Reception Manager

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Responsibilities:

• Managing and supervising the reception staff ensuring that rotas and shifts are effectively covered to provide adequate staffing of the front desk, at all times and within budget, and that holidays, sickness and other staff records are properly kept and up to date.
• Responsible for ensuring reception staff welcome patients and visitors and receive telephone calls, courteously and efficiently, facilitating the fulfilment of the patients needs through arranging appointments, prescriptions, transport and other services as appropriate and within the surgeries protocols and guidelines.
• Responsible for dealing with tasks from the GPs. Actioning urgent tasks on the same day and dealing with the routine ones within 2 weeks.
• Preparing and updating protocols and procedures for the operation of the front desk. Organising and supervising the maintenance of all patient records, files and information systems accurately and efficiently and in accordance with appropriate procedures.
• Maintaining and developing effective communications and teamwork with GPs and practice staff to ensure the smooth day to day running and seamless handover between shifts.
• Identify training and development needs of staff, and liaison with the Practice Manager to arrange this.
• Liaising with reception staff at to ensure that staff are fully trained and up to date with policies and protocols and alerting the Practice Manager to any problems that may arise.
• Any other ad hoc duties as may be required, appropriate to the post.
• Ensuring that patient and practice confidentiality is maintained at all times in accordance with the Data Protection Act
• Deal with all general enquiries, explain procedures and make new and follow-up appointments.
• Use Care Navigation / Signposting when booking patient appointments
• Using your own judgment and communication skills ensure that patients with no prior appointment but who need urgent consultation are seen in a logical and non-disruptive manner.
• Explain Practice arrangements and formal requirements to new patients and those seeking temporary cover and ensure procedures are completed.
• Receive and make telephone calls as required. Divert calls and take messages, ensuring accuracy of detail and prompt appropriate delivery.
• Open up premises at the start of the day when first to arrive, de-activate alarm and make all necessary preparations to receive patients.
• When last to leave at the end of the day, ensure that the building is totally secured, internal lights are off and the alarm activated.
• Complete tasks from GPs, Management, Hospitals and outside agencies.
• Dealing with enquiries from patients, clinical staff and the general public in a professional and cooperative manner.
• Assist with the ordering of supplies/equipment for the department.
• Ensure that all public and professional enquiries are dealt with by the Reception Teams in an efficient, polite and confidential manner and/or passed onto the relevant member of staff for action.
• Accurately record absence of planned and unplanned leave for reception staff.
• Participate in the communication and information cascaded to the Reception Teams via team meetings and other communications methods. And to maintain good communications with clinicians and managers in relation to the reception services provided by the team.
• Evaluate, monitor and support the development of skills within the Reception Team to enable the full range of tasks to be completed as required. Providing advice and guidance as appropriate and alerting the Practice Manager to any additional support or action required.
• To prioritise and take responsibility for own workload and to recognise and support colleagues who need guidance and assistance.
• Support the Practice Manager in the implementation and monitoring of annual leave and absence management processes, statutory and mandatory training attendance and other HR policies for the Reception Teams.
• Participate in the investigation of any internal or external complaints relating to the Reception Teams in line with the organisations complaints policy.
• Any other tasks allocated by the Directors or Practice Manager.

Confidentiality:

• In the course of seeking treatment, patients entrust us with, or allow us to gather, sensitive information in relation to their health and other matters. They do so in confidence and have the right to expect that staff will respect their privacy and act appropriately.
• In the performance of the duties outlined in this Job Description, the post-holder may have access to confidential information relating to patients and their carers, practice staff and other healthcare workers. They may also have access to information relating to the practice as a business organisation. All such information from any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential.
• Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, other healthcare workers or the business of the practice may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with the practice policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data.

Health & Safety:

The post-holder will assist in promoting and maintaining their own and others health, safety and security as defined in the practice Health & Safety Policy, to include:

• Using personal security systems within the workplace according to practice guidelines.
• Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks.
• Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills.
• Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy and safe way and free from hazards.
• Reporting potential risks identified.

