Western Isles NHS

Western Isles NHS

Directorate of Public Health

JOB DESCRIPTION

1. JOB IDENTIFICATION
Job Title:
Reports to:
Department:
Location:
Job Grade:
No. of Job Holders:
Hours: / Health Promotion Administrator (Uist and Barra)
Senior Health Promotion Officer (Uist and Barra)
Health Promotion
Health Promotion Office, 42 Winfield Way, Balivanich, Benbecula HS7 5LH
One
18.25 per week
2. JOB PURPOSE
To provide effective, efficient office management and direct secretarial/admin support to coordinate a complex and busy office environment.
To coordinate and support the health promotion programmes, assisting Health Promotion Officers to comply with targets and deliver health improvement outcomes.
3. DIMENSIONS
The Health Promotion Administrator (Uist & Barra) provides administrative support to the Health Promotion staff based in the Balivanich office (currently there are three Health Promotion Officers), as well as providing general office management. Postholder ensures that the standard of work is consistently high, using excellent communication, organisational, and computing skills and attention to detail.
4. ORGANISATIONAL POSITION
Please refer to chart attached at end.
5. ROLE OF DEPARTMENT
The Western Isles, an archipelago of 11 populated islands 30 miles off the north-west coast of Scotland, stretch 150 miles from the Isle of Barra to the Isle of Lewis.
The Western Isles NHS Board serves a population of 26,500 residents, with some 10,000 living in Stornoway and its immediate surroundings. These numbers increase in the summer months due to an influx of tourists from all over the world.
The Health Promotion Department is part of the Board’s Public Health Division, and is responsible for supporting NHS staff, organizations and groups, and the general public with health improvement and health education. Health Promotion has approximately 18 part-time and full-time employees working throughout the Western Isles in a variety of disciplines. Three Health Promotion Officers are based in Uist at the Balivanich office.
Health Promotion is a specialist discipline drawing on knowledge of and approaches implicit in a range of disciplines, e.g., epidemiology, psychology, statistics, project design and management, sociology and public health theory. It is from this theory that evidence for effective programmes is devised and work procedures and practices are developed – contributing to an increase in health status of the population and a reduction in unhealthy behaviours, e.g., smoking, and a reduction in disease, e.g., CHD.
6. MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES

Act as the first point of contact for people phoning and visiting the department, using initiative and taking action and responding appropriately.
Plan, organize and manage a range of projects including conferences, events, training. Some of these activities are straightforward, while others are complex and ongoing.
Manage extensive document production and handling, both electronic and paper. Examples include:

-- Create, organize, and collate training materials, paperwork, handouts, training packs, etc. for events.
-- Draft letters, emails, flyers, evaluation forms, training and campaign material and handouts.
-- Develop and create documents, reports, advertising materials, forms.
-- Handle large email mailings as well as large paper mail-outs.
-- Establish and maintain hard copy and electronic filing systems to ensure that all documents can be retrieved easily.
-- Develop and maintain spreadsheets and databases (for example, for training and conference organization, tracking budget and expenses).
-- Keep accurate records of events, meetings, and projects (for example, attendance records).

Manage email boxes of Health Promotion Officers while they are away, monitoring and responding to emails. This involves acting autonomously within boundaries, using initiative and judgment to draft non-standard responses, and making and altering appointments for Officers.
Maintain and update electronic diaries of Officers.
Manage all incoming and outgoing post. This requires opening, reading, and routing incoming post, responding as needed, and alerting Officers to anything that needs their immediate attention.
Proofread, format layout, and finalize documents. This requires accuracy, attention to detail, and a high level of competence with English grammar and spelling.
Provide support for officers at meetings. This includes preparing and distributing agendas, papers and handouts, making sure officers have all necessary documents and/or AV equipment with them at the meeting, taking and/or transcribing formal minutes, noting action points, and following up action points as requested. Taking minutes involves acute listening and interpretation skills, discretion, and the ability to put spoken words into meaningful and lucid written form.
Schedule meetings, video-conferences, and travel on a regular basis. This involves investigating various travel options (ferry, air, car hire, etc.), liaising with the travel agent if necessary, finding and booking accommodation, finding and booking venues and AV equipment. For both internal and external personnel.
Use organisational and time management skills to keep track of detailed workload and projects.
Organize and help run campaigns.
Monitor expenditures against budgetary allocations, generate purchase orders and goods received notes using appropriate forms and budget codes, ensuring that financial procedures are followed.
Develop and implement office/admin procedures, looking for opportunities to improve and streamline processes and practices.
Understand and use office equipment and IT software.
Participate (when requested) in literature/information research from relevant sources, including websites, NHS e-library, written/verbal communication.
Provide part of the new employee induction for those joining the Health Promotion office in Balivanich.
Monitor stationary and supply levels, ensuring stock levels are maintained. Reorder as required. Source and order equipment as necessary or as requested.
Check delivery of goods and ensure they are in good working order, and check receipt of goods against invoices for accuracy.
Apply good practice in maintenance and storage of documents and files, and good general housekeeping.

