Job summary
- Main area
- Administration
- Grade
- NHS AFC: Band 3
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm)
- Job ref
- 354-AC-21321-1
- Employer
- Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Chapel Street Clinic
- Town
- Chichester
- Salary
- £25,760 - £27,476 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 29/10/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Team Secretary
NHS AFC: Band 3
Come and join us
We’re looking for people who share our values of compassion, accountability and optimism to help us provide high quality care for the patients, carers, families and communities we serve. We specialise in NHS mental health and learning disability services and we’re proud to make a difference every day.
At SPFT we put people first. We’ll do everything possible to help you feel respected, valued and included. You’ll have opportunities to learn, grow and gain new experiences to support your career, with access to lifelong learning and professional development.
We actively promote flexible working and understand how important work life balance is, especially in healthcare. Whether it’s part time hours, hybrid working or flexible start and finish times, we’ll explore what works for you and the role.
We recognise that tools like AI are becoming part of everyday life and you may choose to use them when preparing your application. We welcome this, as long as what you submit reflects your own experience, skills and voice. AI can be helpful for structuring or refining your answers, but it should not replace your own examples or create content that isn’t based on your real experience.
Our recruitment process is designed to get to know you, and we’ll explore your examples further at interview, so it’s important your application genuinely represents what you bring. You can read more about using AI in applications and interviews on our recruitment process page.
We’re shaping a workplace where ideas are encouraged, technology supports you and everyone has a voice in how we improve. If that sounds like the kind of organisation you want to be part of, we’d love to hear from you.
Job overview
Would you like to make a difference and use your people and secretarial/administration skills to support the provision of mental health services in the community?
We are looking for a friendly, enthusiastic and self-motivated individual to join our busy Admin Team, based at Chapel Street Clinic, Chichester. As well as Chichester, our services cover care in the community for Bognor, Midhurst and the surrounding areas.
The post holder will provide a comprehensive secretarial service to one of our medical staff and support the wider multidisciplinary team with their admin, ensuring an efficient and confidential service.
Main duties of the job
After a suitable period of training, you will be allocated to one of our Consultant Psychiatrists to provide them with an efficient and confidential secretarial service, which will include diary management and clinic letter typing.
Our secretaries also provide admin support to the wider clinical team on a rotational basis.
You will require excellent interpersonal skills for effective communication with service users and the multi-disciplinary team, which consists of Consultant Psychiatrists, nurses, psychologists, managers, social workers, occupational therapists, graduate mental health practitioners and support workers.
A background within healthcare services would be an advantage, but other secretarial or administration experience will be considered.
Evidence of a good general education is required, together with excellent organisational and IT skills. Flexibility, the ability to work on your own initiative and effective communication skills are all essential, as is a commitment to caring for patients in the community.
Ideally you will have experience of Microsoft Word and preferably of patient/customer administration systems, but training will be given. Excellent keyboard skills and an eye for detail are highly desirable, as are the ability to multi-task and remain calm under pressure.
Working for our organisation
We are a friendly and caring administration team, based at Chapel Street Clinic in the heart of Chichester's city centre. We provide secretarial and administrative support to a variety of clinical staff across the patch. The administration team consists of telephonists, receptionists, secretaries and senior administrative staff.
As part of our commitment to quality and professionalism, the Trust ensures that all new staff undertake a thorough induction programme. Additional training will be provided at local level and full support is always available as part of ongoing growth and development.
As a mental health trust, we place a large focus on the wellbeing of our staff and ensure our reward packages reflect the important work you do.
As well as knowing you are making a valuable contribution in supporting the care of service users in the community, you can expect to receive:
· Generous holiday entitlement, starting at 27 days + bank holidays per annum.
· Car parking reimbursement.
· NHS pension.
· Access to a host of discount schemes (e.g. gyms, shopping, restaurants and cars).
· A supportive working environment and access to training opportunities to assist you to realise your potential.
· Access to numerous wellbeing and support programmes.
· Excellent supervision programmes, with ongoing opportunities for training and development.
· The opportunity to grow professionally in the Trust.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
After a suitable period of training, you will be allocated to one of our Consultant Psychiatrists to provide them with an efficient and confidential secretarial service, which will include:
· Accurate typing of clinic letters from dictation.
· Diary management of their outpatient clinics.
· Taking and making telephone calls to and from services users, carers, GPs and colleagues.
· Supporting the wider clinical team with their admin on a rotational basis, including screening and sending letters to GPs and patients, updating patient records and booking appointments.
· Minuting meetings.
· Occasional cover of reception and switchboard.
You will require excellent interpersonal skills for effective communication with service users and the multi-disciplinary team, which consists of Consultant Psychiatrists, nurses, psychologists, managers, social workers, occupational therapists, graduate mental health practitioners and support workers.
Please refer to the job description and person specification for full details.
This is a full time role, 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
Please read Job Description and Person Specification for more details.
For further information please contact Nina McLagan, Admin Team Leader on 0300 304 0300.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- NVQ 3 or equivalent
- RSA 3 or equivalent experience and evidence of further practical experience or equivalent
- Good standard of secondary education; GCSE at Grade C or above or equivalent
Knowledge/Experience
Essential criteria
- Proven experience of a range of secretarial procedures
- Experience of producing documents to a high standard of presentation with good accuracy
- Experience of maintaining office systems
- Experience of working as part of a team
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
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Nina McLagan
- Job title
- Admin Team Leader
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 0300 304 0400
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