Personal Assistant to the Trust Chair | South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
The team support each other to deliver effectively for the CEO and Chair and the running of the organisation.
The postholder will act as the first point of call for the Chair and the NEDs, working in conjunction with other senior management PAs to prioritise calendar commitments, agree next steps for communications received, and build internal and external relationships with stakeholders.The role requires a high level of discretion and the ability to work unsupervised and to take initiative.
Hours:
This role is 22.5 hours. There is flexibility in how this can be spread out across the week and we would welcome discussions on this. There will be some occasions where certain meetings or commitments dictate the hours that you will be needed in the week.- Provide the full range of Personal Assistant support including diary, communications and workflow.
- Managing the Chair’s emails and written correspondence, actioning or responding on behalf of the Chair where possible or bringing matters to the Chair’s attention for their action.
- Managing the Chair’s and NEDs’ diaries, dealing with invitations received by email, post and telephone, proactively organising meetings and visits, including preparation for meetings and ensure appropriate prioritisation of their diaries.
- Liaise with a variety of sources within and outside the Trust on behalf of the Chair. This will often mean representing and being the first point of contact for the Chair.
- Work with the PA to the CEO and Chief of Staff as part of the CEO and Chair’s Team to deliver projects for the Chair and CEO.
- Provide cover for the PA to the CEO as required.
- Handle private and confidential information in a professional manner.
- Draft responses to letters.
- Attend meetings as required both internally and externally.
- Produce and circulate agendas, minutes and papers and follow up action points for a range of different meetings both internal and external.
- Maintain the Chair’s filing system.
- Ensure all telephone calls and post, both internal and external, for the Chair are actioned as appropriate, or messages relayed as required, some of which could potentially be sensitive.
- Report accidents and incidents as required by Trust policy.
There are very few organisations in the world that have such wide-ranging capabilities working with mental illness. Our scope is unique because it is built on three major foundations: care and treatment, science and research, and training.
SLaM employ around 6500 staff and serve a local population of 1.3 million people. We have more than 230 services including inpatient wards, outpatient and community services. Currently, provide inpatient care for approximately 5,300 people each year and treat more than 45,000 patients in the community in Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark, as well as substance misuse services for residents of Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich.
By coming to work at SLaM, you will gain experience of being part of an organisation with a rich history and international reputation in mental health care. You will have access to professional development and learning opportunities, and have the chance to work alongside people who are world leaders in their field.
Further duties in addition to those listed above:
Support to Board members- Taking a lead on managing relationships with the Non-Executive Directors, ensuring they are kept abreast of key issues and Trust events, responding to queries and arranging their meetings. This will require close working with Corporate Governance colleagues who manage Board meetings.
- Supporting the recruitment and onboarding of Non-Executive Directors.
- Overseeing the organisation of NEDs’ annual appraisals including ensuring preparatory and post-appraisal paperwork is completed.
An ability to communicate with a wide range of people at different levels both within and outside the Trust is essential and ability to handle private and confidential information in a professional manner.
Key internal stakeholders- Trust Chair
- Non-Executive Directors
- Chief of Staff
- PA to the Chief Executive
- Director and Deputy Director of Corporate Affairs
- Corporate Affairs Team
- PAs to the Executive Leadership Team
- Trust Executive Leadership Team
- Secretariats to other subcommittees of the Board
- Complaints and Patient and Liaison teams
- Contacts in South East and South West London Integrated Care Systems
- All external stakeholders, including members of the public, providers, other Trusts, service users, Governors, government representatives and NHS England.
This job description will be subject to regular reviews and adjustments.
This advert closes on Wednesday 12 Mar 2025