Personal Assistant to Head of Quality & Patient Safety

Job Purpose:

This post is designed to provide comprehensive support to the Head of Quality & Patient Safety to assist in the planning, organisation and co-ordination of the activities of the Head of Quality & Patient Safety and the wider Quality & Patient Safety Department.

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Support to Head of Quality & Patient Safety

 Provide full administrative support to the Head of Quality & Patient Safety across a wide portfolio.
 Provide support and assistance to senior members of the Quality & Patient Safety team as required.
 Develop and maintain a comprehensive log and systems for dealing with all correspondance and issues requiring the attention of the Head of Quality and Patient Safety.
 Coordinate meetings which will include preparation of relevant documentation, progressing actions with key stakeholders and administration duties as required.
 Attend meetings as administrative support, prepare minutes as required generating detailed minutes/action lists and circulate once approved in a timely manner to membership of such committees/working groups. Co-ordinate the circulation of required documentation in advance of
 Be a key contact for the Hospital Management Team and the Region for data relating to Quality and Patient Safety information for example – Board reports (internal), and Quality and Patient Safety Executive Reports (Internal).
 Liaise with other departments in the Hospital and other agencies where applicable. (Ability to deal professionally with people at all levels is essential.)
 Screen correspondence, re-direct as appropriate and prioritise to ensure it is dealt with efficiently and effectively on behalf of the Head of Quality & Patient Safety.
 Prepare presentations on behalf of the Head of Quality & Patient Safety and senior members of the Quality & Patient Safety team as required.
 Play a key role in assisting and supporting the development, implementation, and monitoring of Quality & Patient Safety Programmes under the direction of Head of Quality & Patient Safety and in consultation other senior members of the team.
 Assist in the organisation of key events (e.g. Annual Quality Patient Safety Meeting, seminars etc.) both onsite and offsite which may occasionally be outside normal working hours.
 Attend departmental meetings, corporate briefings, meetings with legal advisors and events co-ordinated by the Quality & Patient Safety Dept, conferences and or other meetings, as required.
Communications
 Facilitate effective communications with other members of the Executive Management Group, the Quality & Patient Safety team, Hospital Committees, Directorate Management Teams, Department Heads and other relevant stakeholders as required.
 Effectively handle queries directed to the Quality & Patient Safety Dept – assessing, recording and passing on queries, ensuring that such enquiries are dealt with in a timely manner and responses recorded.
 Demonstrate a clear understanding of the role of the Quality & Patient Safety Dept and to participate in the overall delivery of its function within the hospital.
 Maintain a high level of confidentiality of all correspondence received and all other activities within the Office of the Head of Quality and Patient Safety and across the Offices of the Executive Management Group.

Quality & Patient Safety Dept - Team working
 Liaise with all staff in the Quality & Patient Safety Dept where appropriate and contribute effectively to the excellent team environment established.
 Work closely with the Directorate Business Manager to ensure the procedure and systems for ensuring sign off of research is adhered to.
 Maintain and update files and develop and maintain an appropriate manual and electronic filing system on an ongoing basis.
 Participate fully in training activities for staff as appropriate. Provide informal support in areas of expertise.
Other Duties
 Perform such other duties, whether or not connected with or incidental to the functions of the Quality & Patient Safety Dept, as the Head of Quality & Patient Safety may require.
 To undertake all duties in a confidential, professional and courteous manner when representing the Quality & Patient Safety Dept.
 To administer leave arrangements for staff within the Quality & Patient Safety Dept including annual leave, flexi leave, sick leave etc.

Key Skills and Competencies

 Good working knowledge of healthcare and IT systems.

 Reacts with appropriate urgency to situations and events that requires a quick response of turnaround.

