Personal Assistant

Come and join our team in this exciting time of change as we pride ourselves, our staff and our services on excellence.

At the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust we put our patients at the heart of every element of health and care that we provide. The Trust works together as a community to deliver its vision which is “Working together to provide outstanding care for our community.”

We are Compassionate in our thoughts, words and actions

We are Aspirational and have a true desire to be dynamic and to innovate

We are Resourceful and responsible in the way we work and live

We are Excellent in our development, fairness and sharing best practice

Amazing things happen at the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust; delivered by amazing people so why don’t you come and join us. We offer a range of learning and development for all employees may you be clinical or non-clinical.

Job overview

To provide a comprehensive personal assistant service to designated directors ensuring that they receive the support needed to facilitate the performance of their role

As a member of the personal assistant team to also help ensure the provision of a consistent, high-quality service by providing support to the Chair and all Directors as and when required

Main duties of the job

1. To provide a full personal assistant service to either designated Directors in order to help ensure the smooth and efficient organisation and carrying out of their responsibilities.
2. To be the first point of contact for the Directors’ visitors and telephone callers, providing callers with the information, advice and guidance to meet their needs. To ensure that all visitors and callers are handled in a manner that enhances the reputation of the Directors, the Executive and of the Trust.
3. Within parameters agreed with the Director, to make judgements and take actions necessary to resolve enquiries, requests and issues raised by managers, staff, external organisations and members of the public. This will include:

• Researching, collating and providing them with information
• Meeting with them to explore and resolve enquiries and issues
• Providing them with all necessary guidance and advice

1. To ensure that the Director is fully briefed on issues as they arise, determining the priority of the issue and, as necessary, obtaining and collating the information needed to enable the Director to make an informed decision.
2. To manage the Directors’ diaries, making decisions on whether and when appointments are made, based on the issue, the needs of the caller and the workload priorities and commitments of the Director.

Working for our organisation

Diversity makes us interesting… Inclusion is what will make us outstanding.

Inequality exists and the journey to eliminate it is not easy. Every step we take will be a purposeful step forward to deliver a truly inclusive culture where all our people are enabled to deliver outstanding care, where background is no barrier, and where everyone can be their authentic self and we truly represent our patient community.

We are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics. Reasonable adjustments will be made for disabled applicants where possible. All applicants who have a disability and meet the minimum criteria for the post can opt for a guaranteed interview.

If you need additional help with your application please get in touch by calling the recruitment team on 0118 322 6997 or 0118 322 5342.

Our primary method of communication will be via email. However, if you would prefer to be contacted through a different method, please inform the recruitment team.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Reporting Responsibility: Corporate Governance Manager

Job Purpose:

To provide a comprehensive personal assistant service to designated directors ensuring that they receive the support needed to facilitate the performance of their role

As a member of the personal assistant team to also help ensure the provision of a consistent, high-quality service by providing support to the Chair and all Directors as and when required

Principal Responsibilities

1. To provide a full personal assistant service to either designated Directors in order to help ensure the smooth and efficient organisation and carrying out of their responsibilities.
2. To be the first point of contact for the Directors’ visitors and telephone callers, providing callers with the information, advice and guidance to meet their needs. To ensure that all visitors and callers are handled in a manner that enhances the reputation of the Directors, the Executive and of the Trust.
3. Within parameters agreed with the Director, to make judgements and take actions necessary to resolve enquiries, requests and issues raised by managers, staff, external organisations and members of the public. This will include:

• Researching, collating and providing them with information
• Meeting with them to explore and resolve enquiries and issues
• Providing them with all necessary guidance and advice