Use initiative to seek clarification when instructions are not clear, asking questions and using listening skills.

Plan ahead to anticipate agendas, needs of Health Promotion Officers and their work.

Actively seek learning opportunities and development opportunities, which may include induction, formal/informal courses, e-learning, reading professional publications. Share learning with line manager and colleagues.

Present positive image of department and organisation.
Answer telephones, including taking accurate and thorough messages, and transcribing voice mail messages.

This list is not exhaustive. The postholder may be required to undertake other duties commensurate with the post or as directed by the Health Promotion Manager or Health Promotion Officers in the Balivanich office.
7. COMMUNICATION AND RELATIONSHIPS
The postholder must be an articulate communicator in possession of strong verbal and written communication skills.

Regular internal communications with a wide range of NHS staff including senior and general managers, public health consultants, GPs, nurses.
Regular external communications with a wide variety of people including staff from local authority, Scottish Government, voluntary agencies, private sector, service users and carers.
Provide non-clinical advice and information to clients, colleagues, and members of the public.
Liaise regularly with I.T. department regarding problem-solving and trouble-shooting of I.T. issues.
Use communication skills to achieve clarity when receiving and when giving information and instructions (for example, using listening and questioning skills).
Participate in regular supervision meetings with manager, and regular departmental staff meetings.
Handle sensitive and confidential information.
Treat public, colleagues, and visitors with respect and courtesy.

8. I.T. SYSTEMS AND OTHER EQUIPMENT
The postholder’s ability to use computer software and electronic mailing system effectively is essential. Additionally, the willingness to learn new software and take initiative to improve skills is vital to success in the job.

Advanced knowledge and use of software and I.T. systems including, but not limited to, Microsoft Office, email, intranet, internet, NHS e-Library, desktop publishing.
Advanced keyboard use.
Postholder is responsible for monitoring email and electronic calendars for self and Health Promotion Officers. This is a high priority and consumes a significant amount of work time.

Understand and use office equipment such as video conferencing equipment, printers, multi-media projectors, telephones and answering machines, digital camera, scanner, fax machine, DVD, and associated software for downloading data from external sources such as digital camera.
Postholder expected to troubleshoot I.T. problems (for example, loss of network connection), liaising with the I.T. Department, and using initiative to help diagnose and solve problems.

Postholder is the source of advice and information for Health Promotion Officers regarding proper use of computer software and office equipment. This involves taking initiative to learn how to use new equipment (for example, a newly purchased digital projector), writing out instructions if necessary, and teaching others how to use equipment.
Develop and maintain spreadsheets and databases (for example, for training and conference organization, tracking budget and expenses).

9. PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL, AND ENVIRONMENTAL DEMANDS OF THE JOB

High percentage of work is computer-based, which involves sitting and using mouse, keyboard, and video display unit for long periods of time.
Occasional exposure to verbally aggressive visitors or members of the public.
Occasional light lifting and heavy lifting (for example, boxes of paper and boxes of training resources).
Responsibility for fire and office security, jointly with other colleagues in the building.
Follow guidelines to maintain good health and safety practice, reporting issues on incident and accident forms, fire procedures, moving and handling, security of premises, data and information protection, and health and safety.
Weekly visit to Balivanich Health Clinic and Uist & Barra Hospital to pick up internal mail and supply orders.
Occasional travel for training and/or meetings.

10. DECISIONS AND JUDGMENT
The postholder is expected to use good judgment and clear thinking on a daily basis, making decisions which affect
not only postholder’s own work, but that of the rest of the office. Much of the work is self-directed, requiring initiative and allocation of time and resources accordingly.
11. KNOWLEDGE, TRAINING, AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED TO DO THE JOB
The postholder must:

Be an articulate communicator in possession of strong verbal and written communication skills.
Be proficient in various computer software packages, particularly Microsoft Office and email.
Be in possession of excellent organisational skills and the ability to manage simultaneous projects/tasks.

