Band 5 PA to Group Chief Pharmacist / Pharmacy Office Manager

Job responsibilities

Personal Assistant Support \ Secretarial duties and responsibilities

Responsible for providing a comprehensive, timely, and where necessary confidential PA and secretarial service to the Group Chief Pharmacist, Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust and the Deputy Chief Pharmacist and Pharmacy Operations Manager. This will include copy and audio typing, taking and transcribing shorthand, typing of complex documents \ forms, diary management, maintaining a bring forward filing system, photocopying, faxing documents and arranging meetings both within the department, hospital, and with outside agencies and personnel, taking minutes \ notes at such meetings as and when requested. The postholder may be asked to organise and arrange travel arrangements of the Group Chief Pharmacist and other senior pharmacy staff as directed.

To be responsible for screening internal and external requests made towards the Group Chief Pharmacist and using initiative, discretion, and local knowledge of the Pharmacy services, to prioritise as appropriate such requests, or delegate to other senior members of Pharmacy staff if seen fit to do so.

In the event of serious \ urgent issue(s) which may arise and are particularly sensitive, the postholder as requested by Group Chief Pharmacist may need to relay certain instructions to other pharmacy managers or management \ staff outside the Pharmacy department in a prompt and professional manner.

Ensure that both the Trust annual and study / Professional leave policies for all grades of Pharmacy staff are adhered to, with particular emphasis on how leave is taken within Trust / departmental guidelines and noted appropriately on the local Healhrosters.

The postholder will maintain, as necessary, an extensive list of contact details for the wide range of personnel both within the Trust \ NHS bodies \ external agencies the Group Chief Pharmacist may need to liaise with as and when necessary.

As and when requested by the Group Chief Pharmacist the postholder will organise large events (meetings, official functions to mark particular events \ anniversaries etc) which may involve considerable liaison and contact with external bodies and a wide range of potential attendees. This may include sourcing venues outside the Trust, budgeting costs (eg room hire, speaker fees), ensuring appropriate audio visual equipment is available, ensuring suitable catering is organised within an allocated budget, contact potential speakers, advertise event both within the Royal Free Trust and possibly outside the hospital complex.

The postholder will oversee all office related purchases through the relevant trust systems including raising of orders, invoice matching and associated tasks ensuring that the trust Standing Financial Instructions are adhered to.

Pharmacy Recruitment Co-ordination duties and responsibilities

To act as the designed TRAC recruitment operator for RFH Pharmacy Patient Services and other Pharmacy services as deemed necessary.

The Postholder will support senior staff when requested in the drafting of business case proposals in relation to proposed new posts to meet service needs demands.

The Posholder to provide informal TRAC training to both colleagues with Pharmacy and other secretarial staff within Group Clinical Services if deemed necessary.

The Postholder will be responsible for organising detailed induction programmes for rotational pharmacists and technicians, senior clinical pharmacists, senior pharmacy technicians, and newly appointed Pharmacy managers. These will be planned and tailored carefully ensuring the postholder visits \ meets appropriate key staff both within and outside the Pharmacy department.

To be responsible for identifying, seeking, and developing new initiatives for recruiting Pharmacy staff amongst all grades and types of positions in the Pharmacy department ensuring legal and best practice requirements are adhered to. This is likely to include considerable liaison with the RFL Pharmacy Education and Training Team.

The Postholder will assist where necessary Royal Free sponsored recruitment fair(s) and update recruitment material for prospective candidates as appropriate. This will include the preparation of Pharmacy stalls \ tables and manning these in conjunction with other pharmacy staff.

The postholder will strive to establish links, where appropriate, with local job centres, local colleges, and special interest employment groups to promote the Royal Free Hospital Pharmacy services and careers and vacancies within the service.

The Postholder will screen and assess, in conjunction with senior pharmacists undergraduate Pharmacy students who apply for a summer work placement within the Pharmacy services of the RFH. This will include arranging an honorary contract and organising a varied work placement in the Pharmacy department.

The Postholder will produce, as and when requested by the Group Chief Pharmacist reports outlining current vacancies within the department and other useful statistical information relevant to appropriate future human resource planning. This may include liaising with management accounts to clarify, if and when necessary, the Pharmacy department staffing establishment. Such information may be forwarded to Pharmacy management at London Regional level.

