Job summary
- Main area
- Admin
- Grade
- Band 4
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 364-A-9370
- Employer
- Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Rochford Hospital
- Town
- Rochford
- Salary
- £27,485 - £30,162 Per Annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 02/10/2025 23:59
Employer heading

Service Management PA/Team Secretary
Band 4
Our Trust cares for more than 100,000 patients at any one time across our community health, mental health and learning disability services across Essex and parts of Bedfordshire and Suffolk.
We want you to be part of our journey of transformation, where our patients and their families are at the heart of everything we do and to achieve our vision to be the leading health and wellbeing service in the provision of mental health and community care.
You’ll be part of a Trust where you will be supported to be your authentic self and be the best you can be, where we will help you to grow, develop and thrive.
The Trust is recognised by the University of Essex and is a top provider of apprenticeships for people looking to be an assistant practitioner, senior health care support worker (CAP). Our trailblazing CAP apprenticeship won a national HSJ Award.
We are also recognised as a Veteran Aware Trust and holder of gold accreditation from the Ministry of Defence Employment Recognition Scheme. Our services are highlighted as an exemplar of good practice, producing the best care for more than 3.500 armed forces veterans in the past seven years.
We have been shortlisted and won national awards. We are an inclusive organisation and Level 3 Disability Confident Leader Trust.
We are constantly innovating and looking for new ways to deliver care, such as using technology to enhance patient care and working with partners to launch new services such as the Basildon Mental Health Urgent Care Department, virtual hospitals and falls response cars.
Join us and you’ll do the best work of your life – and make a difference to other people’s lives. What we do together, matters.
Job overview
Inpatient Mental Health Services are pleased to offer an exciting opportunity for an individual to join our team as Personal Assistant (PA) to the Service Manager and Secretary to wider Service Management Team.
We are seeking an experienced, reliable and highly motivated PA/Secretary to work within the busy management area of our Inpatient & Urgent Care Services. You will need to have proven organisational skills and be committed to provide high-quality PA and Secretarial support.
This is an exciting opportunity to work within a busy area of the NHS and is an important role working as part of a Management team with a friendly atmosphere and strong work ethic.
Main duties of the job
As PA to the Service Manager, you will be required to provide a full and comprehensive service, the complexities of which require a high degree of organisational skills, particularly in diary and time management. Effective diary management will require the post holder to organise meetings as required which will involve liaison with a wide number of both internal and external stakeholders. Mailbox management is also a key part of the role.
As Secretary to the Service Management Team, you will be required to provide support in organising meetings (including HR hearings and meetings of a confidential nature taking notes/actions as requested) as well as providing support for administration services including recruitment and placing orders.
You will need to have the ability to work under pressure and although a key part of the team, on your own initiative.
Working for our organisation
EPUT are looking for motivated staff who shares our Trust values of Care, Learn and Empower. In return, EPUT can offer you a range of benefits and development including;
- Season Ticket Loans
- NHS discounts for staff
- Excellent Training facilities and opportunities
- Buying and Selling annual leave scheme
- The opportunity to work bank shifts and expand knowledge and experience in other areas
- Salary Sacrifice schemes including lease cars and Cycle to Work
- Day One Flexible Employer
The Trust supports and actively encourages flexible working for all employees. We offer many options and you are encouraged to ask the recruiting manager what is possible for this role. If appointed, you will have the opportunity to apply for a flexible working request from the first day of your employment
Join our Staff bank
What is Staff Bank?
Our EPUT NHS staff bank is an entity managed by the trust that hires clinical and non-clinical healthcare professionals to take on shifts at our trust hospitals and community settings. Here at EPUT we maintain our own bank of specialist staff to ensure that we are able offer safe and effective care at all times.
If you are joining our Trust in a fixed term role, please indicate on your New Starter Paperwork that you wish to join our staff bank.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The post holder will:
- Provide a full PA provision for the Service Manager.
- Provide a full and confidential secretarial and administrative service to the Service Management Team.
- Provide a first point of contact for internal and external queries, answering them where possible and otherwise signposting them to the appropriate department.
- Attend and minute meetings as required and be responsible for the typing and presentation of reports and minutes in accordance with the required format.
- Manage the communication, to and from, the Service Manager and Service Management Team and across all Directorates ensuring that all matters are prioritised appropriately.
- Ensure that there is an efficient electronic and manual filing and retrieval system in operation with a functioning brought forward system.
- Take lead responsibility for organising workshops and other functions as directed. This will require communication with all attendees, booking venues, organising catering, attendance on the day and note taking and typing from the day.
- Prepare and co-ordinate papers, presentations and agendas for meetings. Attend and minute meetings if required and transcribe minutes ensuring follow up action is taken for specific pieces of work/committees.
- Assist with budget management by coding and checking expenditure in accordance with standing financial instructions.
- Assist in the local induction of other members of staff within the Directorate as required. To support the recruitment, induction and supervision of other administrative staff where appropriate and as required.
- Cover within the Directorate PA/Secretarial team as required.
Person specification
Education/Qualification
Essential criteria
- Good written and spoken English
- NVQ level 3 Business Administration and /or equivalent experience or qualification (e.g. RSA 3).
Desirable criteria
- Recognised Medical Secretary Qualification/AMSPAR
- Good general education with Maths and English to GCSE standard or equivalent
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Knowledge of a full range of secretarial and administration procedures
Desirable criteria
- Advanced IT skills i.e. Word/Excel and PowerPoint and Outlook
Skills
Essential criteria
- Experience of working within a team environment
Desirable criteria
- Previous experience of working in the NHS
- Experience of working in the Mental Health environment
Applicant requirements
The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Tara Merrell
- Job title
- Service Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
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