Main area Receptionist/Telephonist Grade NHS AFC: Band 2 Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) Job ref 354-AC-21176
Employer Sussex Partnership NHS FoundationTrust Employer type NHS Site Chapel Street Clinic Town Chichester Salary £24,465 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 14/09/2025 23:59
Receptionist/Telephonist
NHS AFC: Band 2
Come and join us
We're looking for people who share our values (compassion, accountability and optimism) to help us provide high quality care to the patients, carers, families and local communities we serve. We specialise in providing NHS mental health and learning disability services.
So what can we offer you in return?
We're an organisation which puts people first. We'll do everything possible to help you feel respected, valued and included. We'll help you learn, acquire new skills and gain further experience to support your career development. And we'll provide the opportunity for you to bring your fresh ideas to work about how we can do things differently and continue improving.
You will also be joining a health and care system committed to working together to do the best we can for the communities we serve. Above all, at Sussex Partnership you'll have the chance to make a difference to the lives of the patients, carers and families across our communities.
As a Trust we are committed in making a difference. Your development is important to us, so don't forget to ask us during interview what opportunities we can offer. We can offer fully funded lifelong learning opportunities such as an apprenticeship from GCSE to Masters level.
If you like the sound of that, then come and join our team.
Job overview
Would you like to make a difference and use your people and administration skills to support the provision of mental health services in the community?
We are looking for a friendly, enthusiastic and self-motivated individual to join our busy Assessment & Treatment Service, based at Chapel Street Clinic, Chichester. As well as Chichester, our services cover care in the community for Bognor, Midhurst and the surrounding areas. There is a requirement for occasional cross-cover of our reception at the Bedale Centre in Bognor Regis.
The post holder will provide front of house services in the form of reception and switchboard duties, as well as providing clerical support to the Referrals Administration Co-ordinator. The roles will alternate on a weekly basis to ensure plenty of variety.
Effective communication and keyboard skills, an eye for detail and a commitment to caring for patients in the community are required for this rewarding role.
Main duties of the job
The role supports service users and a multi-disciplinary team with:
* Answering and transferring telephone calls.
* Taking comprehensive messages and relaying them verbally where necessary.
* Typing emailed messages to professionals.
* Updating patients' notes where appropriate.
* Welcoming patients, visitors and carers to sites.
* Supporting the Referrals Administration Co-ordinator with booking assessment appointments following triage.
* Supporting typing of standard letters from templates, e.g. assessment appointment letters.
* Opening and directing incoming post.
* Booking rooms for outpatient appointments and meetings.
* Preparing and typing weekly staff rotas.
* Uploading documents to our patient information system.
* Photocopying and collating.
* Occasional cross-cover of our reception at the Bedale Centre in Bognor Regis.
Ideally you will have:
· A good standard of secondary education.
· Experience of working with the public in a patient facing or customer service role.
· Experience of working in a team.
· Experience with Outlook, Word and preferably with patient/customer IT administration systems.
· Excellent and accurate keyboard skills.
· An ability to multi-task and remain calm under pressure.
Working for our organisation
We are a busy, friendly and caring administration team, based at Chapel Street Clinic in the heart of Chichester's city centre. We provide secretarial and administrative support to a variety of clinical staff across the patch. The administration team consists of telephonists, receptionists, secretaries and senior administrative staff.
As part of our commitment to quality and professionalism, the Trust ensures that all new staff undertake a thorough induction programme. Additional training will be provided at local level and full support is always available as part of ongoing growth and development.
As a mental health trust, we place a large focus on the wellbeing of our staff and ensure our reward packages reflect the important work you do.
As well as knowing you are making a valuable contribution in supporting the care of service users in the community, you can expect to receive:
· Generous holiday entitlement, starting at 27 days + bank holidays per annum.
· Access to a host of discount schemes (e.g. gyms, shopping, restaurants and cars).
· Access to numerous wellbeing and support programmes.
· Excellent supervision programmes, with ongoing opportunities for training and development.
· The opportunity to grow professionally in the Trust.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
As well as the above, you will require excellent interpersonal skills for effective communication with service users and the multi-disciplinary team, which consists of psychiatrists, nurses, psychologists, managers, mental health practitioners and support workers.
A background within healthcare services would be an advantage, but other reception or customer facing experience will be considered.
This is a full time role, 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
Please read Job Description and Person Specification attached before submitting your application.
For any questions, please contact Nina McLagan, Admin Team Lead (see contact details below).
To protect the health and safety of our staff/workers, patients, and those attending our sites, we encourage our workforce to get fully vaccinated against COVID.
Person specification
Qualifications
* NVQ2 or equivalent / good standard of secondary education; GCSE at Grade C or above
* PC skills and knowledge of Microsoft Office software
Knowledge/Experience
* Previous reception and switchboard experience
* Experience of working with the public
Sussex Partnership NHS FT is committed to supporting a diverse workforce that reflects our communities. Our workforce is currently under-represented from Black and Minority, Ethnic and disabled communities and we would welcome applications from these communities.
We regret that we are unable to advise candidates if they have not been shortlisted. If you have not heard from us within three weeks of the closing date please assume that you have been unsuccessful on this occasion.
In the event of an excessive number of applicants the Trust reserves the right to close this vacancy earlier than indicated.
Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust takes its responsibilities for the safeguarding and protection of children and young people and vulnerable adults very seriously and expects this of all its employees and bank workers. The Trust works with adult and children’s social care to ensure that the integrated service has systems in place to equip staff and bank workers with the knowledge and skills to recognize abuse, and take action to safeguard and protect vulnerable adults and children and young people. It is expected that all staff and bank workers familiarise themselves with the appropriate structures and policies and with the Sussex child protection and safeguarding procedures and the Sussex multi-agency policy and procedures for safeguarding vulnerable adults and undertake the relevant essential training and further training appropriate to their role.
Successful candidates are normally offered salaries at the bottom of the relevant salary range. However, where previous or equivalent NHS experience in a similar role can be demonstrated and evidenced, this may be taken into consideration when setting the starting salary.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
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.
Application numbers
Due to high numbers of applications this vacancy may close before the advertised closing date. We will not be able to accept late applications to this post.
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