Equality an Diversity:

The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, to include:

• Acting in a way that recognizes the importance of peoples rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with practice procedures and policies, and current legislation.
• Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues.
• Behaving in a manner, which is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.

Personal/Professional Development:

The post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by the practice as part of this employment, such training to include:

• Mandatory training courses, i.e. fire safety, safeguarding, CPR etc.
• Participation in an annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development.
• Taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work.

Quality:

The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the practice, and will:

• Alert other team members to issues of quality and risk.
• Assess own performance and take accountability for own actions, either directly or under supervision.
• Contribute to the effectiveness of the team by reflecting on own and team activities and making suggestions on ways to improve and enhance the teams performance.
• Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients needs.
• Effectively manage own time, workload and resources.

Communication:

The post-holder should recognise the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to:

• Communicate effectively with other team members, patients and carers.
• Recognise peoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly.

Contribution to the Implementation of Services:

The post-holder will:

• Work in accordance with practice policies, standards and guidance.
• Discuss with other members of the team how the policies, standards and guidelines will affect own work.
• Make use of information technology systems available within the Practice, following systems for data security and protection.
• Participate in audit where appropriate.
• Attend and participate in practice meetings/training events.
• Any other duties commensurate with the role to ensure the smooth running of the Practice.

This job description may need to be reviewed as the Practice develops.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Educated to A-Level or equivalent knowledge and competency
• Excellent organisational, IT and communication skills
• Substantial experience in an administrative position
• Comprehensive knowledge of office procedures
• Above-basic knowledge of a range of Microsoft Office packages, including Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word and Microsoft Office

Desirable

• Experience of working as an effective member of a team
• Experience of engaging and communicating effectively with people at all levels
• Willingness to train/ develop further skills

Experience

Essential

• Excellent organisational and time management skills
• Proven previous experience of managing and supervising staff, or working towards this, including allocation of work, identification of training and development needs, performance and management
• Strong leadership qualities, with the ability to lead, motivate and involve others
• Substantial customer service skills
• Able to priorities workload and meet deadlines
• Influencing skills
• Problem-solving/decision making skills
• Ability to analyse complex problems and situations and deliver pragmatic solutions
• Adept at both negotiation and persuasion

Desirable

• Experience in a similar role
• Knowledge of business management processes
• Workload management
• Setting objectives
• Implementing and monitoring performance indicators
• Performance reviews/appraisals
• Performance management
• Basic understanding of medical
• terminology
• Understanding of health and social care sector, including working knowledge of NHS structures, policies and processes

Skills

Essential

• Excellent organisational skills
• Excellent communication skills (written, face to face and on the telephone)
• Excellent computer literacy, including demonstrable confidence and aptitude in using MS Excel
• Ability to work effectively independently and as a team
• Ability to work under pressure and to tight timescales
• Ability to respond to changing or competing priorities
• Ability to use initiative but recognise when to seek further assistance
• Ability to analyse, interpret and present information in a clear and concise manner
• Conscientious in undertaking work and reporting problems to manager
• Ensure staff and patient confidentiality is maintained at all times
• Self-motivated

Other Job-Related Requirements

Essential

• Good time management
• Ability to manage a large workload within a busy environment
• Ability to manage the emotional pressures of direct and indirect contact with patients and relatives
• Flexible approach to the role
• Customer focused
• Demonstrates attention to detail
• Ability to work on own initiative
• Good interpersonal skills
• Good team member, able to complement group dynamics
• Adaptable to changing needs of the service
• Able and willing to travel to other sites

Desirable

• Car driver/access to a vehicle for work purposes
• DBS Certification

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

Drs Shaw, Walker & Culliney

Address

Shepley Health Centre

25 Jos Lane

Shepley

Huddersfield

HD8 8DJ

Employer's website

http://www.shepleyhealthcentre.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)