Secretary/Administrator for Child Development Service

Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust; Crawley; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 27,000; Part time

Job summary

A community health service provider in Crawley is seeking a part-time Secretary/Administrator for the Child Development Service. The ideal candidate will support clinicians, manage patient records, and handle enquiries with professionalism. Applicants must have 1-2 years of secretarial experience and proficiency in Microsoft Office. The role offers a salary range of £24,937 to £26,598 per annum, pro rata, and encourages applications from diverse backgrounds.

Benefits

Flexible working options

Training and development opportunities

Cost-effective workplace nurseries

Qualifications

• 1-2 years of secretarial/administration experience.
• Experience in an office environment managing diverse callers.
• Knowledge of basic Medical Terminology.

Responsibilities

• Undertake general office duties including photocopying and faxing.
• Manage diaries and appointments for the clinical team.
• Use SystmOne to manage patient records and tasks.

Skills

Good Communication skills

Ability to work as a team

Ability to co‑ordinate tasks

Education

School GCSE's or equivalent

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Secretary/Administrator for Child Development Service

We are looking for an enthusiastic and experienced secretary to join our friendly and dynamic administrative team at Crawley Child Development Centre, based in Crawley Hospital. The successful candidate must be professional, flexible, motivated, organised, a great communicator and work well in a team environment.

You will act as a key point of contact for patients, external stakeholders and colleagues and will provide a supportive response to a range of queries and requests for information.

You will also play a key role in supporting clinician's caseloads ensuring that patient records are kept up to date and secure and respond to queries and requests.

Please note: Due to recent changes in UK immigration and visa rules, this role is unlikely to be eligible for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship. Applicants who do not currently have the right to work in the UK may not be considered. Candidates requiring sponsorship should review the eligibility criteria on the gov.uk website before applying to assess their eligibility for a Certificate of Sponsorship for this role.

Main duties of the job

The successful candidate will be responsible for undertaking a wide range of secretarial and administrative duties. Duties can include but are not limited to the processing of information (electronic and hard copy) in a timely manner, liaising with team members to organise appointments.

Ensuring appointments are booked and processed effectively and managing diaries. Liaising with external agencies as and when necessary. Typing letters, reports and documentation as required. Managing all enquiries in an effective manner. Supporting all clinical staff with general administrative tasks as requested.

About us

We are the main provider of NHS community services across East and West Sussex, with 6,000 staff serving 1.3 million people. We deliver essential care to adults and children, helping them manage their health, avoid hospital admissions, and reduce hospital stays.

Our Trust vision is to provide excellent care at the heart of the community. We offer opportunities across medical, clinical, support, and corporate services.

Why work for us?

• Positive 2023 NHS Staff Survey results, highlighting compassionate leadership and well‑being
• Varied environments: community hospitals, patients' homes, and bases across Sussex
• Flexible working options: part‑time, flexi‑time, annualised hours, and flexi‑retirement
• Excellent training, development, and research opportunities
• Cost‑effective workplace nurseries in Crawley, Hove, and Brighton
• Active EMBRACE, Disability & Wellbeing, LGBTQIA+, and Religion & Belief networks
• Level 3 Disability Confident Leader and Veteran Aware Trust
• Beautiful Sussex location near the South Downs and coast

Our values—Compassionate Care, Working Together, Achieving Ambitions, Delivering Excellence—guide everything we do.

We embrace diversity and encourage applications from all backgrounds, particularly from ethnically diverse, disabled, and LGBTQIA+ individuals. We aim to create an inclusive environment and support reasonable adjustments during recruitment.

This post may close early if sufficient applications are received.

Job responsibilities

• To undertake general office duties including photocopying, faxing and distribution of documents as required and opening and distributing of post
• To deal effectively, sensitivity and diplomatically with incoming calls both internal from NHS staff and external from the public and outside professionals, taking accurate information
• To be able to work unsupervised and prioritise workload on a day to day basis, liaising with other team members to ensure continuity of service at all times
• Undertake any other duties necessary in the interests of the service and to raise concerns where necessary which may affect efficient provision of service.
• To use SystmOne patient electronic system to manage tasks and ensure accurate electronic patient records are maintained. This will include scanning documents and booking patients onto clinical rotas training will be given and the level of using SystmOne will be commensurate to your role
• Be aware in the CDC environment of volatile situations and how to manage in the confines of your role and how to elevate escalation

Providing a comprehensive and efficient Secretarial/Administration service for Child Development Centre medical/clinical staff. This involves using appropriate software to complete audio typing of medical letters, statutory medical and clinical reports, documents, forms, witness statements and other correspondence as required which includes using medical terminology.

• This will include confidential child protection reports within required timescales, with accuracy. Ensuring a timely dispatch of outgoing post.
• To produce and check correspondence and medical reports that are visually attractive and of a high standard of readability using Microsoft Office
• To book clinics for new referrals, follow up appointments and joint multi-disciplinary assessments, and ensure that complete and up to date medical notes are available for each patient if required
• Ensure follow up appointments are recorded via patient electronic system (SystmOne) within the timeframes dictated by statutory guidelines
• Deal with correspondence and telephone queries for medical/clinical staff as required, maintaining efficient records are recorded appropriately via patient electronic system (SystmOne)
• To receive emails, telephone enquiries and visitors regarding appointments, meetings and queries taking any necessary action by passing on accurate messages or resolving issues appropriate to your role
• To undertake task management on the patient electronic system (SystmOne) as required
• Liaise with the Centre Co‑ordinator and Deputy Head of Service regarding complaints and queries received by phone or electronically
• You will be required to take notes/minutes at local team meetings and transcribe them
• Collate and present data/information as requested, using agreed systems and formats
• To participate in supporting service development for the Child Development Centre Service

Person Specification

Qualifications

• School GCSE's or equivalent
• Experience with Microsoft Office including proficiency in word, Excel and outlook.
• Knowledge of basic Medical Terminology

Experience

• Working in an office environment where a large and diverse range of callers and visitors are received
• Previous experience of activities that involve receiving queries from others providing information, directions or taking and passing on messages
• Producing documents, letters and email using ITKeeping personal or sensitive information confidential.
• 1-2 years of secretarial/administration experience
• Working as part of a team – making a contribution and helping others.

Skills and Knowledge

• Good Communication skills and good telephone manner
• Ability to co‑ordinate tasks and assess independently for priority and meet deadlines
• Ability to work as a team
• Ability to adapt to changing service needs and take on new tasks as required

Other Requirements

• An understanding of the principles of equal opportunities in relation to staff and patients
• To produce a letter with 0-2 mistakes made in audio test

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 name

Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Crawley Child Development Centre, Crawley Hospital

£24,937 to £26,598 a year per annum pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part‑time

Reference number

150-CP2241-PC-A

Job locations

Crawley Child Development Centre, Crawley Hospital