About this role
Job summary
Please note, this vacancy may close earlier than the advertised closing date.
This is an exciting and varied opportunity to join SDHC in a role that combines administration, reception and operational support with the coordination and delivery of our educational, stakeholder and corporate events.
You will be at the heart of helping our services and corporate functions run smoothly, while also playing an important role in creating a welcoming, professional and well-organised experience for visitors, colleagues, speakers, partners and event attendees.
We are looking for someone who enjoys variety, takes pride in getting the details right and is equally comfortable working behind the scenes or being the welcoming face of an event. You will be organised, dependable and proactive, with strong communication and customer service skills and the confidence to build positive relationships with a wide range of people.
The role offers opportunities to take ownership, develop your event coordination experience and contribute ideas that improve how we work. SDHC currently hosts around 23 external events each month, including some evening events. Contracted hours will be worked flexibly through an agreed rota so that scheduled evening events can be supported without routinely increasing the overall contracted working week.
Main duties of the job
You will provide responsive administrative, reception and operational support across SDHC, helping colleagues, visitors and stakeholders receive an efficient and professional service.
A key part of the role will be supporting the coordination of SDHC events from initial planning through to delivery and follow-up. Depending on the event, you may support an event lead or take responsibility for the practical coordination and hosting arrangements yourself.
Your work will include managing enquiries and administrative tasks, coordinating meetings and bookings, maintaining accurate information and supporting projects and corporate activities. For events, you will help bring together the practical arrangements, communicate with organisers, speakers and suppliers, prepare venues and materials, and provide a confident and welcoming front-of-house presence on the day.
You will use initiative to keep activities organised, respond to changing priorities and resolve practical issues, while knowing when something needs to be escalated. You will also work collaboratively across SDHC, contributing to improvements in our administrative systems, event processes and the overall experience we provide to colleagues and external stakeholders.
About us
South Downs Health and Care GP Federation is a social enterprise. It was established in 2016 in service to shareholding/member GP practices in the areas of Eastbourne, Hailsham and Seaford. It now has extended membership within East Sussex. Our main purpose is to support GP practices in their task of providing patient care by enabling them to provide and invest in sustainable services by reducing the burden of their workload, maximising income opportunities and minimising their risks and liabilities.
We encourage our staff to take ownership and responsibility, to highlight concerns and feedback and to make an active contribution to their individual success as well as that of their team and the wider organisation. We operate a no-blame culture; by this we mean that everyone is held accountable but in an environment where the focus is on the learning that can be adopted and shared from instances where things havent gone so well.
Benefits of Working with SDHC
NHS Pension Scheme with generous employer contributions 25 days holiday plus bank holidays, increasing in stages to 30 days holiday plus bank holidays after 5 years service (pro rata for part time hours) Employee Assistance Programme including access to counselling and support with legal and financial matters CycleScheme Christmas and summer events Discounted rate for membership of Hillbrow Health and Wellbeing Centre facilities
Job description Job responsibilities
Main Duties
Administration and Reception
Monitor designated shared email inboxes, respond to routine enquiries within agreed timescales, follow up actions and escalate concerns appropriately.Provide reception and visitor support when required, presenting a professional, courteous and helpful image to service users, visitors, stakeholders and staff.Welcome visitors, support access requirements and ensure the appropriate member of staff is informed of their arrival.Provide regular and ad hoc administrative support to senior team members, service leads and corporate functions, prioritising work against agreed deadlines.Use Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, Teams and PowerPoint, together with other SDHC systems, to produce correspondence, trackers, reports, presentations and routine management information.Maintain accurate electronic records, databases, contact lists, shared folders and filing systems, ensuring information is complete, current and handled appropriately. Coordinate, attend and/or facilitate meetings as required, including preparation of agendas and papers and accurate notes or minutes where requested.Provide project-related administrative assistance, including action tracking, document preparation, follow-up of delegated tasks and support for the implementation of new processes or systems.Support stock checking and ordering of office, meeting and event supplies and help maintain a tidy, safe and well-organised working environment.Support patient, staff and stakeholder queries in line with agreed processes and professional boundaries, escalating complaints, incidents or service concerns appropriately.Provide reasonable cross-cover for other administrative functions when required to maintain critical services, with workload and priorities adjusted by the line manager.Contribute to accurate data capture, audit activity and service improvement where required.
