Job vacancy: Clerical Assistant, South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust, Stratford upon Avon

Job summary

Main area: Administration
Grade: Band 2
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref: 203-SS1121

Employer: South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type: NHS
Site: South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust
Town: Stratford upon Avon
Salary: £24,465 per annum
Salary period: Yearly
Closing: 02/07/2025 23:59

Clerical Assistant

Band 2

South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust is one of the top performing organisations within the NHS. Our staff think this is a great place to work and we hope you will agree. We have recently been rated as 'Outstanding' by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) following our most recent inspection.

We provide services across Warwickshire and beyond ranging from Hospitals in Warwick, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Royal Leamington Spa and Shipston-on Stour to Community Services across the whole county. This includes our Community Teams in North Warwickshire.

We are a progressive, expanding organisation with great ambition around improving quality, integrating pathways and delivering high levels of productivity. Over 6000 people work for the Trust and many of them have been here a long time. People find they don’t need to go elsewhere to find a fulfilling career in healthcare.

The first thing you will notice about us is how we take our values seriously. We believe that our values underpin everything we do. If you are interested in a role with us you need to make sure our values match your own.

Our values can be summed up in one sentence. We are ‘Trusted to provide inclusive, safe, effective and compassionate care’. Throughout the recruitment process you will be asked to think about how you demonstrate these values and how they impact on your work. It doesn’t matter what role you do, whether it is patient facing or not, we are all working in the same way with our values at the core.

Probationary Period

All new staff to the Trust will be subject to a standard 6 month probationary period, the details of which will duly follow in your contract of employment.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust is committed to creating and sustaining a positive and inclusive working environment for all our employees. Our aim is to ensure that employees are equally valued and respected and that our organisation is representative of all members of society. We define diversity as valuing everyone as an individual – we value our employees, job applicants, students, patients and visitors as people. This is reflected within our values of being Inclusive, Safe, Effective, Compassionate and Trusted.

Agile and Flexible Working

All our staff will have a work base. However the Trust operates as an Agile Working Team therefore staff may be working from home on a regular basis as required by the service. However, occasionally travel around Warwickshire and into your base will be required so access to your own transport would be helpful.

The Trust also welcome staff to work flexibly and we would welcome the conversation at interview regarding flexible working.

Staff Benefits

The Trust offer a wide range of additional benefits to staff. Anyone who joins us on a substantive basis can assess things such as the Lease Car Scheme, Electronics Scheme, Discounted Leisure and Travel, Cycle to work scheme amongst many others available.

Car Parking

The Trust currently have limited availability of car parking spaces, as such are operating a waiting list for new starters joining the organisation.

To keep up to date on our latest recruitment activity follow us on twitter @swftrecruit or look us up on Facebook (Recruitment - South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust).

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Main Duties

Check psychology general email address and retrieve referrals as necessary and answer any non-complex queries. To answer internal and external telephone calls, recording and relaying accurate messages as appropriate, dealing with less complex queries and to make telephone calls as necessary. Retrieve any messages left and deal with appropriately.

Assist in maintaining and updating the waiting lists for the Department of Clinical Health Psychology in accordance with current guidelines.

Making appointments for new and existing patients using Microsoft Outlook and maintaining a record of appointments, dealing with all changes.

Compiling patient files in a timely manner.

Maintain patient record filing systems, ensuring all records are accurately and appropriately archived. Retrieve patient records from filing as required.

Provide general administrative duties such as typing a range of standard letters, sending out patient letters and questionnaires, scanning of documents.

Inputting new patient referrals onto the departmental database PG

Disseminating incoming post appropriately and action where possible. Outgoing post, ensuring priorities are maintained.

Greet patients/staff members who come to reception with a welcoming helpful attitude.

Photocopying, faxing and any other clerical duties as necessary.

The applicant will be required to manage their own workload to ensure that the most urgent issues are dealt with promptly.

To provide short-term cover for colleagues during periods of leave.

The post holder may be required to undertake some moderate lifting and handling.

This job description is not exhaustive and may be amended in consultation with the post holder. It should be reviewed whenever major changes have been agreed to the post and should be reviewed as part of the annual appraisal process to ensure it remains an accurate reflection of the duties and responsibilities undertaken by the post holder.

During the course of your employment you may have access to, see or hear information of a confidential nature and you are required not to disclose such information, particularly relating to patients or staff. All persons identifiable information must be held in the strictest confidence and should be disclosed only to authorised people in accordance with NHS Confidentiality Guidelines and the Data Protection Act 1998 unless explicit written consent has been given by the person identified, or where information sharing protocols exist.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

Able to demonstrate good basic education.
NVQ2 in relevant administrative field or equivalent experience
English language pass GCSE
Good keyboard skills.
Accuracy, an eye for detail
The ability to manage an alphabetical filing system

Experience

Essential criteria

Experience of working in the NHS

Desirable criteria

Previous significant office experience
Using NHS IT systems, i.e. PG, Lorenzo
Experience of managing own workload

Skills

Essential criteria

Excellent communications skills.
Good telephone manner
Able to prioritise tasks.
Demonstrates potential to be able to work under pressure
Demonstrate understanding of patient confidentiality.

Desirable criteria

Working knowledge of Microsoft Office including Outlook and Excel and excellent keyboard skills
Working knowledge of using databases and NHS systems

Personal Qualities

Essential criteria

The ability to work alone and manage own workload
Able to interact with a variety of staff
Able to maintain confidentiality
Flexible and adaptable
Ability to use initiative
Understanding of own limitations

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Sometimes we get a lot of applications for our roles. On those occasions we might close the job early. If you don’t want to miss out we recommend submitting your application as early as possible.

The Trust use an Applicant Management System called TRAC which helps us manage the recruitment process. All communications regarding your application will come via TRAC (even if you applied via NHS Jobs).

Please check your TRAC account regularly and ensure your email is set up to accept messages so they don't go into your junk/spam folder.

We aim to shortlist all vacancies within 2 days of the vacancy closing, we will get back to all candidates ASAP.

Please ensure all sections of the application form are completed fully. Please particularly ensure that you provide full details of all referees including business email address, telephone contact details and postal address.

South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust is an equal opportunities employer who is committed to Equality and Diversity and does not tolerate discrimination or harassment on the grounds of any protected characteristic as defined by the Equality Act 2010.

All South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust sites are smoke free. We feel it’s a great way to help our patients, visitors and staff stay healthy.

The Trust is part of a ‘Foundation Group’ through a strategic alliance with Wye Valley NHS Trust, George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust and Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust. This partnership is great for the sustainability of all four organisations and allows us to share learning and maximise opportunities to ensure the delivery of high quality health and care services for our local populations.