Clinical Support Administrator in Ipswich

We are looking for an organised, professional and friendly individual to join our sexual health service as a Clinic Support Administrator, providing a welcoming front of house service and playing a key role in managing patient enquiries. This varied role combines reception duties within the clinic with responsibility for managing telephone and email enquiries through a centralised call system supporting multiple clinics locations across Suffolk. You will help patients access the right care by providing information and booking appointments into the most appropriate clinic. Alongside managing calls and enquiries, you will support the smooth running of the clinic through a range of administrative and operational tasks. The role offers a varied working day and the opportunity to be part of a supportive team delivering essential public health service. The post includes participation in a Saturday rota and may include evening work up until 8pm as part of contracted hours. Working in sexual health requires professionalism, discretion and a non-judgemental approach, as you will be handling confidential and sensitive information. This is an ideal opportunity for someone who enjoys working with people, can stay organised in a busy environment and wants to contribute to an inclusive and supportive healthcare service.

Main duties of the job

• Provide a professional and welcoming front of house service at the clinic.
• Manage patient enquiries via a centralised telephone system, booking appointments across multiple clinic locations.
• Monitor a generic service mailbox, responding to queries and escalating issues where required.
• Process referrals and maintain accurate patient records.
• Manage incoming and outgoing post and deliveries.
• Support general clinic administration, including ordering stationary and reporting estates/facilities issues.
• Help maintain a tidy, safe, and welcoming clinic environment.
• Work flexibly across Ipswich and Bury St Edmunds.
• Participate in a Saturday rota and undertake evening work up until 8pm as required.

About us

Provide is a Community Interest Company (social enterprise). We deliver a broad range of health and social care services in the community, and are committed to making sure that they are safe, responsive and of high quality. Provide is owned by its employees and has primarily social objectives. Any profits we make are reinvested into the local community or back into delivering services. We work from a variety of community settings, such as community hospitals, community clinics, schools, nursing homes and primary care settings, as well as within people's homes to provide more than 40 services to children, families and adults across Essex, Dorset, East Anglia and the North of England. A highly respected, award winning health and social care provider. We expect our staff to demonstrate and uphold our values at all times: Vision: Transforming Lives Values: Care, Innovation and Compassion Mission: An ambitious, employee owned social enterprise, growing in size and influence. We transform lives by treating, caring and educating people. Provide is an equal opportunity employer committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives and skills, proud to have LGBT+, Ethnic Minority and Men's Networks. We welcome applicants from underrepresented groups. If you have the skills and experience for the job, please apply regardless of your background.

Job responsibilities

The Clinic Support Administrator is a key operational front of house role within a specialist sexual health service, providing administrative and patient support to ensure the safe and efficient running of clinics. When based at their designated clinic, the post holder will work at the front desk providing a visible and welcoming reception service to patients attending the site. In addition, the role includes managing telephone enquiries through a centralised call system covering multiple clinics across Suffolk, enabling patients to be booked into any service location as required. The post holder will also monitor and manage a centralised generic mailbox, ensuring timely response and appropriate escalation. The role requires professionalism, discretion and sensitivity when handling confidential information of a personal and sexual nature.

Responsibilities include:

• Supporting patient flow, undertaking delegated tasks following appropriate training, acting as chaperone in line with service policy, communicating results as directed by a clinician, and supporting clinic logistics including post, stock and condom distribution.
• The role is based at a designated site with planned cross-site working. Participation in a Saturday rota is required.

Main Duties & Responsibilities

• Provide a welcoming and professional front of house service to patients and visitors.
• Act as a first point of contact via telephone, email and in person.
• Manage incoming calls as part of a centralised function supporting multiple clinic sites.
• Monitor shared mailboxes, ensuring accurate recording and timely escalation where required.
• Process referrals, bookings and patient registrations using the electronic patient record system.
• Provide accurate information and direct patients appropriately across the service network.
• Arrange interpreting or communication support where required.

Patient Flow and Delegated Support

• Support patient flow within clinics to ensure appointments run efficiently.
• Assist patients with routine observations, including height, weight and blood pressure, following completion of appropriate training and in line with service protocols and procedures.
• Support patients in providing urine samples in accordance with service procedures.
• Act as a chaperone for clinical consultations and examinations following completion of appropriate training and in line with service policy and procedures.
• Communicate results to patients verbally where directed by a clinician and in line with service policy and procedures.

