Guy’s and St Thomas’ is among the UK’s busiest and most successful NHS foundation trusts. We provide a full range of hospital and community services for people in south London and as well as specialist care for patients from further afield including cancer, renal, orthopaedic, respiratory and cardiovascular services. Guy’s is home to the largest dental school in Europe and a £160 million Cancer Centre opened in 2016. As part of our commitment to provide care closer to home, in 2017 we also opened a cancer centre and a kidney treatment centre at Queen Mary’s Hospital in Sidcup. St Thomas’ has one of the largest critical care units in the UK and one of the busiest emergency departments in London. It is also home to Evelina London Children’s Hospital. Evelina London cares for local children in Lambeth and Southwark and provides specialist services across south east England including cardiac, renal and critical care services. We lead a number of specialist service networks aiming to ensure children are treated locally where possible, but have access to specialist expertise when they need it. Our community services include health visiting, school nursing and support for families of children with long-term conditions. Our adult community services teams deliver care at the heart of the local communities we serve, working in partnership with GPs, local authorities and other healthcare and voluntary sector organisations. Working with our partners in Lambeth and Southwark, we are focusing on new ways of working to improve care for local patients. In February 2021 the Royal Brompton and Harefield joined Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, bringing together world-leading expertise in the care and research of heart and lung disease. Our merger provides a once in a generation opportunity to build a lasting, world-renowned heart and lung centre, providing the highest quality care for patients and conducting world-leading research. We have a reputation for clinical excellence and high quality teaching and research. We are part of King’s Health Partners, one of eight accredited UK academic health sciences centres. In partnership with King’s College London we have dedicated clinical research facilities including an MHRA accredited Phase I clinical trials unit. Patients are at the heart of everything we do and we pride ourselves on ensuring the best possible patient experience as well as safe, high quality care. We are proud to have one of the lowest mortality rates in the NHS. Following a comprehensive Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection in 2019 we maintained our overall rating of ‘good’. Our adult community services achieved a rating of ‘outstanding’. The commitment of our 23,500 staff is key to our success. We are one of the largest local employers and we aim to develop and support all our staff so they are able to deliver high quality, safe and efficient care. The 2019 NHS staff survey results show that we have one of the most engaged and motivated workforces in the NHS. We know this has a positive impact on the care provided to our patients. We have one of the most ambitious capital investment programmes anywhere in the NHS. Job overview An exciting position have become available within the Speech & Language Department at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. We are looking for enthusiastic and patient focused individual with good communication skills, an ability to work effectively both as part of a team as well as independently, and able to work under pressure to join our team. This role will be patient facing and will put you at the heart of one of the You will work closely with a variety of clinical teams to ensure that patients are welcomed and registered in the department as quickly and as safely as possible. You will also be responsible for working as part of a large team of receptionist to respond to patient queries and bookings. This position will based between Guy's Hospital. If you are looking for a challenging role with room to progress within the department and ample development opportunities then this role is for you. Closing date; 8th October 2023 Interview date; 18th October 2023 Main duties of the job • Provide high quality administrative support to the department. This may include bookings meeting rooms and hospitality, organising audio-visual equipment, ordering department supplies such as stationery plus any other ad hoc duties. • Typing and formatting of letters, reports, policies, minutes, presentations, statistics and general correspondence/ documents, as required, using Microsoft Office and other software packages. • Provide support for meetings, including the preparation and distribution of agendas and taking, transcription and distribution of minutes/ action notes. Follow up of action points arising from meetings. • Provide administrative support to projects being managed within the service as directed. • Provide administrative support within the service, including cross cover for administrative team members as required, including deputising for the Team Lead for short periods of time. • Providing support and leadership as well as supervision to the Band 2 administrators. • Provide advice and support to new or less experienced employees on own administrative duties. • Maintain departmental databases in a timely and accurate manner. Assist with the collation of data as required. • Provide excellent customer care to ensure timely, relevant advice and assistance to all GSTT service users. • Undertake any other reasonable duties necessary to ensure the smooth running of the service. Working for our organisation The Speech and Language therapy is within the Therapies Clinical Directorate along with Physiotherapy Department, Occupational Therapy, Foot Health and Patient Appliances, Spiritual Care, Psychology and Social Work