Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen to join a busy, innovative, HTA licenced Mortuary Service as an administrative assistant.
The purpose of this role is to provide an efficient and effective administrative and clerical support service to the Mortuary at Dartford & Gravesham NHS Trust.
The post holder will work as part of a team of Anatomical Pathology Technologists to assist in the administration of the Mortuary service. Provide support to the APT Team by dealing with the needs of relatives, carers and various external stakeholders in relation to the deceased.
The post holder will support the smooth and efficient running of the department, whilst learning to communicate effectively and courteously with a range of internal/external personal, whilst undertaking administration and clerical duties.
Main duties of the job
These tasks will include patient reception and release administrative duties, handling telephone queries, filing, creating reports, booking viewings, ordering linen, reporting maintenance issues and various other clerical roles.
You will be expected to use various hospital/mortuary IT systems as well as be highly efficient in all Microsoft packages.
If you are successfully shortlisted then we would be happy to arrange an informal visit to the mortuary department. In this instance please contact via email tracey.biggs@nhs.net.
Please note post may close prior to advertised closing date if maximum number of applicants is reached before that date.
About us
We are committed to being an inclusive and diverse employer. We strive to employ people who reflect the communities we serve, and aim to create an inclusive culture where everyone can reach their full potential. Whatever your race, ethnicity, belief, generation, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity, disability or experience, you'll appreciate the opportunities we give you to work in an inclusive atmosphere. We welcome applications from people of diverse backgrounds, perspectives and experiences to build on the progress we've achieved to make our Trust diverse and the best place to work. We celebrate the diversity of thought, viewpoints and ideas that help us overcome challenges and embrace new possibilities. We have signed the Armed Forces Covenant Pledge and have a commitment to the Armed Forces Community.
If you are considering applying for a role, please be aware that as an NHS Employee you may have contact with vulnerable service users. We strongly encourage that all our staff are vaccinated against COVID-19 and are vaccinated annually against Flu, in order to protect the health and safety of our staff and patients. Your commitment will help us to put the safety and care of our patients first, as well as helping us to protect you and your colleagues.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- Key Relationships
Anatomical Pathology Technologists, Bereavement Officers, Service Manager, Pathologists, Junior Doctors, Consultants, Nurses, Medical and Nursing Students, SECAMB, Biomedical scientists and various external stakeholders.
- Duties and Responsibilities
Organisationaland Administrative
- To deal with internal and external post and emails on a day to day basis
- To provide clerical support, i.e. filing, photocopying, scanning and general typing for the Governance Team
- To establish and maintain high standards of work within the office area.
- To ensure that records are kept up to date and stored safely to ensure compliance with good working practices for the standards the Human Tissue Authority (HTA) codes of practice.
- To organise the daily case list in consultation with the APT staff.
- To answer/deal with queries, both face to face and via the telephone, to take messages and pass them on to the relevant member of staff in an appropriate and timely manner whilst maintaining confidentiality at all times
- To liaise with and book appointments for funeral directors and/or family to collect deceased patients from the mortuary.
- To manage appointment diaries
- To book viewings as required and liaise with relevant stakeholders to ensure adequate attendance by qualified staff.
- To maintain professional links with external statutory offices concerned with the administration of death by communicating in an effective and professional manner.
- To liaise with all internal stakeholders and service users by the communication and receipt of routine, complex or sensitive information in order to discharge your duties.
- To provide secretarial assistance to the department and management team.
- To organise patient transfers when required.
- To maintain the departmental filing systems to an acceptable standard in order to comply with HTA standards.
- To input, retrieve and collate information using Departmental and Trust computer systems including assisting with data input
- To ensure the provision of effective telephone answering service for the department.
- To issue official documentation from the department under the direction of APTs.
- To maintain professional competency and dexterity in those precision based physical tasks, e.g. keyboard skills and maintain the levels of concentration required maintaining a quality service.
- To take minutes at meetings as required
- To be responsible, in liaison with the APTs, for the maintenance of the departmental archive.
- To identify and participate in audits within the department
- To adhere to all departmental standard operating procedures, policies and health and safety regulations.
- To keep the workplace and work areas clean and tidy
- To control access to the Mortuary within working hours.
