Job Title:Personal Assistant Grade: Band 5 Reporting Responsibility: Corporate Governance Manager Job Purpose: To provide a comprehensive personal assistant service to designated directors ensuring that they receive the support needed to facilitate the performance of their role As a member of the personal assistant team to also help ensure the provision of a consistent, high-quality service by providing support to the Chair and all Directors as and when required Principal Responsibilities Personal Assistant Responsibilities 1. To provide a full personal assistant service to either designated Directors in order to help ensure the smooth and efficient organisation and carrying out of their responsibilities. 2. To be the first point of contact for the Directors visitors and telephone callers, providing callers with the information, advice and guidance to meet their needs. To ensure that all visitors and callers are handled in a manner that enhances the reputation of the Directors, the Executive and of the Trust. 3. Within parameters agreed with the Director, to make judgements and take actions necessary to resolve enquiries, requests and issues raised by managers, staff, external organisations and members of the public. This will include: Researching, collating and providing them with information Meeting with them to explore and resolve enquiries and issues Providing them with all necessary guidance and advice 4. To ensure that the Director is fully briefed on issues as they arise, determining the priority of the issue and, as necessary, obtaining and collating the information needed to enable the Director to make an informed decision. 5. To manage the Directors diaries, making decisions on whether and when appointments are made, based on the issue, the needs of the caller and the workload priorities and commitments of the Director. 6. To develop a network of key relationships both within and outside of the Trust in order to help facilitate the performance of the Directors responsibilities and to enhance their reputation 7. On behalf of the Director, to communicate and correspond with senior managers and clinicians within the Trust, with other organisations and members of the public on difficult, sensitive and complex, as well as routine, issues 8. To type and format correspondence, reports and presentations from dictation or from drafts prepared by the Director. In addition, to design and create correspondence, reports and presentations on behalf of the Director, within agreed parameters 9. To ensure the provision of information required for Board reports, obtaining, collating and presenting the information as required 10. As required, to prepare agendas and take notes of meetings for the Director and to take and transcribe minutes of specified Trust committees 11. To implement, operate and maintain effective and secure systems for the organisation, control and accessing of the Directors electronic and paper information resources 12. To develop and maintain monitoring systems for the obtaining of information and reports regularly required by the Director. To ensure that the information is obtained on time 13. To co-ordinate and/or expedite arrangements to ensure the effective and timely handling of formal patient and non-patient complaints; formal staff grievances and disciplinary meetings for which the Director has a responsibility, communicating with the complainants and staff involved as required. Personal Assistant Team Responsibilities 14. To contribute to the provision of a quality personal assistant service to the Chairman and the Executive team through: Providing secretarial support to cover in the absence of a Personal Assistant colleague or in cases of peaks in workload Working closely with and supporting other members of the Personal Assistant team 15. As required, to contribute to any reviews of departmental administrative systems and processes designed to support the work of the Directors, proposing changes and improvements. 16. To provide support to all members of the Personal Assistant team to help ensure the effective operation of the team