermediate IT skills in Microsoft Office Packages, ie Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook
• Electronic data base management.

Analytical & Judgemental Skills

Essential

• Ability to work under pressure
• Able to plan, organise, prioritise, coordinate and work flexibly.
• Ability to exercise initiative operating within procedural guidelines.
• Ability to work without direct supervision on a day to day basis.
• Attention to detail/quality
• Able to deal with difficult situations
• Effective organisational skills. Prioritise own tasks, exercising a degree of independence, initiative and judgement without direct supervision

Experience

Essential

• Ability to prioritise workload and adapt to change when required
• Previous experience of working within an administrative or secretarial team
• Experience of dealing with confidential and complex information
• Experience or understanding of creating electronic records, electronic filing systems
• Electronic data base management.
• Ability to manage diverse workload whilst dealing with frequent interruptions
• Ability to meet deadlines and to work under pressure
• Exceptional organisational skills and ability to prioritise
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team
• Willingness to embrace new ways of working/changes
• Understanding and respect of confidentiality in the workplace

Desirable

• Ability to take accurate formal and informal minutes
• Demonstrate good numeracy and literacy skills
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills both written and verbal
• Able to deal confidentially and tactfully with people at all levels.
• Ability to take and convey clear messages
• Plan and prioritise own workload, ability to meet deadlines and work under pressure
• Experience of working in a catering or food manufacturing environment
• Food Allergen and intolerance awareness

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details

Employer name

Devon Partnership NHS Trust

Address

Prentice Building

Langdon Hospital

Dawlish

Devon

EX7 0NR

Employer's website

https://www.dpt.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

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