Counselling Administrator

Job description

Job responsibilities

JOB TITLE: Counselling Administrator

REPORTS TO: Counselling Leads

HOURS: 9 hours a week

The purpose of the role is to:

Offer administrative assistance to the Counselling team and project a positive and friendly image to patients and other visitors, either in writing or via the telephone.

Facilitate effective communication between patients, counsellors and other primary health care team, and other associated healthcare agencies.

Proactively engage and provide administrative support to the counsellors and patients using the service, so that waiting list is managed effectively, as well as ensuring that the administrative side of the counselling service is run in an organised and confidential manner.

Duties and responsibilities:

The duties and responsibilities to be undertaken by the Counselling Administrator may include any or all of the items listed in the list below.

Duties may be varied from time to time under the direction of Lead Counsellors, depending on current and evolving Counselling Service workload as well as staffing levels:

Job responsibilities:

To check daily counselling referrals on EMIS - Reporting

To log all referrals daily in an online shared working file

To keep up-to-date counsellor appointment availability on the working file

To allocate patients to counsellors who have available appointments as soon as possible, being mindful of Urgent referrals & Complex needs

To check counselling service emails and voicemails for patients opt in messages daily

To confirm appointments by email and/or telephone with patients

To confirm by email with counsellors when patient is allocated, providing adequate referral information for counsellors to be able to communicate with and work with patients

To log appointments on EMIS for each new counsellor/patient allocation and update the working file accordingly, as well

To manage any course referrals separately

To liaise with the facilitators of the courses about course details and any administrative tasks related to the course

To collect all discharge paperwork and log discharged patients on the working file

To manage any other communication between patients and counsellors on a need to know basis in a timely manner

To keep counsellors informed of any changes or problems arising always copy supervisors in email communication

To set up and maintain EMIS templates for counsellors

To log dates of counsellors leave/absence when informed on working file and ensure EMIS reflects their absences accordingly

To inform Counselling Leads about any problems arising from counsellors

To keep up-to-date Mental Health data

To submit Mental Health data every month by given deadline

To ensure that working file is always up-to-date so that audit information can be immediately extracted

To be mindful we are working with vulnerable adults, some of whom may have problems with communication in organising appointments

To attend counselling team meetings weekly

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 at all times

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 re: confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data. The organisations Caldecott Guardian provides guidance where there may be any doubt in your responsibility relating to the sharing of confidential information

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, the practice Health & Safety manual, and the practice Infection Control policy and published procedures. This will 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

Actively reporting of health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised

Keeping own work areas and general / patient areas generally clean, assisting in the maintenance of general standards of cleanliness consistent with the scope of the job holders role

Undertaking periodic infection control and fire safety training (minimum annually)

Reporting potential risks identified

Demonstrate due regard for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.

Equality and diversity:

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

Acting in a way that recognises 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 that 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:

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

To undertake any mandatory training commensurate with the role of Counselling Administrator

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 patient needs

Effectively manage own time, workload and resources

Communication:

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

Communicate effectively with other team members

Communicate effectively with patients and carers

Recognise peoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly

Contribution to the Implementation of Services:

The post-holder will:

Apply practice policies, standards and guidance

Discuss with members of the team how the policies, standards and guidelines will affect own work

Participate in audit appropriately

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• GCSE grades A to C in English and Maths or equivalent
• Competent in creating and maintaining documents in Word and Excel

Desirable

• NVQ level 2 in administration or equivalent
• Experience working with/maintaining electronic records

Experience

Essential

• Proven experience of working in a similar role
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office applications (including Word, Excel and Outlook)
• Experience in providing administrative support
• Understanding the absolute need for confidentiality and be able to demonstrate appropriateness of sharing information

Desirable

• Experience of working with multi-disciplinary teams
• Experience of EMIS Patient Record System

Skills and Abilities

Essential

• Excellent communication skills both verbal and written
• Ability to communicate effectively and fluently in English on the phone and via email
• Good organisational skills including diary management
• Ability to produce detailed reporting information on service levels and other statistical information
• Ability to prioritise, meet deadlines and provide a high quality service

Motivation and personal attributes

Essential

• Empathic
• Ability to work alone
• Adaptable to meet the changing needs of the role
• Ability to work under pressure in an accurate and timely manner
• Good interpersonal skills
• Flexible in order to meet the needs of the service
• Self-motivated

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

Putneymead Group Medical Practice

Address

266 Upper Richmond Road

Putney

London

SW15 6TQ

Employer's website

https://www.putneymead.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)