PA to Assistant Director of Community Children's Services

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About Us

EPUT provides community health, mental health and learning disability services to support more than 3.2 million people living across Bedfordshire, Essex and Suffolk. Also:

• We are among the largest employers in the in the East of England region, with more than 10,000 staff working across more than 200 sites.
• We run the COVID-19 vaccination programme across mid and south Essex and Suffolk and north east Essex.

EPUT was formed on 1 April 2017 following the merger of North Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (NEP) and South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (SEPT). A new leadership team was established at the Trust in 2020.
Our vision and values

Our Vision

"To be the leading health and wellbeing service in the provision of mental health and community care".

Our Purpose

"We care for people every day. What we do together, matters".

Our Values

• We Care
• We Learn
• We Empower

Our strategic objectives

• We will deliver safe, high quality integrated care services.
• We will enable each other to be the best that we can.
• We will work together with our partners to make our services better.
• We will help our communities to thrive.

Our services

• Mental Health Services
• Community Health Services
• Learning Disabilities Services
• Social Care

Find out more about the services we offer in our service directory.

Job overview

A rare and exciting opportunity has arisen in South East Essex for a PA to Essex Integrated Services Assistant Director of Community Children's Services. The post holder will be responsible for providing a full PA service alongside other experienced Pas within Essex Integrated Services, providing a high level of proficiency in word processing, typing correspondence, including complex and sensitive reports from hand-written notes, verbal dictation, email and internet, together with the ability to use databases, spreadsheet and PowerPoint packages.

The PA will be responsible for maintaining calendars, organising meetings, including booking venues and catering, ensuring that all dietary requirements are accounted for, collating and circulating papers from and to a variety of sources and taking minutes as requested by the Assistant Director.

The post holder also will be responsible for daily liaison with patients, internal and external stakeholders and system partners, statutory and otherwise, exhibiting a high standard of efficiency and diplomacy in challenging conversations and situations and will be responsible for dissemination and communication of relevant information to the appropriate person swiftly.

The focus of this role is SEE Community Children's Services, but the post holder will provide support to the Associate Directors as required.

Main duties of the job

To provide a full PA service to Assistant Director of Community Children's Services, typing correspondence including complex and sensitive reports from hand written notes, verbal dictation and audio transcription. Construct letters, reports and e-mails on behalf of the Assistant Director at their request or upon own initiative, using appropriate Microsoft software.

To recognise communications that are important, flagging urgent issues to the Assistant Director of Community Children's Services or other appropriate members of the management team and taking forward those communications within remit of the role.

To be responsible for the maintenance of electronic diaries, arranging appointments as necessary.

to take responsibility for planning and arranging meetings, producing and circulating agendas, supporting papers and minutes.

To administer the non-pay budget ensuring that correct purchasing and invoicing procedures are followed and records maintained.

External communications with other organisations and stakeholders relating to the activities of the Directorate.

Working for our organisation

EPUT are looking for motivated staff who shares our Trust values of Care, Learn and Empower. In return, EPUT can offer you a range of benefits and development including;

• Season Ticket Loans
• NHS discounts for staff
• Excellent Training facilities and opportunities
• Buying and Selling annual leave scheme
• The opportunity to work bank shifts and expand knowledge and experience in other areas
• Salary Sacrifice schemes including lease cars and Cycle to Work

Join our Staff bank

What is Staff Bank?

Our EPUT NHS staff bank is an entity managed by the trust that hires clinical and non-clinical healthcare professionals to take on shifts at our trust hospitals and community settings. Here at EPUT we maintain our own bank of specialist staff to ensure that we are able offer safe and effective care at all times.

All our permanent staff are automatically enrolled onto the staff bank however this does not mean you have to work any additional shifts, but the option is there for you if you wish.

If you are joining our Trust in a fixed term role, please indicate on your New Starter Paperwork that you wish to join our staff bank.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

1. To be responsible for the maintenance of electronic diaries, arranging appointments as necessary.
2. To take responsibility for planning and arranging meetings (including booking venues and catering), producing and circulating agendas, supporting papers and minutes and take any actions as appropriate.
3. To take and type minutes of meetings as appropriate, including statutory and Committee meetings, to a high standard and to ensure relevant and timely circulation prior to meetings. Attend meetings at Assistant Director and Director's request to take minutes.
4. To receive and deal appropriately with incoming calls, e-mails and verbal communication from staff, the Integrated Care Board (ICB), NHS Trusts, primary care contractors, statutory and voluntary organisations, the media and the general public.
5. To process all incoming and outgoing correspondence, ensuring rapid and appropriate distribution of information, and to co-ordinate responses from the appropriate staff.
6. To draft (as appropriate) for approval by the appropriate individual, responses to communications received within the department.
7. To establish and maintain effective filing and pending systems which will provide for prompt and accurate retrieval of information.
8. To establish and maintain databases / spreadsheets on a range of issues as required. To maintain accurate records and distribution lists.
9. To administer the non-pay budget ensuring that correct purchasing and invoicing procedures are followed and records maintained.
10. To administer an effective brought forward system.
11. Undertaking a key role, in internal/external communication, developing networks and effective communication with individuals and other organisations relating to the activities of the Directorate.
12. Work with the Director and members of the Team to contribute to the smooth running of the Directorate.
13. Establish good working relationships with other Director's administrative support
14. To receive and welcome visitors providing hospitality where appropriate.
15. Together with secretarial colleagues, as a team to ensure that all members of the Essex Community Services management team receive high quality secretarial and administrative support. This will involve providing cover for other secretaries as and when necessary.
16. To be responsible for the completion of salary returns for the Directorate.
17. To be responsible for arranging bank / temporary staff cover, authorising time sheets and invoices and raising issues with Finance as appropriate
18. Financial responsibilities may include one or all of the following:

