PARISH SECRETARY & ACCOUNTS CLERK

ARCHDIOCESE OF SOUTHWARK; Ewell; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 25,000; Part time

Job summary

Archdiocese of Southwark seeks a part-time Parish Secretary & Accounts Clerk to support the Parish Priest and community. You will handle administration, reception, records, and basic bookkeeping while coordinating parish diaries and events from the St Catherine of Siena parish office.

Role requires confidentiality, accuracy, and good IT skills. DBS checks apply; 20 hours per week with flexible pattern, £15 per hour, permanent contract.

Qualifications

• Proven administrative/secretarial and bookkeeping experience.
• Minute-taking and supporting meetings.
• Knowledge of Gift Aid, charity finance and reporting.

Responsibilities

• Provide administrative, secretarial, reception and bookkeeping support to the Parish Priest and parish.
• Manage the parish diary, correspondence, filing and calendar of Masses and events.
• Maintain parish registers and sacramental records with confidentiality.
• Prepare communications, newsletters and liaise with parish groups.
• Assist with collections, Gift Aid, banking paperwork and finance administration.
• Administer payroll with the Archdiocese's central services as applicable.

Skills

Excellent communication skills

Organised and accurate

Data protection knowledge

People skills

Education

Business administration qualification

Secretarial qualification

Tools

Microsoft Office

IT equipment management

Job description

PARISH SECRETARY & ACCOUNTS CLERK We are seeking a parish secretary who has administrative skills and experience or is a fast learner and who is keen to work with the Parish Priest and parishioners to support and develop this beautiful community in Chessington & Hook. The role involves strong personal engagement with parishioners and other members of the public, working with IT systems, maintaining vital parish records and working with significant autonomy in support of the Parish Priest, the Parish Finance Committee and other parish groups.

• Role Title: Parish Secretary and Accounts Clerk
• Place of Work: St Catherine of Siena, Chessington & Hook Parish, Chessington KT9 2HY
• Salary and contract: part-time £15 per hour. Permanent
• Hours: 20 hours per week, over 5 days with flexibility to vary the pattern of working hours.
• Closing date: Friday 9 October
• Job type - Permanent/Part time 6-month probation period

Purpose of the role

To provide efficient administrative, secretarial, reception and bookkeeping support to the Parish Priest and the parish, acting as a welcoming first point of contact and ensuring the smooth day-to-day running of the parish office.

Key responsibilities

Area

Key responsibilities

Office & reception

• Act as the first point of contact — telephone, email and door — dealing with enquiries from parishioners, visitors and callers courteously and helpfully.
• Manage the parish office: correspondence, filing, post, photocopying and ordering supplies.
• Manage the Parish Priest’s diary and appointments and coordinate the parish calendar of Masses, services and events.

Records & Sacraments

• Maintain parish registers and sacramental records (baptisms, First Holy Communion, Confirmation, marriages and funerals) accurately and confidentially.
• Record and allocate daily Mass Intentions, liaising with donors and with the Parish Priest as necessary, keeping track of Mass stipends.
• Administer bookings and paperwork for baptisms, weddings and funerals, liaising sensitively with families, clergy and funeral directors.
• Maintain parishioner records and databases in line with data protection.

Communications

• Prepare and produce the front page of the weekly newsletter/bulletin, allocating Mass intentions, notices and noticeboards.
• Frequent communication with Parish Priest and parish groups as necessary
  

Finance & support

• Assist with collections, counting, Gift Aid and banking paperwork,
• Support the Parish Finance Committee serving as secretary, providing agendas and minutes and drawing up income / expenditure overview as required.
  

Bookkeeping & Compliance

• Maintain day-to-day financial records, including the cash book, purchase ledger and petty cash.
• Record all income (e.g. collections, donations, Gift Aid, hall hire, fees) and expenditure.
• Process supplier invoices and payments and reconcile bank and credit card statements regularly.
• ensure compliance with Archdiocesan financial procedures, charity requirements and HMRC rules.

Gift Aid & compliance

• Administer the Gift Aid scheme, maintaining records and preparing claims.
• Prepare financial reports for the Parish Priest and Finance Committee.
• Assist with budgets, year-end accounts and returns to the Archdiocese, and maintain records for audit.
• Ensure compliance with Archdiocesan financial regulations, charity law and HMRC requirements.

Cash & payroll

• Support the secure counting, recording and banking of collections and cash, in line with policy.
• Administer payroll for parish staff, or liaise with the Archdiocese’s central payroll, as applicable, and administer the remuneration of the Parish Priest.

Safeguarding

• Comply with the Archdiocese’s safeguarding policies and the national Catholic safeguarding standards, work with the Parish Safeguarding Representative, and report any concern immediately. This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check at the appropriate level.

General

• Uphold the ethos and values of the Catholic Church; maintain strict confidentiality and comply with data protection; take reasonable care of health and safety; and be willing to undertake other reasonable duties consistent with the role.

Person specification

Criteria

Essential

Desirable

Qualifications & training

• Good standard of general education, including English and mathematics.
• A business administration or secretarial qualification.

Experience

• Proven administrative / secretarial and bookkeeping experience.
• Minute-taking and supporting meetings.
• Website or social media administration.

Skills, knowledge & abilities

• Competent in Microsoft Office (Word, Outlook, Excel) and in managing IT equipment in general.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Well organised and accurate; able to prioritise and work on own initiative.
• Knowledge of parish life and the structures, liturgies and ceremonies of the Catholic Church.
• Knowledge of Gift Aid, charity finance and reporting.

Personal qualities & ethos

• Integrity, discretion, tact and confidentiality; a warm, welcoming manner in person and on phone.
• Sympathetic to, and willing to work within, the ethos and values of the Catholic Church.
• Willingness to learn and adopt new IT programmes and procedures

Eligibility to work

You must have the right to work in the UK. The Archdiocese is unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role, and applicants must already hold the right to work in the UK.

This job description is not exhaustive and may be reviewed and amended, in consultation with the postholder, to reflect the needs of the parish and the Archdiocese.