Event Booking and Pre-Event Coordination
Assist with, and where appropriate take the lead on, the practical coordination of SDHC-hosted meetings, training sessions, educational events and stakeholder or corporate events from initial enquiry through to completion.Act as an administrative and operational point of contact for allocated events, working alongside the relevant event lead or taking responsibility for coordination where agreed.Respond promptly and professionally to booking enquiries and gather the information needed to plan the event, including expected attendance, dates and timings, break requirements, catering or refreshments, room layout, accessibility, audiovisual/IT needs, flipcharts, pens and other equipment.Check room availability with Hillbrow, make provisional bookings where appropriate and confirm arrangements with the organiser once the required information is available.Identify and arrange the most appropriate room in line with expected attendance, current room-capacity guidance and event requirements, avoiding clashes and allowing sufficient preparation time.Maintain an accurate forward schedule of events, key contacts, deadlines, actions and room bookings.Complete required event records and booking documentation, including the event calendar and relevant online booking forms, ensuring information is complete and consistent.Support or coordinate attendee communications, invitations, registrations/RSVPs, joining instructions and reminders where these are managed by SDHC.Liaise with speakers, facilitators, education providers, caterers, suppliers and other external stakeholders in a professional and timely manner.Arrange agreed catering and refreshments within approval processes, confirm delivery timings and check associated orders and invoices for accuracy.Support the preparation of event plans, checklists, running orders, attendee lists, signage, room layouts and delegate materials as required.Check event supplies in advance, identify any shortages and arrange replenishment as required.Anticipate practical delivery issues, identify appropriate contingency arrangements and escalate material risks or decisions promptly.Support proportionate event risk assessment and ensure relevant health and safety, fire, accessibility, security and emergency arrangements are understood and followed.
Event Delivery and Hosting
Be present for SDHC events as required, including scheduled evening events, and take operational responsibility for room setup, attendee arrival, event flow, practical troubleshooting and close-down. Prepare the room before attendees arrive, including furniture layout, presentation equipment, signage, delegate materials, refreshments and other agreed resources. Provide a confident and engaging front-of-house presence: actively welcome guests, introduce yourself, help people orientate themselves, support networking and ensure attendees feel looked after throughout the event. Deliver or coordinate the required site health and safety briefing to visitors and ensure attendees understand key emergency and welfare arrangements. Support speakers and facilitators with presentation, room and technical requirements and ensure they know who to contact if issues arise. Coordinate registration and attendance records where required, including certificates, feedback forms or other educational event documentation. Monitor breaks and event timings, replenish tea, coffee, snacks and other supplies when needed, and respond proactively to attendee or organiser requests. Keep the event aligned to the agreed running order, using initiative to resolve practical problems calmly and efficiently and escalating where necessary. Ensure rooms are left safe, secure, tidy and ready for normal use following the event, including appropriate storage or disposal of materials and completion of any site close-down requirements.Gather and record attendance data, feedback, costs and learning points as appropriate and use them to improve future event delivery.
Communication and Stakeholder Relationships
Communicate courteously, clearly and promptly with internal and external stakeholders by email, telephone, video call and face to face.Build effective working relationships with SDHC colleagues, member practices, education providers, speakers, suppliers, public and third sector partners, venue users and event attendees.Use discretion, tact and diplomacy, particularly when dealing with senior stakeholders, competing requirements, sensitive information or difficult conversations.Represent SDHC positively and professionally, adapting communication style to different audiences and situations.
