Joining #TeamNELFT means you’ll become part of a welcoming and supportive working environment. We’re CQC rated Good, and we want you to join us on the journey towards an Outstanding rating. NELFT has sites across North East London, Essex, Kent and Medway. We provide community and mental healthcare services to adults and children within these areas.

The Trust has award winning equality and diversity initiatives and staff health and wellbeing activities. We invest heavily in your development, because when you are valued and supported, we provide the best care to our patients. We are a Level 3 Disability Confident Leader, have been featured in the Working Families Top 10 Employers benchmark for three consecutive years, and we have achieved a Carers UK Level 1 Accreditation. Along with our staff networks and training opportunities, we work hard to embed a just and compassionate culture here at NELFT.

Find out more about NELFT careers and what makes our Trust a great place to work, in this video

Job overview

This is an exciting opportunity to become a part of the Looked After Children's Team in Barking & Dagenham. Working with the wider Children's Service in B&D to support the needs of our children. Working alongside the local authority and ICB to support the LAC team. Support the arranging and booking of Initial Health Assessments and Review Health Assessments. Liaising with LBBD and with external local authorities that place children in our area, for paperwork, reports and information sharing if a child has been moved.

There will be opportunities for self-contained projects on behalf of the LAC health team to support the health needs of children in care and those leaving care. To support the team in making suggestions to improve processes to streamline approaches within the team and wider network.

You will have excellent communication and organisational skills - being able to present your work to the team and wider network. Be able to collate data to present at specific meetings for Looked After Children.

You will need to be able to deal with the unpredictable workload whilst also being able to respond to interruptions appropriately.

Main duties of the job

The postholder will be responsible for providing a responsive and efficient administrative service to meet the needs of the team. You will use your reason, intellect and judgement to work independantly using your initiative to deal with matters on behalf of the manager and leadership team.

Provide comprehensive administrative support to the team to ensure the smooth running of the service, with an awareness of the need for absolute confidentiality at all times.

Respond appropriately to all forms of communication for other professionals & organisations in a timely manner. Use own initiative to ensure that all urgent and non-urgent enquiries are dealt with promptly and/or escalated where required to team members, Named Nurse for LAC and Clinical Lead Nurse.

Be able to process the relevant paperwork for IHA's and RHA's as well as movement forms of children moving placements.

Be able to use Microsoft Office packages such as Outlook, Excel, Word and other databases effectively and efficiently.

Be responsible where appropriate to arrange meetings, colating agenda's, referral information and minute taking.

Working for our organisation

Starting with NELFT
NELFT place a great deal of importance on new starters being properly welcomed and inducted into the Trust. All new starters will join the Trust on the first Monday of each month and will undertake a comprehensive induction of up to two weeks which will include mandatory training, systems training and the allocation of equipment. As part of the process new starters will have the opportunity to also meet the executive team, senior managers and attend a number of drop in sessions focusing in engagement, health and wellbeing and key processes. The induction will be held at our head office in Rainham, Essex.

Probationary Period

This post will be subject to a probationary period. Internal applicants are exempt from the probationary period (unless you are an internal applicant currently part way through a probationary period or currently a bank member of staff). 

High Cost Area Supplement - London

This post attracts payment for High Cost Area Supplement of 15% of the basic salary (minimum payment of £4,551 and a maximum payment of £5,735 per annum pro rata).

Use of AI
Applications for this role should be written by the applicant. If artificial intelligence (AI) programmes are used then the application may be rejected due to this document being an important part of the assessment process. This does not prevent applicants seeking appropriate support with applications should they need to for the purposes of any declared disability.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The postholder will work alongside the administrative team members, the nursing team, Named Nurse for LAC, Clinical Lead Nurse and wider leadership team within Children's Service in B&D.

To work with the other teams within the wider Children's Service including the CAMHS team to support the meeting of children's needs who are in care.

Ensure that any Single Point of Access referrals coming in to the service that indicate a child is in care are reviewed in a timely manner and escalated as appropriate.

Have an understanding of the Statutory responsiblities for children in care from a Health perspective and that of local authorities.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

NVQ level 2 literacy and numeracy NVQ level 3 in relevant subject or equivalent experience

Experience

Essential criteria

Working in NHS environment Experience working in LAC/Safeguarding children Significant admin experience Confidentiality and Information Governance

Knowledge

Essential criteria

Trust values safeguarding policies

Skills

Essential criteria

Excellent administrative skills knowledge of RIO Advanced level of IT skills and use of microsoft packages Report writing Effective communication skills

Benefits

We believe in bringing your authentic and best self to work, in order to deliver the best care to our patients. We are committed to supporting our employees holistically. Here is a snapshot of what is on offer at NELFT:

A long-standing and award-winning approach to equality and diversity with supportive networks for ethnic minority staff, staff with disabilities or long term/chronic conditions and LGBT staff. A commitment to supporting colleagues to achieve a work life balance, through flexible working opportunities and our effortsto support our working parents and carers. This has resulted in us being recognised as a ‘Top 10 Family Friendly Employer’ from the Working Families Charity. Proactive health and wellbeing support, including access to our employee assistance programme, staff psychological support, individual wellbeing conversations and a network of health and wellbeing ambassadors. Detailed information about our wellbeing and benefits offer can be found in this link.

As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement whether that’s a job share, part time hours or another flexible pattern.