Community Services Administrative Support
Job summary
This post holder will work as part of the Whittington Health Community Diabetes Service, CORE and Heart Failure Services Administrative Service which may include reception duties as needed by the service. This will include typing, general administration work and co-ordinating the appointments system and to provide excellent customer care at all times using Trust Customer Care Standards.
Using effective communication skills post holder will respond to telephone calls from patients and referrers, gathering information and using initiative to respond appropriately to the information received.
Post holder will liaise with clinical service teams within the organisation to ensure that patients are appropriately given information and followed up.
Post holder will also register, source and upload documents for new patients, book and reschedule appointments for all patients and process the outcomes from appointments.
Post holder will be competent in the use of the computer software RIO, including the cancellation and booking/rebooking of patients.
Post holder will receive incoming telephone calls from patients, carers, GPs, staff, other Health Care Professionals and external organisations and to be able to take appropriate action, which may involve discussion with the other members of the team.
Post holder will also support the Community Clinical Staff in carrying out administrative duties.
Main duties of the job
To manage appointments for patients, and to provide advice and information to callers about community clinical services, including criteria for eligibility and other service specific details.
To gather key information from referrers and patients etc who are calling the service, to be guided on to further questions by the information they provide.
To communicate effectively with callers, managing expectations and ensuring patients are happy with the responses they receive. Also, to liaise externally with clinicians, team leads and service managers to maintain a positive image and reputation for community services. This role may involve dealing with upset or aggressive people on the telephone
To manage all relevant patient documentation and chase referrers for any additional information that may be necessary.
To administer the processes for establishing efficient clinics; booking interpreters and transport for patients who require them, ringing to confirm attendances with patients, organizing appointment letter and sending out Clinical letters, processing outcome and discharge forms, cancelling and rescheduling clinics.
To maintain accurate electronic records.
Organizing teaching and education days for staff; booking rooms and hospitality, advertising, booking in staff, photocopying materials, supporting logistics (in conjunction with systems admin team)
About us
Whittington Health serves a richly diverse population and works hard to ensure that all our services are fair and equally accessible to everyone. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the way we look after our staff. We aim to employ a workforce which is as representative as possible of this population, so we are open to the value of differences in age, disability, gender, marital status, pregnancy and maternity, race, sexual orientation, and religion or belief. The Trust believes that as a public sector organisation we have an obligation to have recruitment, training, promotion and other formal employment policies and procedures that are sensitive to these differences. We think that by doing so, we are better able to treat our patients as well as being a better place to work.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Communication
To ensure that confidentiality is maintained with regard to the business of the services at all times.
To liaise effectively with their line manager.
To provide general non-clinical information and guidance regarding the Whittington Health Community Services to the referrers, patients, carers and the general public, in an appropriate manner.
To ensure that the patient understands the information regarding their appointment and their responsibilities in lines with Whittington Health Service guidelines.
To manage all correspondence generated by the Community Services to patients, GPs and other health professionals in line with the Whittington Health procedures and protocols.
To be able to utilise sensitive communication skills to ensure the patient, carer or other health professionals are happy with the care processes
Training and Development
To be appraised annually as part of the Trusts Individual Performance review and Personal Development Plan
To take responsibility for self-development on a continuous basis, undertaking on-the- job training as required.
To actively participate in the post holders own appraisal scheme in lines with the Whittington Health Service guidelines.
To the complete of all mandatory training required by the organisation and ensure all modules are within date
Other:
Physical Effort
Moving and handling files
Sitting for long periods of time
Keyboard skills.
Advanced use of IT packages and manipulating data
Mental Effort
Ability to input complex information and data into a computer throughout the working day accurately and effectively with interruptions from telephone calls and staff management responsibilities
High level of concentration required for checking documents and analysing statistics, writing complex/sensitive reports and protocols and checking documents.
Ability to multi task in a demanding and pressurised working environment
Emotional Effort
Receiving telephone calls from distressed clients/relatives and emotional demands
Occasional exposure to verbal aggression on the telephone and face to face.
Handling sensitive information
Dealing with elderly people, many of whom will have difficulties in understanding, i.e. hearing problems, confusion, dementia, etc
Dealing with and managing staff performance, absences and conflicts effectively and sensitively
Working Conditions
Consistent use of VDU
Sitting for long periods of time
Travelling between different staff bases
Person Specification
Education/Qualifications
- Excellent written/spoken English
- Educated to GCSE/O level or equivalent
- Higher education to A level or equivalent work experience
- Higher education to A level or equivalent work experience
Skills & Abilities
- Ability to work as part of a team and provide leadership
- Ability to communicate in a clear and professional manner
- Ability to act appropriately in stressful situations
- Willingness to undertake and use training relevant to this post
- Ability to prioritise and delegate tasks
- Ability to use initiative and manage own workload alongside the ability to take a proactive and innovative approach.
- Experience of diary management, co-ordinating several diaries and using initiative to prioritise as appropriate.
- Experience of servicing meetings, preparing agendas, accurate minute taking and co-ordinating follow-up action.
Knowledge & Experience
- Previous administrative/ office experience in a complex area of business
- Knowledge of administrative procedures, range of computerised software including Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel
- Previous experience dealing with the public face to face and over the telephone
- Experience of appraisal
- Previous experience of working within the NHS
- Previous experience of using RIO, Medway, e-RS (choose and booked) and other patient data entry systems
PERSONAL QUALITIES
- Demonstrate good verbal and non verbal communication skills
- Good organisation, time management and prioritisation skills
- Flexible approach to changing circumstance and department needs
- Personally and professionally responsible
- Ability to recognise in self work related stress and pressures
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Employer details
Employer name
Whittington Hospital NHS Trust
Address
Hornsey Rise Health Centre
Hornsey Rise Health Centre, N19 3YU
Islington
N19 3YU
United Kingdom
Employer's website
https://www.whittington.nhs.uk/