• Monitoring, ordering and maintaining stationery as required
• Invoice processing
• Authorised signatory for e.g. Petty cash for the accounting of petty cash in the department

1. Undertake specific responsibilities as identified by the Director which are commensurate with the role and pay band of the post.
2. To undertake ad hoc projects from conception to completion as requested and supported by the management team.
3. Responsible for the management of employee data including inputting data and information into the payroll and employee relations systems, managing employee files ensuring all information, including professional registrations, training is accurate, and up to date.

SYSTEMS

1. The following are examples of the Secretarial and administrative systems which will be used in undertaking the role

• Share drive filing systems
• Patient administration system for inputting, searching, recording, storing and retrieving information
• Appropriate local systems and coding where required for recording activity and producing correspondence
• Microsoft Office applications including Work, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access and Publisher
• Intranet / Internet
• Local and national databases and spreadsheets
• ESR - Staff payroll system
• Staff training booking system
• Personal Development Recording System
• Online ordering system -eProcurement
• TRAC Job
• Office Depot
• Health Roster
• Incident Recording system (DATIX)

Note: New systems may be introduced as the organisation and technology develops, however training will be provided.

COMMUNICATIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS

1. Acting as the first point of contact for staff within Children's Specialist Services, the post holder will be expected to communicate with a wide range of people, including the most senior personnel, both internally and externally.
2. Highly developed communication skills requiring tact and diplomacy are necessary when responding to enquiries on behalf of the senior manager. Communication is a key part of the post and can be verbally, in writing or electronically. The post holder will have access to confidential information and therefore will need to retain the trust of management.

Person specification

Education/Qualifications

Essential criteria

• GCSE Level Education
• Experience of working as a PA providing the full range of secretarial support
• Taking and producing minutes to a high standard

Desirable criteria

• Shorthand/speedwriting qualification

Knowledge

Essential criteria

• Excellence administrative and secretarial skills
• High level of proficiency in word processing, email, internet and scheduling
• Able to use database, spreadsheet packages and PowerPoint

Skills / Experience

Essential criteria

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Minute taking skills
• Ability to use initiative and work with limited supervision/guidance

Personal Qualities

Essential criteria

• Good team player
• Self motivated
• Ability to work as an effective member of the team

!Important Professional References

Make sure that as a part of your application you have professional references with business contract information covering your last three year employment history. We are unable to accept personal or character references.

As a newly appointed employee you are responsible for incurring the cost of your initial DBS check relevant to your post, the amount will be deducted from your first salary with the Trust.

Applications for Job Share are positively welcomed.

Equal Opportunities Employer

Our Trust is an Equal Opportunities Employer. We particularly welcome applications from people with experience of using mental health services. We also hold the Disability two tick symbol and have made the pledge to commit to employing more people with learning disabilities, we encourage people with a disability to apply. If you require this application form in another format i.e. Braille or audio tape etc, please contact the Recruitment Department on 01375 364513 or email epunft.recruitment.adverts@nhs.net and we can arrange for this to be dispatched to you.

The Trust has the right to expire vacancies prior to the closing date if they so wish. The Trust makes every attempt to contact all applicants and we strongly advise that you check the email account which is registered with NHS Jobs regularly, we would advise however due to the high number of applications we receive that if you have not heard from us within three weeks of the closing date your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults, and expect all staff to undertake this commitment. Applicants will be subject to robust safer recruitment processes.

Covid Vaccination

Although Covid vaccinations are no longer a mandatory requirement within the NHS we continue to encourage and support the vaccination uptake as this remains the best line of defence against Covid19. The safety of our staff and patients is a top priority for us at EPUT.

If you would like to book a Covid vaccination or would like more information please contact us by emailing epunft.cv19hr@nhs.net.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Applicant requirements

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Documents to download

• B4 PA to Assistant Director of Community Children's Services (PDF, 594.9KB)
• B4 PS PA to Assistant Director of Community Children's Services (PDF, 466.2KB)
• Why Join The NHS Pension Scheme (PDF, 91.3KB)
• EPUT Pledge - Step into Health (PDF, 211.0KB)
• Candidate Privacy Policy (PDF, 336.6KB)
• Right to Work Information (PDF, 293.6KB)
• Employer Recognition Scheme - Gold Award (PDF, 27.7KB)
• Trust Vision and Values (PDF, 168.9KB)
• Values of the NHS Pension (PDF, 151.3KB)
• EPUT Staff Benefits (PDF, 89.3KB)