Celebrating Admin Recognition Day

What has your career path been?

I qualified as a primary school teacher in 2008 and taught in Derbyshire schools until I joined DCHS in 2019, following the arrival of my first little boy. My first admin role was a Band 2 Admin Assistant in the Quality Directorate, and I stayed in this role until an opportunity for a Band 3 admin role became available on a secondment basis in January 2021. I learnt a huge amount during this time, working with an amazing team of admin with incredible skills and knowledge, which supported my application for a further secondment into my current role in January 2022.

Why NHS?

I wasn’t particularly looking for a role in the NHS, but my husband spotted the job advert and what stood out was the invitation to visit the appointing manager informally. I had no admin experience and after several failed applications to admin roles, I took this opportunity to introduce myself and learn a little more about the role. I would now be happy to continue working for DCHS – it is a people-focused organisation which allows me the flexibility to have a good work/life balance which I was certainly lacking as a teacher, whilst providing opportunities for me to develop and progress in a completely different direction. 

What is your current role? What does it involve?

My current role is varied, and I really enjoy it. I do day-to-day admin duties, such as setting up meetings, ordering kit and uniform, booking rooms, keeping on top of HR forms, emails etc. I support the project lead with reports and evaluations and occasionally deliver presentations to clinical teams to gain further support for the rotations programme. I also work alongside the JU Careers comms team to maintain our website, I update our social media accounts, develop content to promote the programme, attend careers events at universities and organise and co-facilitate workshops for newly qualified nurses. I have also attended simulation events for the nurses and was involved by dressing up and playing the patient in different scenarios! I really enjoy the opportunities to go out and meet people and get involved in as many aspects of the programme as I can. I am also undertaking a Project Management apprenticeship to support my progression and understanding of projects within the organisation.

What skills are the most crucial? What type of person do you need to be?

Organisation is the key to my role. We juggle several cohorts of nurses at once which requires a lot of liaisons with other teams and strong systems need to be in place to manage this successfully. I work with newly qualified nurses and it is important to be flexible, supportive and efficient; this is the very beginning of their nursing career and I try to ensure my communications with them put them at ease. I think a willingness to learn, being open and honest and a strong team player are all vital skills and qualities to have in my role.

What the best bit of advice you have for someone looking to move into this area?

Take all the opportunities that come your way; I volunteer myself for all sorts of things to gain further experience! I have supported the comms team with their admin, developed student nurse placements, supported the flu vaccination campaign, worked on colleagues’ minutes – if I have capacity and an opportunity comes up, I take it. I came into the trust with no admin experience whatsoever, but these opportunities have been key to my development.

What has your career path been?

Start by asking about their journey in a more generic way. Where did they start out, train, gain experience? They might come out with something totally unexpected which will catch you by surprise.

When I left collage in 2018 and wanted a full-time job, I saw the role of Band 2 Clerical Officer/Receptionist in the Integrated Sexual Health Services Clinic in Kings Mill Hospital online and applied. That was my first role in the NHS and gave me lots of experience of how the NHS worked. After 2 years I had learned everything that I could and wanted to progress, so I joined what is now called the Improvement, Innovation & Effectiveness team in DCHS as band 3 Improvement, Innovation & Effectiveness Assistant. After 1-year 9 months as an IIEA, I then got the role in the same team as a Band 5 Communication, Engagement & Project Officer.

Why NHS?

What motivated them to go for this job?

I always liked the thought of working in healthcare, but I didn’t want to be clinical. I saw the opportunity of joining the NHS I took it as I knew it could hopefully open doors for my career. I also feel secure working for the NHS as we will always be needed to help people.

What is your current role? What does it involve?

An overview of their job. Encourage them to consider all the highlights of their role as well as getting a sense of day-to-day schedule.

My current role is Communications, Engagement & Project Officer.

• Creating comms plans for projects so that they can showcase all their work
• Finding new and creative ways to share the QI work within DCHS
• Organising training
• Promoting our team and what we can do to support staff
• Audit data inputting when required
• Networking internally with staff
• Networking externally with other QI teams in different Trusts
• Evaluating comms and engagement strategies
• Promoting DCHS QI Principles

What skills are the most crucial? What type of person do you need to be?

Highlight the skillset to show others what they need to focus on building up as well as the soft skills needed.

• Prioritisation, planning and organisation
• Problem solving
• Team and independent working
• Communication, influencing and negotiation skills
• Managing and delivering on deadlines
• Thinking creatively using and planning social media content
• Flexible and open to new ways of working
• Building relationships with teams in DCHS
• Positive person

What the best bit of advice you have for someone looking to move into this area?

-  getting experience of Quality Improvement whether that is working on QI projects or joining QI groups, is just as valuable as having qualifications. If you have a passion for QI you will go far if you want to.

I'm an admin worker and work on a reception at a local Health Centre.

I love my job as I get to meet a lot of interesting and lovely people.  I feel that I help by signposting and trouble shooting and get huge satisfaction when I help someone get through to the right department when they are upset and feel they have no-one to help them.

There are some lovely people out there!

What has your career path been?

I started in the NHS working in a GP Practice, I gained a Dispensing Doctors qualification along with my role as a Care Co-ordinator. I also assisted with the administration within the practice, taking minutes of PPG meetings, MDT meetings etc.

I then moved to DCHS working within Procurement as an Administration Officer. This role involved assisting with the admin for Tenders, taking minutes of meetings and providing general support to the Department. I began to pick up work within the contracting team, renewing contracts and then moved into the role of a Purchasing Buyer – purchasing goods/services requested by different services within DCHS whilst ensuring value for money.

I had a year away from work on Maternity Leave, returning in April 2020 (in the midst of the first lockdown). I continued my role as a Buyer until the opportunity to apply for a secondment as a PA arose. I am now on secondment as PA to Director of Strategy, Partnerships and Population Health & PA to Chief Financial Officer.

Why NHS?

I saw the role as an opportunity to broaden my skills and gain an insight into working across different departments whilst gaining a further understanding of DCHS’ aims and the part we play within the system.

What is your current role? What does it involve?

My role now includes diary management, inputting data/running reports in ESR, scheduling and attending meetings whilst also providing the admin support (creating agendas, taking minutes). I am really enjoying meeting new people and gaining an insight into the different divisions and the overall system.

What skills are the most crucial? What type of person do you need to be?

Being organised and prioritising my workload is key for this role. I find that writing a priority list at the end of each day helps me to ensure nothing is missed. Picking up the phone is often easier and more effective than sending emails (whilst also creating and maintaining relationships which is more difficult in the current climate with remote working).

What the best bit of advice you have for someone looking to move into this area?

To apply for the role and not talk yourself out of it!

Jennifer Kirk - I love my admin job because I work with a team who provides patients with the opportunity to start their journey through our service in a positive way, this also supports our clinicians in their roles. I can suggest and implement changes to the service in a positive way to further support the care we provide patients.

Chyrelle Hatton - I love the busyness that comes with working as an MSK Secretary. Scheduling appointments, assisting patients and managing new tasks as they come through makes me look forward to the versatility and excitement of working in MSK.

Vickie Tickle - I love my job because I feel like a make a difference every day dealing with patient care and helping others!

• “The people who I work with and the support they give.”
• I love the flexibility to work hours that suit my life so this gives me a great work life balance.”
• I love my job in MSK admin because of my colleagues and the flexibility the services gives us.”
• What I love about my job is the people I work with and the team spirit we share.”