Executive Assistant Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust 3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars London

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust (CNWL) is one of the largest trusts in the UK, caring for people with a wide range of physical and mental health needs. We have approximately 7,000 staff who provide healthcare to a third of London’s population and across wider geographical areas, including Milton Keynes, Kent, Surrey and Hampshire.

An exciting opportunity has arisen to provide advanced, high level and quality executive support to the Chief Nurse in a full time capacity.

This is a highly demanding role and you will need to possess significant experience in providing executive support at a senior level within a multifaceted organisation. You will need to be a highly motivated, forward thinking individual with extremely strong organisational skills and the ability to use your initiative to manage the varying demands of the role. A strong working knowledge of Outlook, Word, Excel and Powerpoint are essential.

The responsibilities are extremely varied and include high level diary management, meeting/event co-ordination, project support and extensive partner/stakeholder liaison. As such you will possess excellent written, organisational and minute taking skills.

Significant experience as a high level PA or Executive Assistant is required and s hortlisted candidates will be required to undertake an assessment as part of the process.

The Executive Assistant provides a high-level administrative position which provides direct support to the Chief Nurse. The role works in order to help execute the organisation’s goals. The position supports the Executive Director’s work with the Board of Directors and Executive Board teams, Divisional and Directorate teams and external organisations. The role is instrumental in assessing and implementing Executive systems of reporting and administration. The role requires an advanced understanding of the Executive’s portfolios e.g. serious Incidents, divisional operations, professional registration, recovery, clinical governance, and other complex areas commensurate with the roles of the Chief Nurse.

The successful applicant may have contact with patients or service users. As an NHS Trust we strongly encourage and support vaccination as this remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course patients and service users when working on our healthcare settings.

The role is responsible for overseeing and managing the Executive Director’s meetings both internally and externally including the coordination of the forward planner, agendas, papers and taking accurate minutes. The Executive Assistant also monitors and supports junior admin staff within the directorates as required, especially when new in post, and deputises for other Executive PAs to cover holiday, sickness etc. including for the Chief Executive.

Executive Support

• Act as the first point of contact for the Chief Nurse including managing/screening calls, emails, correspondence and visitors.
• Filter and prioritise Executive’s workload and redirect as appropriate to other team members.
• Review complex information as it arrives, summarise and bring to Executive Director’ s attention when necessary.
• Responsible for dealing with issues when appropriate on behalf of the Chief Nurse including assessing issues, problem solving and negotiating solutions.
• Ensure plans are in place to deliver reports for statutory deadlines and committee cycles for the Executive Director and all their reports.

Support the Executive Director’s participation in meetings as appropriate; preparation of papers, minute taking and follow up actions.
Draft complex and confidential correspondence on behalf of the Executive Director utilising advanced typing skills.
Organise, collate and monitor annual appraisals for direct reports.

• Assist the Executive Director in implementing policies, systems and procedures for effectively managing the organisation.
• Maintain a close working relationship with direct reports, providing support and advice on behalf of the Executive Director where appropriate.

Organise monthly meetings with direct reports.

• Provide a service that is in line with the Executive Director’ s work habits and preferences.

Preparation and co-ordination of agenda, papers, rooms, facilities, and attendees for external meetings where the Executive Director is Chair, ensuring high standard and prompt circulation is achieved.
Develop relationships across the Directorates to enhance cohesive working and practices
Arrange Director’s visits to services, both within the Trust and with external organisations.
To have specific responsibility for overseeing the Professional Nursing Council, ensuring clear forward plan, agenda and minute taking.
To have specific responsibility for overseeing the Clinical Education Group, ensuring clear forward plan, agenda and minute taking.
To ensure plans are in place to deliver reports for the Trust Board and Committees and statutory deadlines for the Chief Nurse.
To act as an authorised signatory and have budgetary responsibilities in relation to supplies, equipment and services on behalf of the Chief Nurse.
To organise relevant events including away days and conferences. Securing venues, catering and organising bookings and travel.

Communication & Relationship Skills

• Extensive partner/stakeholder liaison and maintenance of relationships at Executive Director level. This includes liaison with both senior internal and external parties.
• Build and maintain effective professional relationships at all levels.
• Be able to provide advice, obtain high-level input and communicate key messages on behalf of the Executive Director.
• Operate effectively in a politically sensitive and confidential environment.

Ensure confidentiality at all times (this position has access to highly confidential information).

Knowledge, Training & Experience

High level calendar management – co-ordinate and schedule appointments and meetings, and travel co-ordination. Resolve any problems where there are conflicting commitments.