support. The department has over 220 staff and provides inpatient services across the Trust. Guy’s and St Thomas’ is among the UK’s busiest and most successful NHS foundation trusts. We provide a full range of hospital and community services for people in south London and as well as specialist care for patients from further a field including cancer, renal, orthopaedic, respiratory and cardiovascular services. In February 2021 the Royal Brompton and Harefield joined Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, bringing together world-leading expertise in the care and research of heart and lung disease. Our merger provides a once in a generation opportunity to build a lasting, world-renowned heart and lung centre, providing the highest quality care for patients and conducting world-leading research. Detailed job description and main responsibilities This role is essential to the smooth running of the department. You will be first point of contact for all patient enquires and it is essential that the patient's experience begins in a professional and polite manner. You will be trained in all aspects of the work and they will be expected to work flexibly to ensure all tasks are completed at all times. The successful applicant is required to work within a team to provide a comprehensive and quality clerical service, while maintaining a high quality of support to the department and present a caring and efficient service to patients and their families, both in the clinic and during subsequent communication. Duties and Responsibilities Reception Duties Act as a first point of contact for patient queries Provide a high quality reception service to all users ensuring an efficient, professional and prompt reception and administration service is delivered at all times Provide excellent customer care to ensure timely, relevant advice and assistance to all GSTT service users Manage all telephone calls according to departmental standards and respond appropriately to maintain effective communication channels Deal with all enquiries from patients, staff and visitors in a courteous, efficient and tactful manner referring to appropriate staff when necessary Ensure that departmental standards are met for patients receiving notification or acknowledgement of their visit Ensure that each patient is treated as an individual and their individual needs are met (i.e. appropriate support is in place for their appointment, such as interpreting support De-escalate stressful situations at times of verbal aggression or hostility from patients. Patient Administration Provide a welcoming and efficient reception service and to put patients at their ease Ensure that patients and visitors are well informed and that messages are communicated promptly Respond to enquiries in a courteous and efficient manner Ensure all patients’ demographic details are captured accurately and checked with the patient and any amendments/corrections are made in an accurate and timely fashion Work closely with the clinical team to identify mechanisms to improve service delivery and ensure that an optimum service is provided at all times Work within a multi-disciplinary team in developing the service in line with departmental plans and Trust corporate objectives Escalate any issues where appropriate to Team Leaders Be aware of patients with special needs and to ensure these needs are met/exceeded by notifying appropriate clinical staff Participate in department development as appropriate and participate in departmental meetings Undertake any other duties commensurate to the grade, required to ensure the smooth and efficient running of the department Undertake any training as required to complete the tasks associated with the job role Ensure that all health records are appropriately tracked and securely stored whilst in the department according to the Health Records Policy To provide general administration support as directed by management Information Systems Set up, maintain and amend patient records held on the patient administration system Ensure that all data is inputted accurately into the clinical system in a timely manner Enter diagnostic coding data relating to patient details onto IT system Assist in the collation of patient activity data/quality information, relating to the Trust’s business processes and audit procedures Ensure patient information is validated and updated on system on each attendance Act as the main point of contact for registering patients during cross site IT application downtime The post holder is required to follow Trust policies and procedures which are regularly updated including: Confidentiality / Data Protection / Freedom of Information Post holders must maintain the confidentiality of information about patients, staff and other health service business in accordance with the Data Protection Act of 1998. Post holders must not, without prior permission, disclose any information regarding patients or staff. If any member of staff has communicated any such information to an unauthorised person, those staff will be liable to disciplinary action up to and including dismissal. Moreover, the Data Protection Act 1998 also renders an individual liable for prosecution in the event of unauthorised disclosure of information. Following the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) 2005, post holders must apply the Trust’s FOI procedure if they receive a written request for information. Information Governance All staff must comply with information governance requirements. These includes statutory responsibilities (such as compliance with the Data Protection Act), following national guidance (such as the NHS Confidentiality Code of Practice) and compliance with local policies and procedures (such as the Trust's Confidentiality policy). Staff are responsible for any personal information (belonging to staff or patients) that