Personal Assistant to the Trust Chair

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust has a rich history, well-established community links and an international reputation. We deliver specialist services in the London boroughs of Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark, Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich, Wandsworth and Richmond.

We are committed to provide a high quality and specialist care to our service users and we are recognised for our care and treatment we provide. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as ‘good’.

We launched our five-year strategy, Aiming High; Changing Lives in 2021 together with Our Care Improvement System as our quality management system methodology to make a positive impact on patient care, outcomes and staff experience. By joining SLaM, all staff will get the opportunity to be part of this exciting improvement journey supported with learning and development to harness everyone’s potential as change makers.

The trust recognises the unique and valuable contribution that people with lived experience of mental illness can bring to a role. We therefore welcome applications from people with lived experience and consider them as an asset to the Trust.

Our Values

We take pride in providing specialist care to our service users where our Trust values and our promise to be caring, kind, polite, prompt, honest, listen and do what I say I’m going to do is at the heart of everything we do. When you join us, you’ll be part of something special.

As a Trust we are happy to talk flexible working.

Job overview

The team support each other to deliver effectively for the CEO and Chair and the running of the organisation.

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.

Working for our organisation

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.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Further duties in addition to those listed above:

• 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.

• 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.

Person specification

Experience

• Experience of managing diaries and organising meetings and events
• Experience of managing correspondence
• Previous experience of taking and drafting minutes
• Experience of servicing meetings
• Knowledge and understanding of confidentiality within the NHS

• Experience of working at PA level within a senior and confidential environment
• Understanding of working in a healthcare context

Knowledge

• Excellent organisational skills
• Ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing at all levels within and outside the organisation
• Ability to prioritise, work to deadlines but also have a flexible approach in areas of work
• Ability to use initiative without close supervision and suggest alternative methods of working if appropriate
• Computer literate and able to use a range of software packages and to learn to use new software quickly

Personal attributes

• Good self-awareness and judgement
• Negotiating and influencing skills
• Willingness to problem solve
• Excellent time management
• Self-motivated

The Trust is committed to providing services which embrace diversity and that promote equality of opportunity. We are a Disability Confident Employer, we welcome applicants from all sections of the community and people of all protected characteristics. We provide reasonable adjustments for candidates with a disability and are committed to treating people fairly with compassion, respect and dignity and in promoting equality and human rights. We aim to put this commitment into practice by:

• Embedding our commitment to tackling inequality, eliminating discrimination and harassment; promoting equality of opportunity and fostering good relations in our everyday practice
• Ensuring that all our services and all staff understand and support our commitment
• We believe that people who use our services, their carers and our staff, should be treated with compassion, respect and dignity

Please note:

• That all applications for this post will need to be made online
• That you read and understand the Job Description and Personal Specification attached to the role. Your Statement in Support should reflect the requirements specified as your application will be judged against these criteria
• That the closing date listed is a guide only and that the vacancy may close earlier should sufficient number of applicants have been received. We advise that you submit your application as early as possible
• That once you have submitted your application you agree to your application being transferred to a 3rd party e-recruitment system. All subsequent information regarding your application will be generated from apps.trac.jobs
• That should you not have heard from us within three weeks from the closing date your application has not successful
• That priority consideration for applications may be given to at-risk NHS employees
• That should you be successful and appointed, you authorise South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust to confirm your previous NHS service via an Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) process
• That we are a smoke-free Trust

SLaM is a Stonewall Diversity Champion , Stonewall is the largest Lesbian, Gay, Bi and Trans (LGBT) rights charity in Europe’