Main Purpose of the Job: Offer general assistance to the CHL team and project a positive and friendly image to patients and other visitors, either in person or via the telephone Receive, assist and direct patients in accessing the appropriate healthcare service in a courteous, efficient and effective way Undertake a variety of administrative duties to assist in the smooth running of CHL, including the provision of secretarial and clerical support to clinical staff and other members of the team Facilitate effective communication between patients, members of the primary health care team, secondary care and other associated healthcare agencies Main Duties and Responsibilities The duties and responsibilities to be undertaken by members of the practice administration team may include any or all of the items in the following list. Duties may be varied from time to time under the direction of the Operational Service Manager, dependent on current and evolving workload and staffing levels: Opening up/locking up of premises and maintaining security in accordance with practice protocols Maintaining and monitoring the appointments system Processing personal and telephone requests for appointments, visits and telephone consultations, and ensuring callers are directed to the appropriate healthcare professional Processing and distributing incoming (and outgoing) mail Taking messages and passing on information Filing and retrieving paperwork Computer data entry/data allocation and collation; processing and recording information in accordance with CHLs procedures Initiating contact with and responding to requests from patients, other team members and associated healthcare agencies and providers Providing clerical assistance to staff as required from time to time, including word/data processing, filing, photocopying and scanning Ordering, re-ordering and monitoring of stationery and other supplies Additional Accountabilities: The post holder must at all times carry out his / her responsibilities with due regard for Community Healthcare Ltds policies. To comply at all times with any regulations issued by Community Healthcare Ltd, especially those governing Health and Safety at work and Risk Management at work, Loan Working and to ensure that any defects which may affect safety at work are brought to the attention of the appropriate manager. All staff must maintain the confidentiality of all matters that they may learn relating to their employment, other members of staff and to the general public. All staff are expected to respect the requirements under the Data Protection Act 1998 and any subsequent legislation. The post holder must comply with and promote Equal Opportunities and accordingly must avoid any behaviour which discriminates against colleagues, potential employees, patients or clients on the grounds of sex, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, age, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion, disability, political opinion or trade union membership. Code of Conduct: The post holder is required to observe the following principles: Make the care/safety of patients his/her first concern, act to protect them from risk Respect the public, patients, relative, carers, staff and partners Be honest and act with integrity Accept responsibility for his/her own work and the performance of the people the post holder manages Show commitment to working as a team member by working effectively with team members and the wider community Take responsibility for own learning and development In all actions undertaken have regard for the company reputation Additional Information: The role will include the ability to work flexibly to meet the demands as necessary The content of the job description is not exhaustive and the post holder may be required to undertake additional duties, which fall within their scope of practice and individual ability The job description reflects the overall scope and responsibilities of the role. All roles evolve and this job description will therefore be subject to periodic review and change if required Confidentiality: In the course of seeking treatment, patients entrust us with, or allow us to gather, sensitive information in relation to their health and other matters. They do so in confidence and have the right to expect that staff will respect their privacy and act appropriately In the performance of the duties outlined in this job description, the post-holder may have access to confidential information relating to patients and their carers, staff and other healthcare workers. They may also have access to information relating to the business organisation. All such information from any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, other healthcare workers or the business of CHL may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with the practice policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data Health & Safety: The post-holder will assist in promoting and maintaining their own and others health, safety and security as defined in the practice health & safety policy, the practice health & safety manual, and the practice infection control policy and published procedures. This will include: Using personal security systems within the workplace according to guidelines Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy and safe way, free from hazards Actively reporting health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised Keeping own work areas and general/patient areas generally clean, assisting in the maintenance of general standards of cleanliness consistent with the scope of the job holders role Undertaking periodic infection control training (minimum annually) Reporting potential risks identified Demonstrate due regard for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. Equality & Diversity: The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, to include: Acting in a way that recognises the importance of peoples rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with procedures and policies, and current legislation Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues Behaving in a manner that is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights. Personal Professional Development: The post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by CHL as part of this employment, with such training to include: Participation in an annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development Taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work Quality: The post holder is required to observe the following principles: The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within CHL, and will: Alert other team members to issues of quality and risk Assess own performance and take accountability for own actions, either directly or under supervision Contribute to the effectiveness of the team by reflecting on own and team activities and making suggestions on ways to improve and enhance the teams performance Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients needs Effectively manage own time, workload and resources A Communication: The post holder is required to observe the following principles: The post-holder should recognise the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to: Communicate effectively with other team members Communicate effectively with patients and carers Recognise peoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly Contribution t the implementation of services: The post holder is required to observe the following principles: The post-holder will: Apply policies, standards and guidance Discuss with other members of the team how the policies, standards and guidelines will affect own work Participate in audit where appropriate