they access and must ensure it is stored, processed and forwarded in a secure and appropriate manner. Equal Opportunities Post holders must at all times fulfil their responsibilities with regard to the Trust’s Equal Opportunities Policy and equality laws. Health and Safety All post holders have a responsibility, under the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) and subsequently published regulations, to ensure that the Trust’s health and safety policies and procedures are complied with to maintain a safe working environment for patients, visitors and employees. Infection Control All post holders have a personal obligation to act to reduce healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs). They must attend mandatory training in Infection Control and be compliant with all measures required by the Trust to reduce HCAIs. All post holders must comply with Trust infection screening and immunisation policies as well as be familiar with the Trust’s Infection Control Policies, including those that apply to their duties, such as Hand Decontamination Policy, Personal Protective Equipment Policy, safe procedures for using aseptic techniques and safe disposal of sharps. Risk Management All post holders have a responsibility to report risks such as clinical and non-clinical accidents or incidents promptly. They are expected to be familiar with the Trust’s use of risk assessments to predict and control risk, as well as the incident reporting system for learning from mistakes and near misses in order to improve services. Post holders must also attend training identified by their manager, or stated by the Trust to be mandatory. Flexible Working As an organisation we are committed to developing our services in ways that best suit the needs of our patients. This means that some staff groups will increasingly be asked to work a more flexible shift pattern so that we can offer services in the evenings or at weekends. Safeguarding children and vulnerable adults Post holders have a general responsibility for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults in the course of their daily duties and for ensuring that they are aware of the specific duties relating to their role. Sustainability It is the responsibility of all staff to minimise the Trust’s environmental impact by recycling wherever possible, switching off lights, computers monitors and equipment when not in use, minimising water usage and reporting faults promptly. Smoking Policy The Trust is committed to providing a healthy and safe environment for staff, patients and visitors. Staff are therefore not permitted to smoke on Trust property or in Trust vehicles Review of this Job Description This job description is intended as an outline of the general areas of activity and will be amended in the light of the changing needs of the organisation. To be reviewed in conjunction with the post holder. Person specification Previous experience Essential criteria Proven business administration experience which demonstrates the understanding of the key functions to providing an admin support service Experience working in a customer service setting Education Essential criteria Good general education with English and Maths to GCSE standard or equivalent NVQ 3, City and Guilds certificate level in business administration or evidence of equivalent experience e.g. experience in administrative roles Desirable criteria Minimum 55+ wpm typing speed Skills Essential criteria Proficient in use of IT systems and applications, including Microsoft Word, Outlook and Excel Able to demonstrate excellent written English including grammar, punctuation and structuring written text Ability to handle confidential and sensitive information appropriately Desirable criteria Knowledge of medical terminology Experience of working with hospital administration systems e.g. PiMS and hospital systems. Guy’s and St Thomas’ celebrates, respects and values the diversity of its staff and patients. We review our policies, procedures and practices to ensure that all employees, patients and carers are treated equitable according to their needs. We are actively committed to ensuring that no one who applies for a job, works or study’s at the Trust, or accesses our services is discriminated against on the grounds of race, ethnicity, nationality, disability, religion or belief, age, gender identity , gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity/paternity, or marital/civil partnership. Applications are welcomed from applicants with a disability. We can make reasonable adjustments and offer support and advice in a variety of ways throughout the application process. Equality of opportunity is our policy. As an organisation we are committed to developing our services in ways that best suit the needs of our patients. This means that some staff groups will increasingly be asked to work a more flexible shift pattern so that we can offer services in the evenings or at weekends. Flexible working We are committed to supporting all employees to achieve a healthy work life balance and to work in a way that is best for them and our patients. We will consider all requests to work flexibly, taking in to account the individual’s personal circumstances as well the needs of the service. We encourage all prospective applicants to discuss their individual circumstances with the recruiting manager as part of the on-boarding process. Your e-mail address is important to us - We communicate to all job applicants via the e-mail address which has been provided on the application form. Please ensure that you check your e-mail on a regular basis. Please apply for this post by clicking "Apply Online Now." 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. Further details / informal visits contact Name Genevieve Mensah Job title Assistant Service Manager Email address [email protected]