Clinic Environment and Operational Support

• Maintain reception, waiting and operational areas to agreed cleanliness and tidiness standards.
• Follow infection prevention and cleaning protocols.
• Report estates or environmental issues promptly.
• Monitor and maintain stock levels, including ordering stationary and supplies as directed.
• Manage incoming and outgoing post, including Royal mail click and drop processes, receipt and signing for deliveries.
• Support the condom by post scheme, including processing requests, preparing and dispatching packs, and maintaining associated stock and records.
• Support medication collections in line with service procedures.

Governance and Team Working

• Maintain strict confidentiality at all times.
• Handle sensitive information in line with data protection legislation and service policies.
• Work in a non-judgemental, respectful and inclusive manner.
• Work collaboratively across sites and within the wider team.
• Participate in team meetings, supervision and training.
• Engage in competency development relevant to the role.
• Participate in the Saturday rota as required.

Base and Cross-Site Working

The post holder will have a designated contractual base. The role includes planned cross-site working between Ipswich and Bury St Edmunds, currently anticipated to be approximately two days per week at each site in line with service need. The post holder must be able to travel independently between sites.

Other

There may be a requirement to undertake other duties as reasonably required to support the organisation, which may include work at other organisations managed locations. This may also include work outside of the postholder's normal sphere of activities, including functions not detailed within this job description or working within another location, environment or NHS Trust. However, the postholder will not be required to undertake any function for which he or she is not trained or qualified to perform. Normal health & safety procedures would continue to apply and accountability remains with Provide.

This job description is not intended to be exhaustive but indicates the main functions of the post as presently constituted. Periodic reviews should be carried out to ensure that the job description reflects the job being performed and to incorporate any changes. It is hoped that agreement can be reached with regards to any reasonable changes. If this is not possible, the organisation reserves the right to make changes to the job description after consultation with the post holder.

The post holder must familiarise his or herself with, and adhere to, all Provide policies and procedures, including (but not exhaustively): Equality and Diversity, Health and Safety, No Smoking policy, Information Governance including Data Protection, Business Continuity/Civil Emergencies. Copies of these documents/policies can be found on the staff intranet under both the Workforce and Provide Policies sections.

Infection Prevention & Control

The post holder is accountable and responsible for the prevention and control of healthcare associated infections and must comply with the standards set by the Health Act 2006: Code of Practice for the prevention and control of healthcare associated infections (revised January 2008).

Safeguarding

Safeguarding is a key priority of the organisation. Staff must always be alert to the possibility of harm to children, young people and vulnerable adults through abuse and neglect. This includes being aware of the adults who may find parenting difficult. All staff should be able to recognise the indicators of abuse and know how to act on them, including the correct processes and decisions to be undertaken when sharing information. The depth of knowledge you work from must be commensurate with your role and responsibilities. All staff must follow the Safeguarding policies and guidelines, know how to seek specialist advice and must make themselves available for training and supervision as required.

Person Specification

Qualifications & Education

• Good standard of general education, including GCSE (or equivalent) in English and Maths.
• NVQ Level 2 in Business Administration or equivalent experience.

Work Related Knowledge & Experience

• Experience in a customer facing or front of house role.
• Experience of handling telephone enquiries in a busy environment.
• Experience of administrative duties including accurate data entry and record keeping.
• Experience of working as part of a team.
• Experience of working with members of the public.
• Experience working in a healthcare or public service setting.
• Experience using electronic patient record systems.
• Experience of monitoring shared mailboxes or processing referrals.
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Ability to provide a professional and welcoming front of house service.
• Ability to work calmly and effectively in a busy environment.
• Ability to prioritise workload and manage own time within agreed protocols.
• Ability to follow administrative and clinic procedures accurately.
• Strong attention to detail in record keeping and data entry.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team and develop positive working relationships.
• Ability to respond calmly to challenging situations.
• Understanding of and commitment to maintaining strict confidentiality, particularly in relation to sexual health information.
• Awareness of safeguarding principles and ability to escalate concerns appropriately.
• Awareness of infection prevention and control principles and willingness to follow service protocols.
• Good IT skills, including email and electronic systems.
• Ability to work flexibly across sites and travel independently between Ipswich and Bury St Edmunds.
• Willingness to undertake training to support routine observations and to act as a chaperone in line with service policy.
• Experience of managing challenging situations with members of the public.

Circumstances

The post holder will be required to work within specialist sexual health service and must be comfortable working in this environment. The post holder will have a designated base but will work across service locations, currently planned cross-site working between Ipswich and Bury St Edmunds. The post holder will be required to participate in a Saturday rota as part of contracted hours.

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.