Business Support Administrator

Job summary

The North Devon Adult Community Mental Health Team is seeking to recruit an enthusiastic, flexible and multi-skilled administrator to join its busy administration team.

The Team supports Mental Health Services across North Devon. The role will include working at West Pilton Health and Wellbeing Clinic in Barnstaple, and occasionally covering in times of absence at Abbotsvale in Bideford.

The role will be working 4 days per week, Tuesday to Friday, from 9am to 5pm for 7 months to cover a secondment in the team.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will undertake administration of all office tasks in supporting the Community teams as well as covering the reception at both sites when required.

Main tasks will include answering calls, when you will often be the first port of call; working from shared email inboxes, keeping Excel spreadsheets updated, generating letters and reports, uploading these onto our patient record system and meeting and greeting patients when covering reception.

There will be a requirement to prepare agendas for meetings and take minutes. You will require excellent communication, IT and organisational skills, be able to remain calm and professional during busy times or when handling difficult situations, and have the ability to adapt to constant changes within the NHS.

Ability to travel between sites at short notice would be an advantage.

About us

About Devon Partnership Trust

We provide mental health, learning disability and neurodiversity services, as well as a range of specialist & secure services for the wider south west region & nationally. We are passionate about promoting good mental health & wellbeing. We strive to use the expertise & resources within our organisation, and through our partnerships, to deliver high quality services that are safe & focused on people's recovery.

We are committed to developing a culture of coproduction, involving patients, families & carers in everything we do

Our values

We not only recruit based on qualifications & experience - we recruit individuals who possess & demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. These include such attributes as showing a commitment to quality of care, improving lives of others, giving respect, dignity & compassion. We can bring those values to life in our everyday tasks by giving a smile; making time for people; challenging ourselves & others, & being open to new ideas.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer & applications are encouraged & welcomed from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics as governed by the Equality Act 2010. Part time & flexible working applications will be considered & supported, where possible. We particularly encourage applicants with lived experience of mental health conditions, neurodiversity or learning disabilities. We are a Disability Confident Leader.

Details

• Date posted: 21 August 2026
• Pay scheme: Agenda for change
• Band: Band 3
• Salary: £25,760 to £27,476 a year Pro rata, 30 hours a week
• Contract: Secondment
• Duration: 7 months
• Working pattern: Part-time
• Reference number: C9369-26-0636
• Job locations: West Pilton Health and Wellbeing Clinic, Pilton, Barnstaple, Devon, EX31 1QL, United Kingdom, Abbotsvale, Abbotsham Road, Bideford, Devon, EX39 3AG, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities

Job Purpose

Administration services underpin all of our clinical activity at Devon Partnership NHS Trust, which means our dedicated and enthusiastic administration workforce is vital to the delivery of first class care.

The post holder will provide comprehensive administrative support to the assigned team. There will be an expectation for the post holder to be highly motivated, flexible and multi-skilled with excellent organisational skills. The post holder will have high standard of skills using Microsoft Office packages and experience of using bespoke IT systems.

The post holder will need to meet deadlines, collate data and maintain standards relating to administrative processes. They will need to be able to work within a team effectively and share work streams where appropriate. The role will involve the coordination and implementation of office procedures and will require a high degree of organisational skills and excellent working knowledge of administrative systems.

Duties and Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities include:

Work within an administration team supporting clinicians who provide community mental health services.

Comprehensive diary management.

Meetings administration; taking and distributing formal minutes; recording clear actions and following these up to check completion; maintaining attendance records.

Frequently inputting complex and sensitive data relating to people who use our services onto electronic patient records system.

Support the manager and team by ensuring that records are up to date on all staffing and patient systems as required and that items are dealt with quickly and efficiently on finance systems.

Profile:

Excellent planning and organisation skills.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Excellent attention to detail.

Professional telephone manner.

Collegiate approach and diligent.

Takes pride in their work and consistently strives to produce work of the highest standard.

Seeks to deliver the best possible outcome rather than just the task at hand.

Works in partnership with the Manager/associated team to understand their needs and priorities (which may change depending on workload).

Excellent time management skills.

Experience of prioritising a varied and busy workload.

Experience of working under pressure with the ability to work to and achieve deadlines.

The role will involve the development and implementation of office procedures and will require a high degree of organisational skills and excellent working knowledge of administrative practices.

Communication and Working Relationship Skills

To use a variety of software packages including Microsoft Suit and bespoke packages relating to Trust informatics and patient records to produce correspondence and maintain presentations, records, spreadsheets and databases.

