Employer South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Stratford Healthcare Town Stratford upon Avon Salary £24,937 - £26,598 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 30/11/2025 23:59 Interview date 17/12/2025
Band 3
South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust is one of the top performing organisations within the NHS. Our staff think this is a great place to work and we hope you will agree. We have recently been rated as 'Outstanding' by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) following our most recent inspection. We provide services across Warwickshire and beyond ranging from Hospitals in Warwick, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Royal Leamington Spa and Shipston-on Stour to Community Services across the whole county. This includes our Community Teams in North Warwickshire.
We are a progressive, expanding organisation with great ambition around improving quality, integrating pathways and delivering high levels of productivity. Over 6000 people work for the Trust and many of them have been here a long time. People find they don’t need to go elsewhere to find a fulfilling career in healthcare. The first thing you will notice about us is how we take our values seriously. We believe that our values underpin everything we do. If you are interested in a role with us you need to make sure our values match your own. Our values can be summed up in one sentence. We are ‘Trusted to provide inclusive, safe, effective and compassionate care’. Throughout the recruitment process you will be asked to think about how you demonstrate these values and how they impact on your work. It doesn’t matter what role you do, whether it is patient facing or not, we are all working in the same way with our values at the core.
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Checks
Many of the roles we advertise have a requirement for a DBS check to be carried out. If you are successful for a role and it requires a DBS check the Trust will carry out the initial check and subscription to the DBS Update Service, however successful candidates will be expected to cover the associated costs. Details of this will be sent to successful candidates in their offer letter.
Probationary Period
All new staff to the Trust will be subject to a standard 6 month probationary period, the details of which will duly follow in your contract of employment.
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust is committed to creating and sustaining a positive and inclusive working environment for all our employees. Our aim is to ensure that employees are equally valued and respected and that our organisation is representative of all members of society. We define diversity as valuing everyone as an individual – we value our employees, job applicants, students, patients and visitors as people. This is reflected within our values of being Inclusive, Safe, Effective, Compassionate and Trusted.
As part of our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion we encourage all applicants to complete a short survey. This can be accessed via the link below:
We appreciate you completing the survey.
Agile and Flexible Working
All our staff will have a work base. However the Trust operates as an Agile Working Team therefore staff may be working from home on a regular basis as required by the service. However, occasionally travel around Warwickshire and into your base will be required so access to your own transport would be helpful. The Trust also welcome staff to work flexibly and we would welcome the conversation at interview regarding flexible working. The Trust offer a wide range of additional benefits to staff. Anyone who joins us on a substantive basis can assess things such as the Lease Car Scheme, Electronics Scheme, Discounted Leisure and Travel, Cycle to work scheme amongst many others available.
Car Parking
The Trust currently have limited availability of car parking spaces, as such are operating a waiting list for new starters joining the organisation.
To keep up to date on our latest recruitment activity follow us on twitter @swftrecruit or look us up on Facebook (Recruitment - South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust).
Job overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a self motivated, efficient and friendly individual to join our welcoming and dedicated Clinical Health Psychology team. This role is integral to the success and smooth running of this team and is highly valued.
As a Senior Administrator, you will be working on site, responsible for contributing to an efficient and effective admin service within the busy Clinical Health Psychology Department based at Stratford Healthcare, Stratford upon Avon. You will be the first point of call for many of our patients. Previous NHS experience is essential.
You will need excellent communication skills, with a patient centred approach, an eye for detail, excellent organisational skills and the ability to use your own initiative. Previous office/administrative experience, knowledge of databases and Microsoft office including Outlook is necessary.
Your duties will include being a point of contact for all members of the team, communicating with staff and patients, via telephone email and face to face, making patient appointments, updating waiting lists, using databases and typing standard letters
Main duties of the job
To provide a comprehensive, efficient, and responsive administrative and clerical support to assist the Clinical Health Psychology Department to maintain an efficient and effective work flow.
To contribute fully as a member of the Clinical Health Psychology team working closely with colleagues within the function to ensure a patient centered approach.
Working for our organisation
Come and join a Trust rated Outstanding by the CQC. South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust have been rated as outstanding following our latest inspection by the CQC and we are recruiting new staff to come and help us improve even further. In addition our staff survey results have placed us 4 th in the country for recommended place to work.
We provide services across Warwickshire and beyond ranging from Hospitals in Warwick, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Royal Leamington Spa and Shipston-on Stour to Community Services across the county. We are a progressive, expanding organisation with great ambition around improving quality, integrating pathways and delivering high levels of productivity. Our values can be summed up in one sentence. We are ‘Trusted to provide safe, inclusive, effective and compassionate care’. Throughout the recruitment process you will be asked to think about how you demonstrate these values and how they impact on your work. It doesn’t matter what role you do, whether it is patient facing or not, we are all working in the same way with our values at the core.
As part of our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion we encourage all applicants to complete a short survey. This can be accessed via the link below:
We appreciate you completing the survey.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Main Duties
Under the direction of the Office Manager, provide a point of contact for all members of the team
The applicant will be required to manage their own workload using planning and organisational skills to ensure that the most urgent issues are dealt with promptly.
Work pattern is unpredictable with a frequent requirement to concentrate e.g. putting on new referrals (using database, waiting list and creating electronic and hard copy files) whilst having frequent interruptions for example dealing phone calls from referrers, patients, members of staff, responding to physically present Clinicians and patients at reception.
