Senior Administrator

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Senior Administrator to join our ever evolving team providing Administrative support to PALMS where we have a proven track record of our Administrators developing and progressing to other careers within the NHS in a range of roles.

We are seeking to appoint a motivated and forward thinking Senior Administrator who can work flexibly and is committed to supporting the development of PALMS.

Interviews will be run in person at Sandridge Gate Business Centre, full details and instructions will be provided to successful candidates.

Proposed interview date: 9th September 2026

HCT will prioritise recruitment of workers living in England under the new immigration rules for care workers effective from 9 April 2025. Employers must first prove that they have attempted to recruit a worker from within England who needs new sponsorship. This ensures that those who came to the UK to pursue a career in adult social care can do so.

Main duties of the job

The ideal candidate will:

• Be a hardworking, well organised and adaptable individual
• Be able to evaluate and prioritise work, responding quickly to daily changes in work pattern
• Be able to work in a team environment and make valuable contributions
• Have an excellent telephone manner, communicating with professionals and families with tact and sensitivity
• Have excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Have excellent touch typing skills and be able to type from digitally dictated files

PALMS is a friendly, cohesive and proactive team who value feedback. We empower all team members to contribute to the continuous development of the service and welcome innovation and change.

Working for our organisation

PALMS works across Hertfordshire providing a specialist multi-disciplinary approach. PALMS is one of the Children and Young People's Mental Health Services (CYPMHS) which offers individually tailored support for CYP, aged 0-18 who have an intellectual disability and/or are autistic, helping families to manage behaviours of concern, toileting, feeding and sleeping concerns which have not benefitted from community interventions and/or to support mental health needs which cannot be met with reasonable adjustment by other CYPMH services.

Interventions include intervention workshops, intervention groups, individual therapy, parent as therapist sessions, and a family clinic. PALMS aims to keep CYP with their families thereby improving outcomes for all family members. PALMS predominantly applies narrative, systemic, positive behaviour, and bio-psycho social models adhering to the STOMP / STAMP and Transforming Care Agendas.

We don't want you to miss out so we'd like you to know that if we have a high level of interest in this role, the vacancy may close prior to the advertised closing date, so please make your application as soon as possible -

You can apply to Access to Work to get money for communication support at a job interview - please use this link for more information:
You need to apply before the interview takes place.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

We can offer you:

• Regular appraisal, personal development planning and opportunities for continuing professional development.
• Regular line management and support including clinical supervision
• The chance to work with a number of different professionals

In addition to the basic salary, this post attracts a High Cost Area Supplement of up to 5% of basic salary

A full valid driving licence and access to a car insured to use for business purposes is essential (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010). Applicants to be aware that PALMS work within the ULEZ zone and any charges due to non-compliant vehicles can not be reimbursed by the Trust.

We are committed to supporting flexible working options for staff, wherever possible, and welcome discussions on flexible working patterns to support our staff to maintain a healthy work life balance.

We welcome diversity in our workforce and are interested in applicants from all backgrounds and ages.

The use of AI is monitored and if you have used it then you are required to declare this, as well as what type of AI tools you have used and for what purpose. We reserve the right to further test your individual knowledge and skills in relation to the requirements for the post through robust and thorough interview and assessment.

Candidate requirements

• Demonstrate empathy, sensitivity and tact
• Organise office routines and develop associated policies to be shared across the service.
• Provide training and support to the team in using data entry system, word processing, telephone system if required
• Acquire full working knowledge of new and sometimes complex IT systems quickly and competently and to assist others in developing their own knowledge.
• Maintain a professional telephone manner at all times to make and receive telephone calls.

Skills

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability be able to present written information in a format that is clear, legible and correctly spelt.
• Fast and accurate typing skills
• To demonstrate initiative and analytical skills in dealing with enquiries from the team, parents/carers and other professionals and outside agencies
• Copy typing and audio typing

Experience

• Experience of working in an office environment and knowledge of full range of secretarial procedures
• Significant secretarial experience with experience in health care setting

Qualifications

• GCSE English and Maths
• NVQ3 RSA3 or equivalent experience in similar role

Abilities

• Ability to work as part of a team and work together to cover and share the workload, maintaining good working relationships at all levels
• Adaptability/flexibility and ability to cope with unpredictable work patterns and change
• Maintain judgment under pressure and work within agreed deadlines
• Work independently and manage and prioritise own workload

We will communicate any interview arrangements with applicants via e-mail so it is advisable that you check the email address you give on your application on a regular basis.

Staff recruited from outside the NHS will usually be appointed at the bottom of the pay band. All new appointments (excluding Medical & Dental roles) are subject to a 26 week probation period.

We are proud to be an armed forces friendly employer and support the employment of the armed forces community, including veterans, spouses and partners. For more information, contact

Applications from qualified job seekers who require sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications, subject to you meeting minimum criteria of the role and salary threshold. Please visit the Gov.UK website for detail.

If applicable to the role, staff are required to hold a full, valid, UK driving licence and have access to a car to use with business insurance (unless the member of staff has a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010).

In submitting an application form, you authorise Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust to confirm any previous NHS service details via the Electronic Staff Record Inter Authority Transfer process should you be appointed to the post.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.