 Is resilient and maintains the highest level of professionalism in all circumstances.
 Exercises good judgement about who to share information with, when the level of confidentiality is unclear.
 Demonstrates attention to detail and focused on quality, clarity and output. Works proactively with the manager and others to clarify the outputs required and where focus is required.
 Demonstrates a strong work ethic and is committed to seeing tasks through to completion.
 Effectively uses systems and processes to measure, monitor, manage, or impact their own performance.
 Efficiently develops and implements plans to accomplish goals. Manages own time and effectively prioritises own work such that he/she is prepared and able to meet work objectives.
 Keeps appropriate people well informed of plans, progress and decisions.
 Writes, speaks and presents information effectively and engages others in active, open and productive dialogue.
 Is approachable, carefully listens and considers what others have to say.
 Is professional and positive in interactions and able to establish rapport quickly, treating other with dignity and respect.

Selection Criteria:

Selection criteria outline the qualifications, skills, knowledge and/or experience that the successful candidate would need to demonstrate for successful discharge of the responsibilities of the post.

Applications will be assessed on the basis of how well candidates satisfy these criteria.

1. Professional Qualifications, Experience, etc
(a) Eligible applicants will be those who on the closing date for the competition:
(i) Have satisfactory experience as a Clerical Officer in the HSE, TUSLA, other statutory
health agencies, or a body which provides services on behalf of the HSE under Section
38 of the Health Act 2004.
Or
(ii) Have obtained a pass (Grade D) in at least five subjects from the approved list of subjects
in the Department of Education Leaving Certificate Examination, including
Mathematics and English or Irish1
. Candidates should have obtained at least Grade C on higher level papers in three subjects in that examination.
Or
(iii) Have completed a relevant examination at a comparable standard in any equivalent
examination in another jurisdiction
Or
(iv) Hold a comparable and relevant third level qualification of at least level 6 on the
National Qualifications Framework maintained by Qualifications and Quality Ireland, (QQI).

Note:
Candidates must achieve a pass in Ordinary or Higher level papers. A pass in a
foundation level paper is not acceptable.
Candidates must have achieved these grades on the Leaving Certificate Established
programme or the Leaving Certificate Vocational programme.
The Leaving Certification Applied Programme does not fulfil the eligibility criteria.
and
(b) Candidates must possess the requisite knowledge and ability, including a high standard of
suitability, for the proper discharge of the office.

2. Age
Age restriction shall only apply to a candidate where s/he is not classified as a new entrant (within
the meaning of the Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2004). A
candidate who is not classified as a new entrant must be under 65 years of age on the first day of
the month in which the latest date for receiving completed application forms for the office occurs.
3. Health
Candidates for and any person holding the office must be fully competent and capable of
undertaking the duties attached to the office and be in a state of health such as would indicate a
reasonable prospect of ability to render regular and efficient service.
4. Character
Candidates for and any person holding the office must be of good character.

Desirable:

• Office Management experience
• Experience of supporting a Senior Executive
• Extensive administrative experience
• Excellent communication skills
• Excellent knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, including outlook calendar
• Experience of minute taking
• Diary management experience
• Demonstrated ability to work in a highly pressurised environment
• A demonstrated record of supporting the delivery of change  and experience of working collaboratively with multiple stakeholders
• An understanding of the confidential support required for a member of the Senior Management Team
• Experience of setting up or improving systems and procedures
• Excellent planning and organisational skills
• Strong inter-personal skills, flexible and open-minded  

Further Information for Candidates:

Supplementary Information:

If an appointee has previously been employed in the Civil or Public Service and that appointee is entitled to or in receipt of a pension from the Civil or Public Service or where a Civil/ Public Service pension comes into payment during the appointee’s re-employment that pension will be subject to abatement in accordance with Section 52 of the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and other Provisions) Act 2012.

Please note: In applying for this position you are acknowledging that you understand that the abatement provisions, where relevant, will apply. It is not envisaged that the employing Department/ Office/ Body will support an application for an abatement waiver in respect of appointments to this position.

Informal Enquiries ONLY to: (Please note NO APPLICATIONS will be accepted via the Informal Enquiries email address)