- To assist the APTs in requisitioning and maintaining adequate supplies of office and Mortuary consumables
- To assist with liaison and emergency call out of engineers and companies related to Mortuary equipment.
- To maintain adequate levels of up to date printed stores
Clinical and Laboratory Informatics
- To arrange for the safe collection and transportation of human tissue and samples and to maintain accurate records of dispatch and receipt
- To take case referrals from external service users in liaison with the APTs.
- To obtain relevant clinical information as required for cases including collection from departments if required.
- To record data/information correctly and with care.
- General responsibilities:
- Trust policies and procedure
To adhere to the Trusts agreed policies and procedures.
To promote and develop the equality of opportunity in accordance with the Trusts Equal Opportunities Policy.
To protect the confidentiality of information relating to the Trust, Patient and Staff or other agencies.
To provide a quality service to internal and external agencies and
participate/develop clinical governance within sphere of responsibility.
All Trust employees are required to be familiar with, and comply with, Trust polices and guidelines for infection control and hand hygiene in order to prevent the spread of healthcare-associated infections. For clinical staff with direct patient contact, this will include the uniform and dress code policy, the use of personal protective equipment guidance, the guidance on aseptic techniques and the safe handling and disposal of sharps. All staff are required to attend mandatory training in Infection Control and be compliant with all measures known to be effective in reducing healthcare-associated infections.
To share responsibility for abiding by health and safety policies and regulations, infection prevention and control policies and act in accordance with the Risk Management Policy.
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.
5.8 Our Behaviours
All staff are expected to behave in accordance with Our Behaviours. The six areas of focus are the responsibility of each individual and should be the basis for all work undertaken within the Trust.
5.9 Safeguarding
The Trust expects all employees to adhere to the principle that safeguarding children and adults is everybodys responsibility, including the escalation of any concerns.
5.10 Our Values
The Trust is committed to providing high quality services and in 2014 we engaged over 300 staff to help us develop values that underpin how we approach our responsibilities.
Our Values are critical to our success and we expect all staff to adhere to them:
- Delivery high quality CARE WITH COMPASSION to every patient.
- Demonstrating RESPECT AND DIGNITY for patients, their carers and our colleagues.
- STRIVING TO EXCEL in everything we do.
- WORKING TOGETHER to achieve the best outcomes for our patients.
- Sustaining the highest PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS, showing honesty, openness and integrity in all our actions.
Our Values are supported by Our Behaviours which we rely on every member of staff to exhibit.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- Key Relationships
Anatomical Pathology Technologists, Bereavement Officers, Service Manager, Pathologists, Junior Doctors, Consultants, Nurses, Medical and Nursing Students, SECAMB, Biomedical scientists and various external stakeholders.
- Duties and Responsibilities
Organisationaland Administrative
- To deal with internal and external post and emails on a day to day basis
- To provide clerical support, i.e. filing, photocopying, scanning and general typing for the Governance Team
- To establish and maintain high standards of work within the office area.
- To ensure that records are kept up to date and stored safely to ensure compliance with good working practices for the standards the Human Tissue Authority (HTA) codes of practice.
- To organise the daily case list in consultation with the APT staff.
- To answer/deal with queries, both face to face and via the telephone, to take messages and pass them on to the relevant member of staff in an appropriate and timely manner whilst maintaining confidentiality at all times
- To liaise with and book appointments for funeral directors and/or family to collect deceased patients from the mortuary.
- To manage appointment diaries
- To book viewings as required and liaise with relevant stakeholders to ensure adequate attendance by qualified staff.
- To maintain professional links with external statutory offices concerned with the administration of death by communicating in an effective and professional manner.
- To liaise with all internal stakeholders and service users by the communication and receipt of routine, complex or sensitive information in order to discharge your duties.
- To provide secretarial assistance to the department and management team.
- To organise patient transfers when required.
- To maintain the departmental filing systems to an acceptable standard in order to comply with HTA standards.
- To input, retrieve and collate information using Departmental and Trust computer systems including assisting with data input
- To ensure the provision of effective telephone answering service for the department.
- To issue official documentation from the department under the direction of APTs.
- To maintain professional competency and dexterity in those precision based physical tasks, e.g. keyboard skills and maintain the levels of concentration required maintaining a quality service.
