Croydon is a busy, exciting and diverse place to work. The borough has one of the youngest populations in London and continues to grow.

Croydon Health Services cares for local people at Croydon University Hospital, Purley Memorial Hospital and in clinics and people's homes all across the borough.

We are a very close-knit and friendly organisation where everyone of our 3600 members of staff is valued. We strongly believe that our employees are our greatest asset and so through Listening into Action - our way of engaging staff - we empower everyone at any level to initiate and bring about real improvements in our care.
Join us and be a part of the team that is making Croydon proud. #choosecroydon

Job overview

Reporting to the PALS Manager, this post forms an integral part of the Patient Experience and Engagement teams to support the delivery of the Trust's Quality Strategy and vision to ensure 'Excellent Care for all' through the delivery of safe, effective and high quality services, that ensure the people who use our services, their families, carers and visitors receive a positive experience.

The post holder will be responsible for:
Providing practical and administrative support and facilitation across the Patient Experience and Engagement teams to support effective systems and processes.

Main duties of the job

Operational Responsibilities:

- To participate in the team rota for coverage of the PALS telephone and window, acting as PALS receptionist (approximately 27.5 hours per week direct patient/public facing work by telephone and face to face).
- To participate in the team rota for logging of new PALS and Complaints cases on the Radar system as well as researching patient details on various trust systems such as Cerner EPR.
- To be responsible for maintenance of stationery and supplies and liaise with various Trust departments to ensure the Patient Experience and Engagement Teams have the resources required for service delivery, including administration of the procurement system for the team, ordering stock and raising purchase orders as required/requested.
- In support of the Head of Patient Experience and Engagement undertake photocopying and preparation of documentation as required, acting as the secretariat for Patient Experience Group, Integrated Quality Assurance Group (Acute and Community) including collating and uploading documents to Teams / Internal Drive and minuting meetings.
- Under guidance of the Patient Experience & Engagement Leads, to co-ordinate, organise, and minute (when necessary) other meetings as required by the Patient Experience and Engagement Teams for the purpose of engaging with the general public for patient experience investigations (Family Resolution Meetings) or obtaining service feedback from patients and staff focus groups.
- Support the Patient Experience & Engagement Leads in helping to track QI related to Patient Experience & Engagement and escalating when projects become stalled whilst liaising with the CQI team for expert advice on newly proposed projects.
- To assist in the co-ordination of Patient Experience & Engagement campaigns and learning events.
- Support in the dissemination of key Patient Experience & Engagement information within the Trust - To ensure that all enquiries are dealt with in a polite manner and that an appropriate response is initiated and followed-up appropriately.
- Liaise and maintain pleasant and collaborative working relationships.
- To be responsible for maintaining the confidentiality and security of data in accordance with Trust policy.
- To follow Trust and team policies/procedures, identify waste and defects where they exist, and propose changes to practices when necessary.
- To provide assistance to colleagues as required under the guidance of the Patient Experience & Engagement leads when requests do not fall within the aforementioned points.

Working for our organisation

Croydon Health Services NHS Trust provides hospital and community services across Croydon through a range of clinics and specialist centres. Formed in August 2010 from the integration of Croydon Community Health Services and Mayday Healthcare NHS Trust, we employ around 4,100 staff serving a diverse population of over 360,000 people.

Our main site, Croydon University Hospital, is one of the busiest in London. We are also leading the way in delivering more healthcare in community settings and people's homes. Our district nursing teams, Allied Health Professionals and community matrons care for people of all ages across the borough.

Like the wider NHS, we are working hard to meet increasing demand. With the right people on board, we continue to innovate and transform our services to provide the highest quality care for local residents. We place strong emphasis on education, training and career development for all staff.

If you want to make a real difference, challenge yourself and be part of a Trust that's shaping local healthcare, Croydon Health Services could be the place for you.

At Croydon Health Services NHS Trust, we are committed to supporting flexible working arrangements. Applicants are encouraged to discuss any flexibility they may need during the recruitment process.

Person specification

Education, Qualifications and/or Training

Essential criteria

• A Level/ NVQ Level 3 in Administration / Customer Care or acquired equivalent experience.

Desirable criteria

• Lean/Quality Improvement training

Knowledge and Understanding

Essential criteria

• Understands the importance of maintaining confidentiality Knowledge of effective office systems and procedures

Desirable criteria

• Microsoft Teams Microsoft Outlook shared calendars and inboxes

Experience

Essential criteria

• Previous office environment experience in a clerical or secretarial role

Desirable criteria

• Previous experience of dealing with the public in an NHS environment

Skills/ Abilities

Essential criteria

• Ability to communicate verbally in a clear and effective way, both face to face and on the telephone; to make oneself easily understood; polite and friendly telephone matter.

Desirable criteria

• Assertiveness to challenge waste and defects in team processes and procedures

Your recruitment team
The NHS South West London Recruitment Hub is your dedicated recruitment team, here to support you at every stage of the process. If you have a query, please contact us:
E: krft.askrecruitment@nhs.net

Your application
Please ensure your supporting statement clearly reflects the job description and person specification, as shortlisting will be based on these criteria.

Please refer to the latest UKVI guidance and ensure you have the appropriate right to work before applying for this role.

Use of Artificial Intelligence
We kindly ask that you avoid using AI tools to draft your application. We value authentic, individual responses that reflect your own experience and communication style.

References
Please provide a minimum of 3 years' employment and/or education history, including professional email addresses (not personal accounts such as Hotmail or Gmail). If you cannot provide these, please inform the interview panel to avoid delays in pre-employment checks.

Closing date
To help us manage recruitment efficiently, some vacancies may close early once we have received a sufficient number of applications.

Shortlisting
If you are successfully shortlisted, you will be contacted by email or SMS from the South West London Recruitment Hub. Please check your registered TRAC email regularly.

Application feedback
If you do not hear from us within four weeks of the closing date, please assume your application has not been successful on this occasion.

Safeguarding and DBS Checks
We are committed to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults. For roles with direct access to these groups, an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check will be required. All staff are expected to understand and uphold their safeguarding responsibilities as part of their role.

Employer certification / accreditation badges