Senior Receptionist

Job description

Job responsibilities

Key Areas of Responsibility

To carry out and prioritise a variety of administrative and clerical duties, coordinating Reception staff and liaising with clinicians, and undertaking general office duties (prioritising and generate own workload), which will include:

• Dealing appropriately with all telephone enquiries as well as face to face patient contact, which may include investigating and problem solving as well as regularly dealing with matters of a complex and/or distressing nature.
• Using a range of software programmes to produce, maintain and distribute documents, including ad hoc and routine reports, spreadsheets, and databases, which may include medical terminology.
• To coordinate a group of staff on a daily basis, being the senior port of call.
• Photocopying, scanning, emailing and overseeing the Reception email inboxes, distributing and generating documents and letters, reports and other correspondence promptly and efficiently, ensuring that all patient records are maintained and kept up-to-date.
• Receiving, sorting and distributing incoming mail, as and when required and ensuring that outgoing post is sent in a timely manner.
• Researching appropriate websites, downloading and circulating documents as requested.
• Identify and report areas within working processes and procedures that could improve service delivery.
• To maintain and organise meetings and clinics, which will include resolving appointment conflicts, making room bookings and greeting visitors.

1. To open/close Reception office, greet visitors and provide information and direction, make and manage room bookings for staff and clinicians, logging the issue/return of room keys and issue onsite car parking permits for eligible visitors and staff. Resolve appointment conflicts and circulate meeting invitations, formulating agendas and taking formal minutes or notes at meetings as and when required.

2. To manage the main switchboard and support with new initiatives and training.

3. To undertake audits as requested by the Admin Team Lead.

4. To undertake receptionist/telephonist duties, be a point of contact for internal and external callers and visitors, re-directing callers and service users where appropriate, and providing information or answering questions on routine matters and ensuring that accurate messages are passed on in a timely manner.

5. Receive and process telephone calls, including referrals which may be urgent or challenging, liaising with health professionals to correctly process the referral. Monitor the caseload, processing cancellations, including rebooking, or ending referrals/care.

6. To coordinate a team of Reception staff both onsite and at Thorpe Health Centre, assigning tasks, delegating duties, organising desk and lunch rotas, supporting and facilitating training needs for existing and new starters, offering guidance on procedures and promoting Reception as a positive point of contact for visitors and staff.

7. To communicate with patients and clients at an appropriate level providing clear information and guidance and dealing with patients fears and lack of understanding, exercising tact, judgement and confidentiality in dealing with and resolving routine enquiries, taking accurate messages and ensuring these are passed to the relevant person in a timely manner.

8. Inputting onto various databases and systems, e.g. SystmOne, STORM, Powergate, and the Spine Portal and designated spread sheets, within the required timescales and deadlines. This includes scanning documents onto patient records within a specific time frame.

9. In conjunction with colleagues, be responsible for processing petty cash claims, reimbursing staff and patients in accordance with Trust policy, handling monies securely, ensuring that petty cash, monies or valuables are accurately recorded and stored safely and that a monthly count and audit is carried out to reconcile the account and ensure compliance with procedures. This includes sending monthly reports to the finance department.

10. To process the order of parking permits for the Community Nursing teams, liaising with Clinical Operation Managers to ensure appropriate quantities ordered, recording accurate information on spreadsheets and on their arrival notifying and distributing to teams appropriately.

11. To receive controlled drugs in accordance with Trust Protocol Guidelines, ensuring secure storage and distribution to the relevant disciplines. This includes communicating with the relevant parties. Also, to monitor stock medication stored at Reception, prompting timely orders as necessary.

12. To be responsible for the efficient use of office equipment and supplies, monitoring and maintaining stock levels, requisitioning/authorising and receipting goods and services on the NHS procurement system, Powergate, and carrying out research into goods and services as directed

13. To report maintenance, cleaning, security, health and safety and other site issues in line with current procedures keeping the line manager/ site manager informed at all times.

14. To implement policies for own work area and propose changes as necessary and demonstrating required duties to new starters. To monitor and report sickness absence and annual leave

15. Provide cover in other departments as required, during periods of absence, as directed by the Admin Team Leader. This will require travel to other sites.

16. It is the post holders responsibility to ensure that they have undertaken all mandatory training, in line with Trust policies and procedures.

17. To attend relevant meetings. These may be virtual or in person. This may require travelling to other sites.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Numerate and literate, with Maths and English GCSE (Level 4, Grade C or above), or equivalent
• NVQ Level 3 in Business Administration, or equivalent experience
• Proven IT skills

Desirable

• ECDL, or equivalent IT qualification

Experience

Essential

• Proven administration and reception experience in a busy office environment
• Proven experience of working as part of a team
• Proven ability to organise and service meetings

Desirable

• Knowledge of NHS ordering systems
• Knowledge of SystmOne
• Knowledge of NHS

Skills, Abilities and Knowledge

Essential

• Comprehensive working knowledge of Microsoft Office, especially Word, Excel and Outlook.
• Typing skills
• Good organisational and communications skills
• Proven ability to work on own initiative, without direct supervision, prioritising and managing own workload
• Articulate, calm, polite and well-motivated with a positive attitude to customer care
• Effective communication and listening skills, in both written and verbal formats

Desirable

• Enhanced IT skills
• Planning skills
• Customer care skills
• Supervisory skills

Personal Attributes / Behaviours

Essential

• Enthusiastic and motivated
• Committed to providing the best possible service to patients
• Tact and diplomacy

Other

Essential

• Flexible attitude and approach to work to meet Patient/Service needs
• Able to make own transport arrangements to meet the needs of the Service and role
• Willingness to cover in other geographical locations

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

Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust

Address

Norwich Community Hospital

Bowthorpe Road

Norwich

NR2 3TU

Employer's website

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