Have a secondary education or higher.
Have a professional administrative qualification (HNC), or the equivalent experience.

Have experience working for several people at once (multiple reporting relationships).
Be able to prioritize workload, work under pressure and to deadlines, and maintain concentration amidst frequent interruptions.
Be flexible and able to shift priorities frequently.
Be able to work independently without supervision.
Be able to plan ahead and anticipate needs.
Be able to work as part of a team.
Have good analytical skills.
Have experience of partnership working and coordinating with outside agencies.
Possess good listening and comprehension skills.
Be discreet and maintain confidentiality.
Present positive image of department and organization.
Be enthusiastic and motivated.
Have a non-judgmental approach to others.
Be self-confident.

12. CONFIDENTIALITY
This involves taking the necessary precautions when transmitting information, only disclosing it to those who have the right and the need to know it. All personal health information is held under strict legal and ethical obligations of confidentiality. NHS staff must follow guidance (NHS Code of Practice on Protecting Patient Confidentiality) before disclosing any patient information. All staff must respect confidentiality of all matters that they may learn relating to their employment, other members of staff, patients and their families.
13. HEALTH AND SAFETY
You must assist in maintaining own and others' health, safety and security. This involves:
(a) Complying with NHS health and safety policies, procedures and participating in mandatory training.
(b) Maintaining a safe working environment and reporting any issues of concern as appropriate.
NHS Western Isles attaches the greatest importance to the health and safety of its employees. It is the Board policy to do all that is reasonable to prevent personal injury and hazard to health by protecting staff and others including the public from foreseeable hazards compatible with the provision of proper services to patients. The Board expects its entire staff to take reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their acts or omissions at work. More detailed information is given in departmental safety policies where appropriate.
You must ensure your own actions support equality, diversity and rights. This involves:
(a)Acting in ways consistent with the Board's policies and procedures
(b)Treating those you come into contact with equitably and with respect.
(c)Recognising the need for aids or adaptations.
14. JOB DESCRIPTION AGREEMENT
I agree that the above Job Description is an accurate reflection of my duties and responsibilities at the date of signing.
Job Holder’s Signature: / Date:
Manager’s Signature: / Date:

Western Isles NHS

Directorate of Public Health

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Job Title:
Department:
Location: / Health Promotion Administrator (Uist and Barra)
Health Promotion
Health Promotion Office, 42 Winfield Way, Balivanich, Benbecula HS7 5LH
Factor / Essential / Desirable
Qualifications
and Training /

Secondary education or higher.
Professional administrative qualification (HNC), or equivalent experience.
High level of understanding and competence with I.T. software, particularly Microsoft Office and email.

Experience,
Knowledge,
Skills /

Experience working for several people at once (multiple reporting relationships), which requires the ability to prioritize workload, work under pressure and to deadlines, and maintain concentration amidst frequent interruptions.
Excellent organizational skills and the ability to manage simultaneous projects/tasks which are often detail-heavy and complex.
Flexibility and ability to shift priorities frequently.
Articulate communicator in possession of strong verbal and written communication skills.
Ability to work on own initiative, working independently without supervision to support Health Promotion Officers’ workload (work is often managed rather than supervised).
Ability to plan ahead and anticipate needs.
Ability to work as part of a team.
Good analytical skills.
Experience of partnership working and coordinating with outside agencies.
Good listening and comprehension skills.
Ability to be discreet and maintain confidentiality.

Knowledge of full range of administrative and organisational policies and procedures, acquired through training and relevant experience.
Awareness of data protection and security issues, and ability to follow relevant policies and procedures.
Knowledge of medical terminology and conditions.
Knowledge of how health and social work services are delivered in the Western Isles.
Understanding and knowledge of NHS Western Isles, and local geography and logistics.
Knowledge and appreciation of island culture

Other /

Present positive image of department and organization.
Enthusiastic and motivated
Non-judgmental approach to others
Self-confident

Gaelic language
Ability to travel and work off-site when necessary
Interest in promoting health and furthering the goals of the Health Promotion Department

Job Description and Person Specification: Health Promotion Administrator (Uist & Barra)Page 1