The postholder will advise, when required, potential candidates for pharmacy vacancies in regard to the validity of their professional qualifications eg whether recognised in the UK and will offer advice on how to validate qualifications in the UK. In addition to this role, the postholder may on occasions need to advise on appropriate courses potential candidates could study for in order to obtain professional qualifications to legally work as a Pharmacist or technician in the UK.

Company Secretary to the Royal Free London Dispensary Services Ltd (Pharmco Board)

Act as designated Company Secretary (with appropriate registration at Companies House) for the Royal Free London Dispensary Service Ltd (Pharmco) Board meetings throughout the financial year. This will include drafting agendas, writing up board minutes, requesting documentation for the binder of papers for the meeting, following up outstanding action points between meetings if requested by the Chairperson of the Board.

Updating and submitting directorship details with Companies House as necessary

To provide appropriate managerial and administrative support to the board committees.

Establish effective systems for developing and managing the forward planner and agenda for each committee as agreed with each chairman;

To provide advice on compliance with the constitution and appropriate regulatory requirements to the chairs and executive leads of each board committee.

Co-ordinate the production of papers, ensuring timely distribution of agendas and supporting papers for internal and external stakeholders

Assisting with extraordinary board meetings as necessary, particularly for the end of year accounts formal sign off and posting to Companies House.

Liaising with internal and external auditors as requested with information requests, Trust solicitor for any specific legality issues on behalf of the Trust

Liaising with the RFL Property Services on Lease related matters if requested to do so by the RFLDS Ltd Board.

GENERAL ADMINISTRATION

To be responsible for the efficient running and overall operational matters relating to the Pharmacy Office (ground floor) ensuring where appropriate adherence to Health and Safety and Data Protection guidelines.

The Pharmacy Office (ground floor) will be an information source for all grades of Pharmacy staff on a wide range of departmental and Trust matters and the postholder will be expected to advise Pharmacy staff as and when queries \ questions arise which may include referral to another dept or external body.

The postholder will be responsible for the management of complaints about aspects of all areas of Pharmacy services, this may include having to speak to patients, patients families, the PALS office, or healthcare personnel and take appropriate details relating to a complaint. The postholder will collate facts relating to such complaints, and to prepare independently an appropriate response letter for the approval of the Chief Pharmacist Services in line with Trust guidance.

Royal Free World Class Values

Essential

• Demonstrable ability to meet the Trust Values

Education & professional Qualifications

Essential

• A Level standard of education or equivalent

Desirable

• European Computer Driving Licence (ICDL
• RSA / Pitman Secretarial Qualification or proven work experience to a similar standard
• Evidence of Continuing Professional Development in the Company Secretary or Corporate Governance field

Experience

Essential

• Proven secretarial experience preferably in a hospital environment
• Proven experience working with senior / executive management.
• Ability to take and produce detailed meeting minutes and action logs and follow up in an effective and timely manner
• Experience of investigating and drafting complaint responses for senior staff perusal
• Experience of liaising with a range of hospital colleagues and external bodies as workload and duties demand

Skills and aptitudes

Essential

• Able to keep track of multiple tasks \ projects
• Able to demonstrate problem solving skills
• Able to plan, organise large events \ meeting for a wide range of healthcare professionals and other external organisations
• Excellent command of written and spoken English
• Well-developed interpersonal and communication skills

Personal Qualities & attributes

Essential

• Tactful when dealing with a wide range of staff, patients and visitors to the Trust
• Diplomatic in managing potentially awkward situations
• Ability to carry out day to day responsibilities and deal effectively with unpredictable demands that may possibly arise
• High awareness of the need to act in a confidential, objective and discrete manner in relation to potentially a wide range of individual and department issues
• Willing and able to work flexibly to meet deadlines (particularly around DTC meetings)

Others

Essential

• Demonstrative initiative
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Flexible, able to change priorities quickly within current workload if necessary \ requested
• Ability to carry out day to day responsibilities and deal effectively with unpredictable demands that may possibly arise
• Ability to work under pressure

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).