1. To ensure that the Director is fully briefed on issues as they arise, determining the priority of the issue and, as necessary, obtaining and collating the information needed to enable the Director to make an informed decision.
2. To manage the Directors’ diaries, making decisions on whether and when appointments are made, based on the issue, the needs of the caller and the workload priorities and commitments of the Director.
3. To develop a network of key relationships both within and outside of the Trust in order to help facilitate the performance of the Director’s responsibilities and to enhance their reputation
4. On behalf of the Director, to communicate and correspond with senior managers and clinicians within the Trust, with other organisations and members of the public on difficult, sensitive and complex, as well as routine, issues
5. To type and format correspondence, reports and presentations from dictation or from drafts prepared by the Director. In addition, to design and create correspondence, reports and presentations on behalf of the Director, within agreed parameters
6. To ensure the provision of information required for Board reports, obtaining, collating and presenting the information as required
7. As required, to prepare agendas and take notes of meetings for the Director and to take and transcribe minutes of specified Trust committees
8. To implement, operate and maintain effective and secure systems for the organisation, control and accessing of the Directors’ electronic and paper information resources
9. To develop and maintain monitoring systems for the obtaining of information and reports regularly required by the Director. To ensure that the information is obtained on time
10. To co-ordinate and/or expedite arrangements to ensure the effective and timely handling of formal patient and non-patient complaints; formal staff grievances and disciplinary meetings for which the Director has a responsibility, communicating with the complainants and staff involved as required.

1. To contribute to the provision of a quality personal assistant service to the Chairman and the Executive team through:

• Providing secretarial support to cover in the absence of a Personal Assistant colleague or in cases of peaks in workload
• Working closely with and supporting other members of the Personal Assistant team

1. As required, to contribute to any reviews of departmental administrative systems and processes designed to support the work of the Directors, proposing changes and improvements.
2. To provide support to all members of the Personal Assistant team to help ensure the effective operation of the team

Person specification

Education & training

• Ability to develop and maintain communication, both verbally and in writing, to all levels of staff, patients, the public and managers from different organisations about often sensitive, complex or difficult issues
• In depth experience of working as a senior secretary or personal assistant for a manager/clinician operating at a senior level within an organisation
• Ability to take and transcribe formal minutes

• Experience of working in a complex organisational environment, either in the NHS, elsewhere in the public sector or in a private or voluntary sector organisation
• Good general education level or equivalent knowledge and skills gained through any combination or alternative study, employment or voluntary work

Experience

• Ability to take and transcribe formal minutes
• Ability to plan and manage small projects ensuring that actions are taken in a logical and timely sequence

• Desktop exercise to assess ability in this area
• Competent in shorthand

• Flexible working opportunities and a strong emphasis on your work, life balance
• Annual leave – 27 days for new starters, plus bank holidays. Increasing to 29 days after 5 years and 33 days after 10 years NHS service. Pro rata for part time staff
• NHS pension scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Money Advice Service
• Generous maternity, paternity and adoption leave for eligible staff
• On-site nursery (based at RBH)
• Full educational library services
• Cycle to work scheme, lockable storage for cycles
• Bus to work scheme
• Excellent rail and bus links
• A huge range of Health Service Discounts at hundreds of big brands from holidays to gadgets and restaurants to retail.

After applying via NHS Jobs, your submitted application will be imported into our preferred Third party recruitment system (TRAC). All subsequent information regarding your application will be generated from apps.trac.jobs. You will not be able to track the progress of your application or receive messages through the NHS Jobs website, and furthermore, that as an employer, we will not be able to respond to any e-mails sent to us via the NHS Jobs website.

By applying for this post you are agreeing to Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are appointed to a post information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.

All new appointments to the Trust, with the exception of executive positions, are subject to a 6 month probationary period.

The Trust may close any vacancy prior to the advertised closing date due to the high level of responses we receive for some of our vacancies.

Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust is committed to improving the health of its staff, patients and the wider community by providing a smoke free environment. A smoke free policy is in operation and smoking is not permitted on any of the Trust’s sites.

The Trust is also committed to safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults and requires all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We follow safe recruitment practices to protect children, young people and vulnerable adults.