Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Personal Assistant - Nursing & Quality Directorate

The closing date is 22 March 2026

Job summary

The Personal Assistant provides efficient organisational and administrative support to the Director and Deputy Director of Nursing, acting as a key enabler for the Nursing Directorate, ensuring leaders are supported, informed, and organised to carry out their responsibilities effectively.

Main duties of the job

Managing and prioritising their diaries to accommodate changing demands and urgent meetings. Co-ordinating and organising meetings, working with colleagues across the Trust and wider system partners. Preparing agendas, papers, and documentation in advance of meetings and ensuring information is circulated appropriately Handling communication on behalf of the DoN and DDoN, including managing calls, emails, and queries, using discretion and judgement to prioritise appropriately. Providing meeting support, including taking accurate minutes and initiating follow-up actions where needed. Producing and drafting documents, some of which may contain sensitive or confidential information. Maintaining effective administrative systems, such as filing and bring-forward systems, to support efficient workflow. Offering wider administrative support to the Senior Leadership Nursing Team as required.

About us

At DCHFT, we pride ourselves on the care we provide for our patients, and on the culture, we are creating for our staff. We work hard to create a fair, inclusive environment for our staff.

Our Mission is to work in partnership to provide high quality, compassionate services and to nurture an environment where people can be at their best. Our vision is healthier lives, empowered citizens, thriving communities.

We are a Trust that celebrates diversity, and we are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We welcome applications from people in all under-represented groups.

We understand that some applicants may choose to use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to assist in preparing their application materials. While this is not discouraged, we kindly remind candidates that all submissions must be truthful and accurately reflect your own experiences and suitability for this role.Personal integrity and authenticity are central to our recruitment process. We value honesty and appreciate applications that are genuine and representative of the individual behind them.

Right to Work in the UK: This role is not available for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship. Applicants must already have the legal right to work in the UK at the time of application. Unfortunately, we are unable to support visa applications for this post in line with UKVI regulations.

Date posted

13 March 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£27,485 to £30,162 a year Pro Rata Per Annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

405-26-AC127DON

Job locations

Trust HQ

Bridport Road

Dorchester

DT1 2NQ

Job description

Job responsibilities

Our DCHFT Job Description and Person Specification (attached) tells you all about this role, what to expect and what is needed to succeed. When completing your application please make sure to tell us how your experience and skills fit the person specification.

Please contact us at Recruitment@dchft.nhs.uk if you are unable to view or download the attachment.

For all our roles, we are looking for staff who hold our Trust Values of Integrity, Respect Teamwork and Excellence, and who are passionate about providing the best patient care. To read more about our Trust and our Values search Dorset County Hospital online.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please contact us at Recruitment@dchft.nhs.uk if you are unable to view or download the attachment.

Person Specification

Education Qualifications & Training

Essential

HNC / level 4 vocational qualification / HND or equivalent level of qualification or proven experience.
RSA III in word-processing or typing or equivalent qualification (or equivalent level of experience).

Knowledge & Experience

Essential

Experience of working with computer systems, to include Microsoft Office, in a working environment.
Experience of setting up and maintaining systems.

Desirable

Significant and recent experience as a PA or Senior Secretary within a Public Sector setting.
Experience of working with a range of staff at all levels

Skills & Abilities

Essential

Evidence of effective communication skills both written and oral.
Evidence of proven organisational skills with the ability to plan and prioritise work to meet own and departmental deadlines.
An understanding of the meaning of confidentiality and the requirement for this to be maintained.

Desirable

Evidence of ability to make decisions within defined boundaries.
Evidence of ability to work as part of a team and autonomously, with minimal supervision.

Person Specification

Education Qualifications & Training

Essential

HNC / level 4 vocational qualification / HND or equivalent level of qualification or proven experience.
RSA III in word-processing or typing or equivalent qualification (or equivalent level of experience).

Knowledge & Experience

Essential

Experience of working with computer systems, to include Microsoft Office, in a working environment.
Experience of setting up and maintaining systems.

Desirable

Significant and recent experience as a PA or Senior Secretary within a Public Sector setting.
Experience of working with a range of staff at all levels

Skills & Abilities

Essential

Evidence of effective communication skills both written and oral.
Evidence of proven organisational skills with the ability to plan and prioritise work to meet own and departmental deadlines.
An understanding of the meaning of confidentiality and the requirement for this to be maintained.

Desirable

Evidence of ability to make decisions within defined boundaries.
Evidence of ability to work as part of a team and autonomously, with minimal supervision.

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

Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Trust HQ

Bridport Road

Dorchester

DT1 2NQ

Employer's website

https://www.dchft.nhs.uk/working-for-us/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Trust HQ

Bridport Road

Dorchester

DT1 2NQ

Employer's website

https://www.dchft.nhs.uk/working-for-us/ (Opens in a new tab)