To exchange factual information with people who use our services using persuasion tact, reassurance empathy and acknowledging barriers to understanding.

To document information in accordance with record keeping standards.

The postholder will often be the first point of contact and the focal point of services; therefore clear communication skills are required.

To ensure that any information relating to safety of people who use our services and others is communicated immediately to senior team members.

Communication with staff on work procedures and external agencies on behalf of the service.

Working within a multi-disciplinary environment ensuring that communication with appropriate team members is effective and contemporary.

Produce clear and accurate written correspondence (including the composition of ad hoc routine letters) e.g. letters, memos, report, presentations, audio recording of minutes and use of Trust Intranet and Internet as required.

To provide effective communication with people who use our services, relatives and carers, visitors, staff and others.

To ensure that all communication is within the boundaries of patient confidentiality and to seek guidance when unsure.

To manage both telephone and face to face contacts with distressed people who use our services in a supportive manner.

Analytical and Judgemental Skills

Judgement involving facts or situations, some requiring analysis. Resolves problems relating to patient records; locates missing case notes; cash discrepancies: make judgements on how to respond to patient enquiries.

Keep appropriate statistical records/information as and when required by the team/service for audit purpose. Provide statistical returns when required which may involve entering statistical data onto data bases.

Maintain and monitor service/department staff records, e.g. annual leave, training and personal contact information and proactively support cover arrangements in times of absence.

Planning and Organisational Skills

Deliver excellent levels of service by regularly assessing, problem solving, evaluating and reporting to line manager in a timely proactive manner when these standards have not been met, and enabling appropriate action to be taken. Implement planned actions and response, communicating changes as appropriate.

Arrange meetings, hospitality, venues, distributing agendas/notes and managing multiple diaries.

Maintain room booking schedules.

Contribute to the smooth running of administrative systems including management of generic email accounts and electronic and paper filing systems as well as other forms of correspondence.

Prioritise own tasks, exercising a degree of independence, initiative and judgement.

Assess situations, identify and resolve potential problems within own skill set. Refer and seek guidance on issues outside of post holders level of competency or authority to line manager.

Using appropriate electronic systems, i.e. room booking system to adjust clinic/appointment/meeting times as required.

Responsibility for Patient/Client Care, Treatment and Therapy

Act as a principle point of contact for users of the service, e.g. Individuals from within/outside the Trust, people who use our services and members of the public.

Responsibility for Policy and Service Development Implementation

Maintain and continue to improve knowledge and understanding of the Trust/Service including systems, policy and current issues, particularly to own area of work.

Adhere to all Trust and departmental policies and procedures relating to role

Comply with local administrative procedures.

Participate in local review of administration services.

Responsibility for Finance, Equipment and Other Resources

The post holder will order stationery and other necessary items for the team via the electronic procurement system.

Handles patients cash and valuables; may be required to order and maintain stationery and stores stocks; may be responsible for petty cash float.

Maintain the safe keeping of Trust property. Any concerns regarding misuse shall be raised immediately with the Trust Counter Fraud Specialist.

Ensure the proper use of the Trust resources, such as stationary, telephone usage photocopying and other consumables used within the course of business.

Ensuring minimal waste and cost.

Suggest efficiency savings to more senior staff.

Responsibility for Human Resources, e.g. Supervision, Training, HR Advice and Management

The post holder has no managerial supervision responsibility but is expected to be a good example to other staff and use their experience to assist/guide new starter induction.

Responsibility for Information Resources and Administrative Duties

Produce confidential correspondence and reports.

Maintain efficient and effective electronic filing system/s.

Take and distribute formal minutes as necessary.

The post holder will be partly responsible for ensuring accurate and up to date data is recorded onto electronic records systems, and that this information is communicated with the team and other professionals as required.

Responsibility for Research and Development

Undertake surveys or audits as necessary to own work.

Freedom to Act

Work is managed rather than supervised.

Accountable for own actions manager is available for reference.

Any Other Specific Tasks Required

Provide cover for colleagues when and where necessary.

Duty of Candour you must adhere to the principles of openness, transparency and the statutory duty of candour in your day to day work and conduct and encourage the same behaviours within the wider organisation.

All employees must adhere to the policy on the protection and use of personal information which provides guidance on the use of disclosure of information.

The Trust also has a range of policies which outline the appropriate use of computer equipment and computer generated information. All employees are expected to meet the requirements of these policies.

Review of this Job Description

This job description is intended as an outline indicator of general areas of activity and will be amended in the light of changing service needs. This job description is to be reviewed in conjunction with the post holder on an annual basis.