Support Services Secretary

Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust; Leeds; Hybrid; GBP 10,000 - 40,000; Part time

Job summary

An established industry player in mental health services is seeking an experienced secretary/PA to support its Respite Team. This part-time role offers a dynamic work environment where you will provide essential administrative support, coordinate meetings, and ensure efficient communication within a multidisciplinary team. Ideal candidates will have strong secretarial skills, a commitment to confidentiality, and the ability to work independently while managing a variety of tasks. Join a forward-thinking organization dedicated to improving the lives of individuals with learning disabilities and mental health challenges, and be part of a compassionate team that values empathy and respect.

Qualifications

• Experience in secretarial roles with excellent communication skills.
• Ability to prioritize workload and work independently.

Responsibilities

• Provide secretarial support to the Respite Team and coordinate meetings.
• Manage phone calls, take minutes, and maintain patient records.

Skills

Secretarial skills

Communication skills

Problem-solving skills

Confidentiality awareness

Education

NVQ level 2 in Secretarial Studies or equivalent

Tools

Microsoft Office

Electronic diary management

Job description

Are you looking for mental health jobs in Leeds, York or with one of our regional services operating across the country? We have a range of NHS Job opportunities, placements and specialities in our clinical, research, and professional support teams across Leeds and York.

At Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LYPFT), we strive to provide high-quality mental health and learning disability services as an employer of choice. We can only achieve this by putting our staff and the people using our services at the centre of everything we do. This starts with the people we employ. We recruit based on values and qualifications (where required) and believe lived experience is an advantage. We look for potential, not perfection, and this means that together, we are as diverse as the communities we care for.

Simply put, we seek out people who care, act with integrity and have the right skills. We want to add to our incredible colleagues, students and volunteers who share these principles, with people like you, who find empathy comes easily and who treat everyone with respect without thinking. Search our latest jobs to start your journey with us.

Job overview

The successful candidate should be an experienced secretary / PA who will work for the Respite Team within the Learning Disability Service, based at St Mary's hospital, Armley, which is just outside of Leeds City Centre. The role is primarily focused around providing an efficient and effective secretarial service to a multi-disciplinary team under the direction of the Support Service Team Co-ordinator and assisting with incoming calls, greeting visitors, typing, coordination of meetings, PA work and taking minutes. This post will be extremely varied and challenging at times but is an excellent opportunity for an enthusiastic, well organised and conscientious person.

The work is part-time and shared across 2 respite units for people with a learning disability and either complex multiple impairments or challenging behaviours. There will be liaison with service users as well as the staff team so some understanding of the needs of service users would be beneficial.

Main duties of the job

1. Answering phone calls and giving non-clinical information to service users, carers, peers and third parties
2. Arranging meetings, taking minutes and supporting the chair with all aspect for admin duties including agenda preparation
3. Arranging transport for admissions and discharges
4. Stores ordering
5. Preparing documentation for arranged respite admissions and discharges
6. Coordination of information
7. Organising staff supervision and appraisal meetings
8. Updating Mental Health Minimum Data information
9. Keeping records updated
10. Organisation of patient records, filing, photocopying, scanning
11. Preparing three monthly carers newsletter
12. Supporting the Clinical Team Manager with staff and processes

Working for our organisation

We are a high quality, high performing NHS foundation trust. We are the main provider of specialist mental health and learning disability services in Leeds. We also provide specialist inpatient services in York as well as some highly specialised services across the country.
We employ around 3,000 staff and every year we have contact with over 25,000 service users. Our vision is to provide outstanding mental health and learning disability services as an employer of choice. Our ambition is to support our service users and carers, our staff and the communities we serve to live healthy and fulfilling lives. We need people like you to help us achieve our goals; to live our lives free from stigma and discrimination; and to improve the lives of people with a learning disability and mental ill health.
We perform well against local and national targets and in our most recent CQC inspection, 85% of our services were rated good or outstanding.
As a teaching trust with strong links to local universities, we are a centre of excellence for teaching, research and development.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The job holder will need to liaise effectively with service users, carers, visitors and both internal and external agencies.

