Secretary

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust

The closing date is 11 May 2025

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Job summary

We are looking for a dedicated and enthusiastic Secretary to join our Community Mental Health Team. This is a full-time position, ideal for someone who is passionate about delivering high-quality patient care and supporting a busy clinical team.

As a key member of our administrative support team, you will provide comprehensive secretarial support to clinicians and allied health professionals. This role requires someone who is proactive, well-organised, and able to work both independently and collaboratively.

You will be working alongside an experienced secretary, so strong collaboration and mutual support are essential.

If you're a motivated and reliable professional looking for a rewarding role in mental health services, we'd love to hear from you.

Main duties of the job

Communicate with patients and colleagues, internal and external

Monitor several email inboxes, ensuring anything urgent is flagged appropriately

Deal with day to day referralsMake and receive telephone calls, accepting messages on behalf of members of the specialty team, taking appropriate action where necessaryPrioritise own work efficiently and effectively, highlighting any issues to the Band 4Type all forms of clinical correspondence

Take notes and minutes regularly at clinical meetings

About us

At Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, we're committed to supporting our employees with a range of benefits designed to enhance your professional and personal life. We offer:

  • Flexible working options to help you balance work and life
  • NHS pension scheme for long-term financial security
  • Generous annual leave allowance to recharge and relax
  • A strong focus on career development to help you grow and achieve your potential

Additionally, you'll gain access to our Blue Light Card, unlocking exclusive discounts on shopping, dining, and leisure activities, as well as NHS-specific perks to support you both inside and outside of work.

We are proud to foster a diverse, skilled, and inclusive workforce, and we encourage applications from all backgrounds.

Why Somerset? Somerset offers the perfect blend of idyllic countryside, outstanding areas of natural beauty, and breath-taking coastlines, with vibrant cities like Bristol, Bath, and Exeter just a short drive away - and only two hours to London.

The region is home to excellent educational facilities, and with affordable housing compared to other parts of the country, it's a great place to build both your career and your future.

Somerset truly has it all - the peaceful countryside and cosmopolitan city life, with something for everyone to enjoy.

Date posted

25 April 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£24,625 to £25,674 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

184-OL-GR-2208

Job locations

The Bridge

Glastonbury Road

Wells

Somerset

BA5 1TJ


Job description

Job responsibilities

For a full list of duties and responsibilities, please refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification

Job description

Job responsibilities

For a full list of duties and responsibilities, please refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Level III Word Processing or Typing qualification

Desirable

  • NVQ Level 3 Business Administration

Experience

Essential

  • Previous administrative experience
  • Experience of setting up and maintaining office systems and procedures that support the smooth running of the department
  • Knowledge and experience of Microsoft Office Packages
  • Minute taking

Desirable

  • Experience of contact with users of mental health services

Additional Criteria

Essential

  • Compassionate with exceptional interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate effectively with patients,carers and relatives,remaining sensitive and empathetic
  • Listens to others views on respecting and valuing individual patient needs
  • Professional and patient focussed approach with inspirational skills,acting as a role model to colleagues and junior staff members
  • Excellent organisational skills,ability to manage own time and plan timed activities for staff and patients
  • Ability to recognise and manage challenging situations in a calm and professional manner
  • Able to take instruction and direction and work effectively as part of a team
  • Ability to record and retrieve information on charts/paper and electronic patient records
  • High standards of written communication skills with the ability to use email and internet
  • Able to work independently and prioritise workload with some supervision
  • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills,both written and verbal
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Level III Word Processing or Typing qualification

Desirable

  • NVQ Level 3 Business Administration

Experience

Essential

  • Previous administrative experience
  • Experience of setting up and maintaining office systems and procedures that support the smooth running of the department
  • Knowledge and experience of Microsoft Office Packages
  • Minute taking

Desirable

  • Experience of contact with users of mental health services

Additional Criteria

Essential

  • Compassionate with exceptional interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate effectively with patients,carers and relatives,remaining sensitive and empathetic
  • Listens to others views on respecting and valuing individual patient needs
  • Professional and patient focussed approach with inspirational skills,acting as a role model to colleagues and junior staff members
  • Excellent organisational skills,ability to manage own time and plan timed activities for staff and patients
  • Ability to recognise and manage challenging situations in a calm and professional manner
  • Able to take instruction and direction and work effectively as part of a team
  • Ability to record and retrieve information on charts/paper and electronic patient records
  • High standards of written communication skills with the ability to use email and internet
  • Able to work independently and prioritise workload with some supervision
  • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills,both written and verbal

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

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust

Address

The Bridge

Glastonbury Road

Wells

Somerset

BA5 1TJ


Employer's website

https://www.somersetft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust

Address

The Bridge

Glastonbury Road

Wells

Somerset

BA5 1TJ


Employer's website

https://www.somersetft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

For questions about the job, contact:

Hiring Manager

Charlotte Morrison

charlotte.morrison2@somersetft.nhs.uk

01749836600

Date posted

25 April 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£24,625 to £25,674 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

184-OL-GR-2208

Job locations

The Bridge

Glastonbury Road

Wells

Somerset

BA5 1TJ


Supporting documents

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