About this role
Job summary
The Band 4 Senior Administrator and Therapy Assistant is a key role within the Outpatient Therapy Services, providing operational leadership and coordination across Musculoskeletal (MSK), Speech and Language Therapy (SALT), Respiratory and Pelvic Health teams. The post holder will lead and supervise administrative and therapy assistant staff, ensuring the smooth running of outpatient services and supporting the delivery of high-quality, efficient and patient-centred care.
The role is responsible for overseeing referral management, waiting list processes, clinic utilisation, appointment scheduling, data quality and day-to-day service coordination, helping to ensure patients access the right care at the right time. Working closely with clinical leads and operational managers, the post holder will support service productivity, patient flow and performance against key Trust targets. By undertaking leadership, coordination and delegated clinical support activities, the role will release registered clinicians to focus on complex patient care, improve operational efficiency and contribute to the effective delivery of outpatient therapy services across multiple specialties.
Main duties of the job
- The post holder will provide operational and workforce leadership for the administrative and therapy support functions across the Outpatient MSK, Speech and Language Therapy, Respiratory and Pelvic Health services. Working closely with Therapy Team Leads and Operational Managers, they will support the delivery of safe, effective and efficient services by ensuring robust processes, effective resource utilisation and high standards of patient care. The role will contribute to service performance, quality improvement and workforce development, supporting the achievement of access, productivity and patient experience targets. The post holder will promote continuous improvement, support change initiatives and help ensure services remain responsive to patient and organisational needs. As a key member of the multidisciplinary team, the post holder will foster effective communication and collaboration across services, ensuring that administrative and therapy support resources are coordinated and deployed effectively. They will maintain compliance with Trust policies and procedures and contribute to the ongoing development and sustainability of outpatient therapy services.
About us
At DCHFT we pride ourselves on the care we provide to our patients and on creating a pro active culture to our staff. We work hard to create a positive, dynamic and inclusive environment for all.Our Mission is to work in partnership to provide high quality, compassionate services and to nurture an environment where people can be at their best.We are a Trust that celebrates diversity, and we are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We welcome applications from people in all under-represented groups.
Right to Work in the UK: This role is not available for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship. Applicants must already have the legal right to work in the UK at the time of application. Unfortunately, we are unable to support visa applications for this post in line with UKVI regulations.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please refer to the job description and person specification for full details.
The post holder will play a key role in supporting the operational delivery and ongoing development of outpatient therapy services, working across MSK, SALT, Respiratory and Pelvic Health pathways. They will act as a central point of coordination between clinical teams, administration staff and operational management to ensure services are delivered effectively, efficiently and in line with Trust standards.
The role will be responsible for overseeing service performance, identifying opportunities for improvement and supporting the implementation of service developments that enhance patient experience, access and productivity. The post holder will contribute to workforce planning, resource management and business continuity arrangements, ensuring appropriate support is available to meet changing service demands.
Working collaboratively with Team Leads and Operational Managers, the post holder will support quality improvement initiatives, maintain compliance with Trust policies and procedures, and contribute to the achievement of key operational and performance objectives. They will foster a culture of continuous improvement, providing guidance and support to colleagues while promoting high standards of patient-centred care across all areas of responsibility.
We understand that AI can be a useful tool when completing your application. However, we are seeing an increasing over-reliance of AI tools, which can negatively affect your application as it reduces a candidates individuality, and makes it difficult for us to gain a clear and authentic understanding of your experience, skills, and in turn your suitability for the role.
All submissions must be truthful and if you do use AI, it should only be used to enhance your application and not create your supporting statement in its entirety. Your supporting statement should be in your own words and must accurately reflect your personal experience and achievements. Where we have concerns that AI has been used to generate content that misrepresents your experience and suitability for the role, we may withdraw your application.
Person Specification
Education, Qualifications and Training
Essential
- GCSE Level Education Maths and English, Grade C/Level 4 or above
- NVQ Level 3 in Admin or equivalent RSA 2 or equivalent
- IT Skills including application and skills in all MS applications particularly excel , word and outlook
Knowledge & Experience
Essential
- At least two years' experience in a clerical or secretarial role within the last 3 years
- Experience of working with computer systems to include Microsoft Office, in particular Word, PowerPoint and Excel, in a working environment
- Experience of training staff on new systems
- Ability to overcome communication barriers
- Knowledge and experience of eRoster and e-procurement
- Extensive knowledge of PAS and DPR
- Experience of supervising others and conducting appraisals
- Experience of organising and leading an administration team
- Experience of training staff
- Experience of dealing with the public
- Knowledge of range of clerical duties
- Knowledge and experience of Microsoft excel
Desirable
- Experience of setting up and maintaining systems
- Experience of working with staff at all levels
- Prioritising own workload and that of others
Skills, Abilities and Knowledge
Essential
- Evidence of effective communication skills both written and oral in relation to senior and junior staff, the public and people who may have communication difficulties.
- Evidence of ability to respond to quickly changing priorities organising and prioritising own and team workload to meet deadlines
- Evidence of ability to supervise and co-ordinate a team
- Evidence of ability to train staff to an agreed level of competence
- An understanding of the meaning of confidentiality and the requirement for this to be maintained at all times.
- Car driver essential
- Evidence of ability to work as part of a team
- Evidence of ability to efficiently manage diaries
- Evidence of assisting therapists with clinical therapy duties and/or delivering of groups
- Evidence of ability to develop systems to promote efficient and effective working within the team.
- Able to achieve accuracy e.g. in data entry or typing, despite a busy work environment
- Able to work and make decisions without direct supervision within broad procedural guidelines
Desirable
- Evidence of ability to work without direct supervision within broad procedural guidelines
- Evidence of ability to train staff to an agreed level of competence
- Able to adapt to new ways of working e.g. new IT systems.
- Able to undertake appraisals within Trust guidelines
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
Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Dorset County Hospital
Williams Avenue
Dorchester
DT1 2JY
United Kingdom
Employer's website
https://www.dchft.nhs.uk/working-for-us/ (Opens in a new tab)