Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust

Forensic Medical Secretary

The closing date is 14 August 2025

Job summary

The Forensic and Prison Services Directorate is part of Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust, specialising in mental health and learning disability services. The Bracton Centre is a central part of the directorate, providing medium secure services to the boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich and Lewisham. Forensic services offer mental health support to people who have been through the legal system. The Bracton Centre also provides a low secure challenging behaviour service based at Memorial Hospital.

In addition, the directorate provides mental health and primary healthcare services for a number of prisons throughout Kent including Sheppey cluster, Maidstone, Rochester, East Sutton Park and Blantyre House.

Referrals are accepted from: Courts; Prisons - remanded or sentenced prisoners; probation officers; sector psychiatrists/teams; social services; solicitors and special hospitals.

Main duties of the job

  • To provide high quality ad hoc administrative support that is adaptive to the tasks and duties required by the service/team.
  • To manage and maintain electronic data bases and office filing systems
  • To handle complex and confidential information in a professional and effective manner,
  • To have a sound knowledge, understanding and ability to use a full range of microsoft programmes including word, excel etc
  • To produce and distribute reports, letters, emails
  • To maintain effective administration systems and processes, as established in the team/service.
  • To effectively use relevant IT systems, including Microsoft software, teleconferencing facilities, Groupwise and other electronic databases.
  • To competently plan and organise your time with little or no supervision, seeking reference and advice from your supervisor as required.
  • To maintain confidentiality at all times and abide by the Data Protection Act.
  • To be familiar with the Trust's policies and procedures.
  • To undertake any other administrative and clerical duties which may be reasonably expected as directed by your supervisor.
  • To cover Cardea ordering.
  • From time to time check ifox and report data for the team.

About us

Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies. Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children's centres, schools and people's homes.We have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England. In London we operate within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital, Woolwich, as well as the Bracton Centre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs. We are the largest NHS provider of prison health services providing healthcare to prisons within Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, Kent and South London. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.

Our purpose is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families. This is strengthened by our new values:

  • We're Kind
  • We're Fair
  • We Listen
  • We Care

Details

Date posted

01 August 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£31,081 to £33,665 a year pa inc

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

277-7290300-FOR

Job locations

Bracton Centre

Bracton Lane

Dartford

DA2 7AF


Job description

Job responsibilities

Key Task and Responsibilities

  • Undertaking audio/copy typing support to the team for the provision of
    • Reports for tribunals
    • General correspondence
    • Assessments
    • MOJ paperwork including ASR (annual statutory reports) and leave requests for restricted patients

all of which may consist of distressing information.

  • Acting as the first point of contact for telephone calls from Courts, probation service, Solicitors, patients, families of patients, tribunals, Ministry of Justice bearing in mind patient confidentiality, ensuring urgent matters are brought to the attention of the Consultant or MDT in a timely manner. Due to the nature of the client group, the postholder may need to deal with hostile and difficult telephone calls.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Key Task and Responsibilities

  • Undertaking audio/copy typing support to the team for the provision of
    • Reports for tribunals
    • General correspondence
    • Assessments
    • MOJ paperwork including ASR (annual statutory reports) and leave requests for restricted patients

all of which may consist of distressing information.

  • Acting as the first point of contact for telephone calls from Courts, probation service, Solicitors, patients, families of patients, tribunals, Ministry of Justice bearing in mind patient confidentiality, ensuring urgent matters are brought to the attention of the Consultant or MDT in a timely manner. Due to the nature of the client group, the postholder may need to deal with hostile and difficult telephone calls.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

  • Minimum of 2 years administration experience

Desirable

  • Experience of medical secretary work

Knowledge

Essential

  • show knowledge of using different computer packages and Microsoft applications

Desirable

  • give explanation of packages used and trained in

ability to multi task

Essential

  • Give experience of when able to multi task and prioritise work
  • Ability to work within a team

Desirable

  • Demonstrate ability to support colleagues and service needs
  • Ability of working wit a multi disciplinary team
Person Specification

Experience

Essential

  • Minimum of 2 years administration experience

Desirable

  • Experience of medical secretary work

Knowledge

Essential

  • show knowledge of using different computer packages and Microsoft applications

Desirable

  • give explanation of packages used and trained in

ability to multi task

Essential

  • Give experience of when able to multi task and prioritise work
  • Ability to work within a team

Desirable

  • Demonstrate ability to support colleagues and service needs
  • Ability of working wit a multi disciplinary team

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Additional information

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer details

Employer name

Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Bracton Centre

Bracton Lane

Dartford

DA2 7AF


Employer's website

http://oxleas.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Bracton Centre

Bracton Lane

Dartford

DA2 7AF


Employer's website

http://oxleas.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Admin manager

Julie Dowdall

julie.dowdall@nhs.net

01322294300

Details

Date posted

01 August 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£31,081 to £33,665 a year pa inc

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

277-7290300-FOR

Job locations

Bracton Centre

Bracton Lane

Dartford

DA2 7AF


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)