• Support a national service and make a tangible difference through your work
  • Flexible hybrid working environment

    • About Our Client

    Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) are an independent national service who make fair and final decisions on complaints that have not been resolved by the NHS and other government and public organisations. Their investigations can afford people a voice where they feel they may have not been treated fairly, through effective and thorough investigations PHSO are at the forefront of stamping out social injustice and change lives for the better. This autonomous institution operates under 4 fundamental pillars, which are: Independence, Fairness, Excellence and Transparency, PHSO bind themselves to these values through every part of the establishment. With a “Live well, Work Well” office mentality you can look forward to a friendly, supportive and close knit place to work, PHSO strive to inspire and guide you through your career with them, ensuring you are your healthiest and happiest self. Currently going through an exciting period of growth, PHSO are looking to create an even more diverse and charismatic working environment and therefore welcome applications from candidates with a diverse background.

    Job Description

    The Assistant Private Secretary will work as part of a small, collaborative and dynamic team to provide personal support to the Ombudsman.

    Main Duties

  • Supporting the Ombudsman as they manage their time and priorities in leading the organisation, including driving issues forward on their behalf.
  • Prioritising and managing the Ombudsman’s work, and maintaining a record of outstanding work.
  • Managing the Ombudsman’s meetings, taking notes, and following up actions to ensure delivery and compliance.
  • Drafting and finalising correspondence to external stakeholders, and maintaining a correspondence system.
  • Liaising with internal and external stakeholders by email, letter and phone.
  • Representing the Ombudsman’s interests at internal meetings and working groups – particularly in relation to the planning and organisation of PHSO’s stakeholder events and initiatives.
  • Commissioning briefings for internal and external meetings, and ensuring they are fit for purpose and high quality when they are submitted.
  • Representing the Ombudsman’s view to external stakeholders, including MPs/Peers, bodies in jurisdiction, and consumer groups.
  • Managing the Ombudsman’s diary, ensuring that meetings are promptly requested, arranged and recorded and that the Ombudsman’s time is well aligned to corporate priorities.
  • Arranging travel and accommodation and managing the Ombudsman’s expenses, in-keeping with the organisation’s commitment to delivering value for money.
  • Assisting in the development of articles, reports, press lines and speeches that are submitted to the Ombudsman for their approval.
  • Regular travel to PHSO’s Manchester offices to provide effective support the Ombudsman and the Executive Team where necessary
  • Working with the Chief Executive’s Assistant Private Secretary, and providing ad hoc support to the Chief Executive when required.

    • The Successful Applicant

    The successful candidate will have the following:

    Essential:

  • Experience of providing excellent administrative support, including diary management
  • Experience of thinking and working independently, and as part of a small and dynamic team
  • Experience of working effectively under pressure, to tight deadlines, in a fast-paced and complex environment”
  • Experience of communicating, both in writing and orally, with people at all levels
  • Experience of maintaining and embedding systems to aid the smooth running of an office

    • Desirable Criteria:

    Knowledge/skills

  • Knowledge of the NHS, Parliament, central Government and UK public services an advantage
  • Ability to critically review and contribute to documents to ensure that they are of a high quality and fit-for-purpose
  • Relevant experience of working in politics, local Government, or the NHS

    • What’s on Offer

  • At PHSO our motto is ‘live well, work well’ and to support this we offer a generous range of benefits. This includes:
     

    Civil Service Pension scheme (minimum employer’s contribution)Generous basic holiday entitlement of 30 days. We also offer an additional extra-statutory holiday on top of the normal public and bank holidaysOur core hours of work are between and 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme including free counselling, bereavement support and health advicePremium access to Headspace mindfulness and wellbeing app

    • PHSO is committed to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), and welcomes applications from individuals from diverse backgrounds. They are also a Disability Confident organisation.

    Should you wish to access the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) or require any reasonable adjustments through the process please contact the lead recruiter to discuss your needs before the advert closes.

    To apply, please submit an up-to-date CV detailing your experience that best fits the essential criteria outlined above.

    PLEASE NOTE: We can only consider applications from candidates who have the right to work in the UK.

    ContactAshleigh LygonQuote