1. The job holder will demonstrate the ability to build up good networks for advice and direction.
2. The job holder will have daily telephone and face to face contact with service users and regular contact with other departments within the Trust and with other agencies.
3. The job holder will take accurate messages for staff.
4. Effective working relationships will be developed with the Support Service Team Co-ordinator and the Support Service team.
5. The job holder will be expected to deal appropriately with highly confidential and sensitive material on a regular basis in accordance with the Trust’s Information Governance Policy.
6. The job holder will be required to meet NHS Standards for Confidentiality and Information Sharing.
7. The job holder will provide support that will ensure good working relationships and a positive attitude amongst their colleagues and peers.
8. To undertake secretarial and administrative support to clinical staff.
9. Liaising with internal departments / managers and external partner organisations on behalf of the clinical team.
10. To liaise effectively with the Support Service Team Co-ordinators and attend monthly meetings, gaining support and keeping up to date with new systems and procedures.
11. To maintain excellent processes of communication within the clinical members of team.
12. Dealing with and prioritising phone calls and workloads requiring urgent advice / action.
13. To deal with telephone and personal enquiries from members of the public, GPs and other health professionals. Provide non clinical information and advice to service users / carers within the boundaries of the role.
14. Liaise with various departments, including Social Services, GPs, Consultants and other hospitals to ensure a good flow of communication.
15. The job holder will be expected to have a positive attitude towards colleagues and towards best practice.
16. Knowledge of general office duties (electronic and manual filing systems, photocopying etc.).
17. Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office.
18. Secretarial experience at NVQ level 2 or equivalent.
19. Knowledge of a variety of software packages.
20. Working knowledge of electronic diary management.
21. Understands the responsibilities of working with confidential information.
22. Knowledge of medical (psychiatric) terminology (desirable).
23. Knowledge of Mental Health Services (desirable).

The successful applicant will also have previous secretarial experience with excellent communication skills. The candidate must be able to:

1. Prioritise own workload and work on own initiative.
2. Possess good problem solving skills.
3. Have the ability to work within strict time frames.
4. An awareness of service user / staff confidentiality and data protection.

This post will include regular telephone and face to face contact with service users, a variety of staff at different levels, regular contact with other departments within the Trust and with other agencies.

An element of flexibility will be required by the successful applicant with regards to work base and hours, allowing provision of cover for colleagues in different areas when required.

As part of the interview process a visit to the units will be facilitated.

Person specification

Experience

• Experience of face to face dealing with general public.
• Experience of interacting and dealing with service users.
• Experience of Audio typing.
• Experience of Minute taking.

Applications are welcomed from candidates who wish to apply for a position on the basis of a smarter (Hybrid) or flexible working arrangement – please contact the Recruitment Team if you have any queries regarding this in terms of your initial application.

Where candidates are successful at interview, flexible working arrangement requests will be taken into consideration and may be accommodated where the needs of the service allow.

Please note that from 1 st July 2018 , all new employees are required to subscribe to the DBS Update Service, DBS checks for volunteers remain free of charge.

LYPFT is committed to upholding its’ statutory responsibilities in relation to safeguarding adults and children. Please refer to job description for further information.

Patient Safety is a priority at LYPFT with a focus on system-based improvement and creating opportunities for learning. We will ensure compassionate engagement with all those involved in an incident and all incidents are met with a proportionate response.

LYPFT is a member of the Disability Confident scheme and is committed to providing a fully inclusive and accessible recruitment process.

As part of the Trust's commitment to its Gold Standard Armed Forces Covenant status, members of the Armed Forces Community are entitled to a guaranteed interview subject to meeting the role criteria.

We welcome applicants with lived experience of providing unpaid care and/or support to a family member or friend with a disability, health condition, frailty, mental health problem, addiction or other health needs.

Please note that the Trust reserves the right to close the vacancy before the closing date if a sufficient number of applications are received. It is in the candidates best interest to apply as soon as possible.