Mental Health Support Team (MHST) Secretary

Mental Health Support Team (MHST) Secretary Band 4

Main area Administration Grade Band 4 Contract 3 months (Fixed term end date 31/12/2026) Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week Job ref 351-BAY1052-MF

Site Burnley General Hospital Town Burnley Salary £28,392 - £31,157 per annum pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 14/08/:59

Our Vision is to provide the best mental health, learning disability, autism, community, and physical health services for the populations we serve.

As an integrated Trust, Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (LSCFT) delivers a comprehensive range of services, including:

• Primary and secondary mental health care for children and adults, including specialist inpatient child and adolescent mental health provision, perinatal mental health, and forensic services with low and medium secure care.
• Specialist mental health inpatient care for individuals with learning disabilities, alongside specialist community support for children and adults with learning disabilities and autism, including intensive support.
• Extensive community physical health and well-being services for children and adults, covering prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and long-term condition management.

The Trust was first established in 2002 and employs approximately 7,500 staff who provide care from more than 400 sites. The organisation offers opportunities for medics, mental health, general nurses, children's nurses, allied health professionals, psychology, administration and clerical staff, apprentices and volunteers, as well as those specialising in learning disabilities and community physical health services.

This post forms part of a service currently subject to a service improvement and redesign programme. Service delivery models, roles and structures will be reviewed as part of the improvement process, which may result in changes and a consultation process in line with the Trust's Organisational Change Policy.

The Trust is committed to supporting staff throughout this process and ensuring fair and transparent decision-making.

The Mental Health Support Team (MHST) Secretary will provide high quality administrative and secretarial support to the Mental Health Support Teams (MHST) across East Lancashire and Blackburn with Darwen. The postholder will play a key role in ensuring the smooth running of MHST operations, supporting the delivery of mental health services in educational settings, and maintaining effective communication across teams, schools and partner organisations. This includes supporting practitioners, managers, consultants and partner agencies.

The role requires strong organisational, communication and IT skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and work independently as well as part of a team. Act as a first point of contact for enquiries from schools, parents/carers and partner agencies, ensuring queries are dealt with professionally and efficiently. A professional and compassionate approach is essential when handling sensitive information and communicating with children, young people, families and partner organisations.

Main duties of the job

This will include:

• Provide a full secretarial and administrative service to MHST practitioners, consultants and managers, including accurate word processing, correspondence, reports and meeting papers.
• Support the organisation of multi-disciplinary meetings, including preparation of agendas, note taking, accurate minute writing and timely distribution of actions.
• Maintain accurate and up to date electronic patient records (IAPTUS), ensuring data quality and compliance with Trust and NHS standards.
• Manage incoming and outgoing correspondence (email, post and telephone), prioritising urgent matters appropriately.
• Process referrals in line with agreed protocols and liaise with education settings, GP practices and other partner agencies where required.
• Receive and respond to telephone and email enquiries from young people, parents/carers, schools and healthcare professionals in a professional and empathetic manner.
• Provide reassurance and clear information when dealing with sensitive situations, ensuring queries are directed to the appropriate team member.
• Manage appointments, follow up arrangements and cancellations in line with service protocols.
• Maintain diaries, manage meeting arrangements and support with room bookings, travel and training events for staff.
• Assist with induction and training of new administrative team members when required.
• Provide cross cover and work flexibly with other administrators across Children & Young People's Mental Health - East

Working for our organisation

LSCFT values diversity and inclusion, recognising that talent from varied backgrounds creates a flexible, creative, and effective workforce. We actively challenge discrimination and welcome applications from all, regardless of age, disability (including those with experience of accessing or caring for someone who has accessed mental health or learning disability services), ethnicity, gender, religion, belief, or sexual orientation.

Our aim is to reflect the communities we serve, so we particularly encourage applications from under represented groups. If you'd like to discuss your application, please ask.

We also welcome individuals with lived experience relevant to the role or service area, as your insight brings authenticity to our services.

LSCFT support flexible working, we believe that a positive work/life balance benefits NHS employees through improved health and wellbeing. We would consider working patterns such as term time, part time, compressed hours and flexi time.

The wellbeing of our people is at the heart of everything we do. We offer a wide range of resources, tools and support to help you thrive both in and out of work.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For more details on this vacancy please review the attached job description and person specification.

Person specification Qualifications

• GCSE English at Grade 'C' or above or equivalent
• Working knowledge of basic IT systems - word, excel, emails.
• RSA/OCR Stage II Typewriting OR Word Processing Stage II or Audio typewriting Stage II or Proven ability of an equivalent level of skill

Knowledge

• Good organisational skills
• Effective listening skills and communication skills
• The ability to work calm under pressure

Experience

• Previous administrative experience

For all posts which require a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check please be aware of the Disclosure and Barring Service Code of Practice, a copy of which is available by logging on to the DBS website. If the post is subject to DBS disclosure, a charge will be made to the successful candidate(s).

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.