• Anticipate workload, producing electronic daily diary packs (bring forward), and support the Executive Director’ s needs with appropriate materials, briefings, agendas to efficiently meet the needs of the role.
• Advanced knowledge of a range of IT applications including Outlook, Word, Excel, Access, Powerpoint, Adobe and Project. Also the SBS system for invoicing and purchasing, the TRAC system for recruitment, room bookings and Expenses on Demand. Also Health Roster – being responsible for logging bank workers hours, and recording sickness and annual leave for the Executive Director, providing reports to the Executive Director when necessary.

To provide coordination and support to the successful running of any Executive Director’s programmes, and support the delivery of any programmes commissioned by them.

• Compiling information about projects when necessary.
• Work collaboratively with project teams, internally and externally when necessary.

Acquire, organise, and use knowledge and information to best achieve the aims of the Executive Directors.

Analytical & Judgemental Skills

• Handle sensitive/clinical and confidential information.
• Proactively understand who contacts are, the context of the communication, and keep track of periodic communication needed for priority contacts.

Provide advice; prepare reports and briefings when necessary.

Planning & Organisational Skills

Organise and facilitate senior level events when necessary.
Full support and facilitation for a variety of Executive level meetings – this will involve organising meetings, producing and distributing papers in a timely manner, attending and taking minutes, ensuring high standards and prompt circulation, chasing outstanding actions,.

Physical Skills

Create presentations, documents and reports for the Executive Director as required.
Full support and facilitation of other meetings led by the Executive Director or on behalf of their Associate Directors where applicable.
Chase up follow-on actions to ensure progress and timescales are achieved for meetings and projects.

Responsibility for Patient/Client Care

• Deal personally with any calls from service users and carers (normally by phone) and ensure complaints/issues are forwarded via the correct channels for resolution.
• Contact patients/clients to assist with meeting attendance/recruitment interviews and assist them with any paperwork, expense claims incurred or any other support required.

Responsibility for Policy/Service Development

• Understand organisational policies and procedures necessary to ensure appropriate decision-making protocols are followed.

Maximise the use of “e” and other forms of systems across the Directorates to achieve the most efficient, consistent and effective outcomes.
Advise and develop where necessary, improved administrative practices within the directorates to improve efficient working.

Responsibility for Financial & Physical Resources

• Preparation, reconciliation and submission of travel and corporate expenses for the Director.
• Code and check invoices ready for approval.

To act as an authorised signatory and have budgetary responsibilities in relation to supplies, equipment and services on behalf of the Executive Director . This will require interaction with the Finance department to ensure effective and efficient working.
To work with the Executive PA team to ensure that stationary and related goods/equipment are ordered/maintained and processed and that effective systems are in place to ensure adequate stock availability at all times.

Responsibility for Human Resources

To be involved in recruitment and selection, and staff development, support and induction of new in post administration staff within the directorates.
Arrange inductions for new in post staff with their key relationships where necessary.
Undertake management of holiday, sickness and absence recording within the directorate.

Responsibility for Information Resources

• Maintain ownership and organisation of directorate’s shared access databases, mailboxes, etc.
• Act upon enquiries or notification of inspections by the Care Quality Commission promptly.
• Be the first point of contact, and maintain and act upon referrals from the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) with regards to nurse registration issues, or concerns about clinical practice. Hold the NMC database that records these and disseminate when necessary to HR and the services for information and reports to be returned to the NMC.

Using monthly audits of mandatory training and appraisal compliance to ensure non-compliant staff rectify their non-compliance, and then reporting back to the Directors.
Undertake research for information as requested by the Directors both online and personally from relevant parties.

Freedom to Act

• Able to work on own initiative with a broad knowledge of the directorates.
• Have a specialist and advanced understanding of the Executive’s portfolios.
• Able to maintain a flexible, positive and professional attitude.

Physical Effort

Be physically able to undertake the role, which requires minimal physical effort.

Mental Effort

• Able to maintain concentration and undertake duties in a demanding environment and be able to deal with interruptions/demands as they occur in a professional manner.

Emotional Effort

Able to deal effectively and with compassion, with unforeseen emotional or distressing circumstances or information, and complaints from distressed patients/clients/staff.

Working Conditions

Able to deal with confidential telephone calls, papers and conversations within an open office and ensure computer is securely locked when not present at desk.

Other:
Have an understanding of the structures and workings of the NHS and the role of CCGs etc, and also knowledge of current issues and pressures facing NHS Trusts.

• Required to attend other sites if required.

Personal Development:

• Proactively participate in own management supervision and appraisal processes.
• Take responsibility for own learning and development, undertaking any necessary training that is required to fulfil the objectives of the post and enhance personal knowledge and development.

Nature of Job Description:
This is an outline of the postholder’s duties and responsibilities. It is not intended as an exhaustive list and may change from time to time in order to meet the changing needs of the Trust or function.