Emergency Planning & Operational Administrator, Corporate

We are looking for an Emergency Planning and Operational Administrator to provide a range of administrative and business support to the Heads of Emergency Planning and Operational Services, Deputy Head of Emergency Planning and Operational Services and the Emergency Planning and Operations Departments. The post holder will be a key member, working with a high degree of autonomy to support and enable the Heads of Department to focus on their core responsibilities. They will be expected to demonstrate excellent judgement, discretion, and initiative, alongside strong organisational, prioritisation, and analytical skills. This is a substantive full‑time position (37.5 hours per week), based at Watford General Hospital. The post holder will be required to work onsite during standard working hours of 9:00 am – 5:00 pm. There may also be a requirement to travel to other Trust sites as needed.

Main duties of the job:

• Prepare relevant agendas for meetings and conference calls.
• Write up meeting minutes and reports from key meetings.
• Filing of datasheet, logbooks, incident reports and correspondence.
• Escalate incident and business continuity plans requiring updates to relevant divisions.
• Update and maintain weekly on‑call rota and weekend and bank holiday plans.
• Supply data and information as and when requested by management.
• Place orders and raise PO’s as required by the team through Integra or the IT portal.
• Assist with movement of training materials around the trust to training rooms and other key areas.
• Use the EPR and other Trust wide system effectively within the specialty area by undergoing training as required.
• Take direction from the Head of Emergency Planning, Head of Operational Services, Deputy Head of Operational Services and the Emergency Planning Team for any duties that may be required.
• Maintain the Head of Emergency Planning & Operational Services diary.
• Able to work in potentially stressful environments during times of hospital peak demands or incidents.
• Receive, make and co‑ordinate telephone calls from wards/other departments, allied professionals and multi‑agency partners and if an immediate response is required that the appropriate person is informed.
• Monitor shared mailboxes and escalating as required.
• Keep relevant teams updated on progress and issues throughout the day, ensuring timeliness and accuracy.

Working for our organisation:

With a new hospital planned for Watford, work underway to update theatres at St Albans City Hospital and plans for a neighbourhood healthcare centre in Hemel Hempstead, this is an exciting time to join us. We are building on the success of our award‑winning virtual hospital and re‑imagining models of care, working closely with partners and making the most of advances in digital healthcare. Staff wellbeing and development are a priority, as is the role of innovation in improving clinical care, outcomes and patient experience. Our vision is excellent patient care, together and our values are to be empowered, compassionate, professional and inclusive. They capture an important balance across what we must all do as individuals and to support others.

Person specification:

Education and qualifications:

• Educated to A-level, including English and Maths, or equivalent administration experience.
• Demonstrates a working knowledge and understanding of working with Senior Leaders.
• Awareness of wider NHS context.

Knowledge:

• Experience of working in an office environment in an administration role.
• Dealing with sensitive and confidential information.
• Experience of working in a customer service environment.
• Experience of note‑taking and transcribing minutes.
• Understanding of Emergency Planning.
• Ability to understand and disseminate complex and differing concepts.
• Proactively presenting ideas for improvement.
• Awareness of NHS terminology.
• Knowledge of Cerner/Electronic Patient Record (EPR).

Experience:

• Previous experience in administration role is essential.
• NHS Experience.

West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust provides acute healthcare services to a core catchment population of approximately half a million people living in west Hertfordshire and the surrounding area. The Trust also provides a range of more specialist services to a wider population, serving residents of North London, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and East Hertfordshire. As an employer of nearly 6,000 people the Trust is one of the biggest employers in the area and sees nearly a million patients each year.