- To take minutes at meetings as required
- To be responsible, in liaison with the APTs, for the maintenance of the departmental archive.
- To identify and participate in audits within the department
- To adhere to all departmental standard operating procedures, policies and health and safety regulations.
- To keep the workplace and work areas clean and tidy
- To control access to the Mortuary within working hours.
- To assist the APTs in requisitioning and maintaining adequate supplies of office and Mortuary consumables
- To assist with liaison and emergency call out of engineers and companies related to Mortuary equipment.
- To maintain adequate levels of up to date printed stores
Clinical and Laboratory Informatics
- To arrange for the safe collection and transportation of human tissue and samples and to maintain accurate records of dispatch and receipt
- To take case referrals from external service users in liaison with the APTs.
- To obtain relevant clinical information as required for cases including collection from departments if required.
- To record data/information correctly and with care.
- General responsibilities:
- Trust policies and procedure
To adhere to the Trusts agreed policies and procedures.
To promote and develop the equality of opportunity in accordance with the Trusts Equal Opportunities Policy.
To protect the confidentiality of information relating to the Trust, Patient and Staff or other agencies.
To provide a quality service to internal and external agencies and
participate/develop clinical governance within sphere of responsibility.
All Trust employees are required to be familiar with, and comply with, Trust polices and guidelines for infection control and hand hygiene in order to prevent the spread of healthcare-associated infections. For clinical staff with direct patient contact, this will include the uniform and dress code policy, the use of personal protective equipment guidance, the guidance on aseptic techniques and the safe handling and disposal of sharps. All staff are required to attend mandatory training in Infection Control and be compliant with all measures known to be effective in reducing healthcare-associated infections.
To share responsibility for abiding by health and safety policies and regulations, infection prevention and control policies and act in accordance with the Risk Management Policy.
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.
5.8 Our Behaviours
All staff are expected to behave in accordance with Our Behaviours. The six areas of focus are the responsibility of each individual and should be the basis for all work undertaken within the Trust.
5.9 Safeguarding
The Trust expects all employees to adhere to the principle that safeguarding children and adults is everybodys responsibility, including the escalation of any concerns.
5.10 Our Values
The Trust is committed to providing high quality services and in 2014 we engaged over 300 staff to help us develop values that underpin how we approach our responsibilities.
Our Values are critical to our success and we expect all staff to adhere to them:
- Delivery high quality CARE WITH COMPASSION to every patient.
- Demonstrating RESPECT AND DIGNITY for patients, their carers and our colleagues.
- STRIVING TO EXCEL in everything we do.
- WORKING TOGETHER to achieve the best outcomes for our patients.
- Sustaining the highest PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS, showing honesty, openness and integrity in all our actions.
Our Values are supported by Our Behaviours which we rely on every member of staff to exhibit.
Person Specification
Education and Training
Essential
- 5 GCSE or equivalent including mathematics and English at grade C or above
- Evidence of CPD
Desirable
- AMSPAR
- Secretary's Certificate/Diploma
- Admin qualification
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines
- Ability to adapt to changing work patterns
- High degree of numeracy
- Computer literate
- Office and computer skills (Word, Excel and Access)
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
- Excellent organisational skills, with a demonstrable ability to manage and prioritise workload and work methodically
- Ability to work autonomously or as part of a team
- Understanding of confidentiality and its application and maintenance in and out of the workplace
Experience
Essential
- Previous experience in a secretarial / administrative / clerical position
Desirable
- Previous experience in a technical laboratory position preferably in a mortuary.
Person Specification
Education and Training
Essential
- 5 GCSE or equivalent including mathematics and English at grade C or above
- Evidence of CPD
Desirable
- AMSPAR
- Secretary's Certificate/Diploma
- Admin qualification
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines
- Ability to adapt to changing work patterns
- High degree of numeracy
- Computer literate
- Office and computer skills (Word, Excel and Access)
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
- Excellent organisational skills, with a demonstrable ability to manage and prioritise workload and work methodically
- Ability to work autonomously or as part of a team
- Understanding of confidentiality and its application and maintenance in and out of the workplace
Experience
Essential
- Previous experience in a secretarial / administrative / clerical position
Desirable
- Previous experience in a technical laboratory position preferably in a mortuary.
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.