Quality, Safety and Continuous Improvement
Work within relevant SDHC health and safety, risk management, safeguarding, information governance, confidentiality and data protection policies and procedures.Ensure administrative and event records are accurate and of a consistently high quality.Report incidents, accidents, near misses, complaints and significant concerns in accordance with SDHC procedures.Contribute to the development and improvement of event checklists, booking processes, email templates, administrative systems and standard operating arrangements.Seek and use feedback to improve stakeholder experience, efficiency and consistency of service and event delivery.
Personal Contribution
Maintain productive relationships and contribute to a culture of regular feedback, learning and continuous improvement.Take responsibility for own development, learning and performance and maintain required training and development records.Work collaboratively and flexibly, helping colleagues across the organisation when critical functions or short-term priorities require support.Represent SDHC professionally and uphold SDHC values, standards of behaviour and expectations at all times.
Key Working Relationships
Senior Leadership Team SDHC service leads and administrative teams Hillbrow Health and Wellbeing staff and site users Member GP practices and Primary Care Networks Education providers, speakers and facilitators NHS, public sector, third sector and community partners External suppliers, caterers and service providers Patients, visitors, event attendees and other external stakeholdersCollaborative Working / Other Duties
SDHC expects all staff to work collaboratively to ensure critical functions are met in the wider interests of the company.This may include project work, temporary point-of-contact responsibilities and/or support for critical administrative tasks during periods of absence.Any such periods will be managed so that workload and priorities remain reasonable and appropriate support or training is provided. This job description is not exhaustive. The post holder may be required to undertake other duties appropriate to the level and nature of the role at the request of the line manager.The role and objectives will be reviewed as the organisation, its services and its event programme develop.
Person Specification
Experience Essential
Proven experience of administrative duties in a busy office, service or customer-facing environment Experience of using electronic systems, databases, shared mailboxes and document management systems Experience of acting as a point of contact for visitors, external stakeholders, guests, clients or customers Experience of coordinating meetings, training sessions, hospitality or events from preparation through to delivery Experience of on-the-day event delivery, hosting or front-of-house coordination Experience of supporting projects and undertaking delegated tasks to deadline
Qualifications Essential
Minimum 5 GCSEs at grades 4-9 (A*-C) or equivalent, including English and Maths Relevant qualification or training in business administration, customer service, events, hospitality, or project coordination
Desirable
Health and safety, first aid, fire marshal or event safety training
Other Essential
Willingness to undertake further training relevant to the role Ability and willingness to work flexibly across a 37.5-hour rota, including scheduled evening events and occasional early starts, with reasonable notice wherever possible Ability and willingness to travel independently between SDHC/event locations in a timely manner as required Able to undertake practical event setup tasks such as moving lightweight equipment/materials and preparing rooms, with reasonable adjustments where required
Skills, Knowledge and Abilities Essential
Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise multiple administrative tasks, manage deadlines and maintain close attention to detail in a busy environment Excellent written, verbal and listening communication skills across a range of internal and external audiences Good IT skills including Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, Teams and PowerPoint Ability to maintain accurate records and handle personal or confidential information in accordance with information governance and data protection requirements Ability to use initiative, work independently within agreed procedures and know when to escalate issues or risks Ability to plan practical event requirements systematically and maintain clear checklists, schedules and records Ability to remain calm, adaptable and solutions-focused when plans change unexpectedly or practical problems arise
Desirable
Understanding of basic event health and safety, accessibility, fire safety and risk assessment principles
Hosting and Stakeholder Engagement Essential
Strong hosting and customer service skills, with a warm, welcoming and professional manner and confidence acting as the visible point of contact for groups, speakers and senior stakeholders High levels of discretion, tact and diplomacy, including the ability to handle difficult conversations appropriately Reliable, dependable and willing to take ownership of tasks from start to finish Evidence that personal behaviour reflects SDHC values at an individual and team level
Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Employer details Employer name South Downs Health and Care Ltd (SDHC)
Address Hillbrow Health and Wellbeing
1 Denton Road
Eastbourne
East Sussex
BN20 7SS
United Kingdom
Employer's website http://www.sdhc.org.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)