Maintain the psychology general email inbox. Retrieve referrals as necessary and coordinate queries, including liaison with team about risk and action. To answer internal and external telephone calls, recording and relaying accurate messages as appropriate. Make telephone calls as necessary. Retrieve any messages left and deal with appropriately
Inputting new patient referrals onto the relevant electronic patient record systems
Complete associated admin following referral meetings, to include updating databases, sending out letters, making patient appointments and allocating the patient to Clinician on database and waiting list, for different services within the Department
Assist in maintaining and updating the waiting lists for the Department of Clinical Health Psychology ensuring data is accurate in accordance with current guidelines.
Taking calls from colleagues and other services. Addressing the complexity of which of multiple services the patient should be referred to, knowing when to elevate to clinicians appropriately where there are highly complex clinical issues, and how to answer with sufficient clinical detail in an efficient manner.
Taking calls from patients who are distressed, struggling with their mental health, where there are barriers to understanding due to difficulties with language and cognitive understanding, or where there are physical barriers/restrictions due to illness where communication is via a third party
Explaining complex information about psychological assessment, therapy and interventions to referrers and patients including why a referral has not been accepted e.g. explaining health condition or limits to service criteria in a sensitive and empathetic way where there may be barriers to understanding and distress.
Knowing your limitations and boundaries in communication and being able to liaise effectively with an appropriate clinician including accurate explanation of the needs of complex and high-risks patients.
Making appointments for new and existing patients using Microsoft Outlook and maintaining a record of appointments, dealing with all changes using judgement when dealing with changes to appointments, e.g. when a patient attends incorrectly, who may become distressed
Coordinating Clinician's diaries and using own judgement, within guidance when making multiple different types of appointments to meet different department services and patient requirements.
Regular requirement to speak to emotionally distressed patients and family, both on the phone and in person
Regular requirement to deal with angry or confused patients about referrals, health treatment or discharge both on the phone and in person
Greet patients/staff members who come to reception with a welcoming helpful attitude. Use knowledge and tact to direct individuals to correct department given multi-use site, this includes the need to manage frustration and agitation
Be able to demonstrate processes and lead induction to new Trainee Psychologists, students and staff on clinical activity and expectation including audit paperwork, discharge steps and electronic patient records.
Compiling patient files in an accurate and timely manner.
Maintain patient record filing systems, ensuring all records are accurately and appropriately archived. Retrieve patient records from filing as required.
Provide general administrative duties such as typing a range of standard letters, sending out patient letters and questionnaires, scanning of documents. Details in clinical letters may be distressing and highly complex.
Disseminating incoming post appropriately and action where possible. Outgoing post, ensuring priorities are maintained.
Photocopying, faxing and any other clerical duties as necessary.
To provide short-term cover for colleagues during periods of leave
The post holder may be required to undertake some moderate lifting and handling.
This job description is not exhaustive and may be amended in consultation with the post holder. It should be reviewed whenever major changes have been agreed to the post and should be reviewed as part of the annual appraisal process to ensure it remains an accurate reflection of the duties and responsibilities undertaken by the post holder.
During the course of your employment you may have access to, see or hear information of a confidential nature and you are required not to disclose such information, particularly relating to patients or staff. All persons identifiable information must be held in the strictest confidence and should be disclosed only to authorised people in accordance with NHS Confidentiality Guidelines and the Data Protection Act 1998 unless explicit written consent has been given by the person identified, or where information sharing protocols exist.
Person specification
Qualifications
* Level 3 RSA/NVQ in relevant administrative field or equivalent experience
Experience
* Previous significant office experience, Ability to manage an alphabetical filing system
* Experience of managing own workload
* Experience of working in the NHS
Skills
* Excellent communications skills.
* Compassionate telephone manner
* Able to prioritise tasks.
* Demonstrates potential to be able to work under pressure with multiple competing priorities
* Demonstrate understanding of patient confidentiality.
* Working knowledge of Microsoft Office including Outlook and Excel and excellent keyboard skills
* Working knowledge of using databases and NHS systems
Personal Qualities
* The ability to work alone and manage own workload
* Compassion and kindness when working with those in distress
* Able to interact with a variety of staff
* Able to maintain confidentiality
* Flexible and adaptable
* Ability to use initiative
* Understanding of own limitations and boundaries in patient contacts
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Sometimes we get a lot of applications for our roles. On those occasions we might close the job early. If you don’t want to miss out we recommend submitting your application as early as possible.
The Trust use an Applicant Management System called TRAC which helps us manage the recruitment process. All communications regarding your application will come via TRAC (even if you applied via NHS Jobs).
Please check your TRAC account regularly and ensure your email is set up to accept messages so they don't go into your junk/spam folder.
We aim to shortlist all vacancies within 2 days of the vacancy closing, we will get back to all candidates ASAP.
Please ensure all sections of the application form are completed fully. Please particularly ensure that you provide full details of all referees including business email address, telephone contact details and postal address.
South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust is an equal opportunities employer who is committed to Equality and Diversity and does not tolerate discrimination or harassment on the grounds of any protected characteristic as defined by the Equality Act 2010.
All South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust sites are smoke free. We feel it’s a great way to help our patients, visitors and staff stay healthy.
The Trust is part of a ‘Foundation Group’ through a strategic alliance with Wye Valley NHS Trust, George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust and Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust. This partnership is great for the sustainability of all four organisations and allows us to share learning and maximise opportunities to ensure the delivery of high quality health and care services for our local populations.
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