UHWM Section Officer Healthcare Records And Switchboard Departments

***PLEASE COMPLETE THE APPLICATION FORM FULLY***

The position of Staff Officer encompasses both managerial and administrative responsibilities which include the following:

Administration

• Ensure the efficient day-to-day administration of area of responsibility
• Ensure deadlines are met and that service levels are maintained
• Ensure an even distribution of workload among team, taking into account absence due to annual leave etc
• Ensure policies and procedures are well documented and understood and adhered to by staff in own section
• Ensure accurate attention to detail in own work and work of team
• Use appropriate technology to ensure work is completed to a high standard
• Ensure that archives and records are accurate, maintained confidentially and readily available to the appropriate authority
• Ensure line management is kept informed of issues
• Ensure that the service is kept informed and that their views are communicated to senior management
• Support, promote and actively participate in sustainable energy, water and waste initiatives to create a more sustainable, low carbon and efficient health service

Human Resources / Supervision of Staff

• Supervise and ensure the well-being of staff within own remit. Support managers in handling staff issues including attendance, conduct, capability, and performance matters.
• Create and maintain a positive working environment among staff members, which contributes to maintaining and enhancing effective working relationships
• Deal with under performance in a timely and constructive manner
• Identify training and development needs of staff in own area
• Promote co-operation and working in harmony with other teams and disciplines
• Act as escalation point for complex employee relations or staffing issues, ensuring appropriate HR involvement.
• Ensure consistent application of HR policies and procedures across services.
• Oversee time and attendance management processes, including accuracy of payroll inputs and compliance with deadlines.

Customer Service

• Promote and maintain a customer focused environment by ensuring service-users are treated with dignity and respect
• Seek feedback from service users/customers and implement change to incorporate same, in agreement with line manager

Service Delivery and Improvement

• Embrace change and adapt local work practices accordingly, ensuring team knows how to action changes
• Encourage and support staff through change processes
• Monitor efficiency of service provided by team, identify and implement changes to the administration of the service where inefficiencies arise

Standards, Policies, Procedures & Legislation

• Maintain own knowledge of relevant HSE policies, procedures, guidelines and practices to perform the role effectively and to ensure current work standards are met by own team
• Maintain own knowledge of relevant regulations and legislation e.g. Financial Regulations, Health & Safety Legislation, Employment Legislation, FOI Acts etc.
• Pursue continuous professional development in order to develop management expertise and professional knowledge
• Have a working knowledge of the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) Standards and other standards as they apply to the role for example, Standards for Healthcare, National Standards for the Prevention and Control of Healthcare Associated Infections, Hygiene Standards etc and comply with associated HSE protocols for implementing and maintaining these standards

Support Services

• Working as part of the wider Support Services Management function ensuring that departmental operations run effectively while contributing to the broader objectives of the Support Services team. The role requires close collaboration with colleagues across multiple areas and the ability to undertake duties as delegated by line manager
• The role requires flexibility, adaptability and collaboration with a dynamic environment recognising that departmental structures, reporting structures and responsibilities may evolve in response to service needs
• Work in close conjunction with the Support Services Manager on Support Service projects
• Collaborate across the support services manager team to support cross departmental initiative and share objectives
• Undertake cross cover of duties within the Support Services Management team during times of leave or absences
• Will be responsible to use the IFMS procurement system as required to support departmental processes

Key Responsibilities

Operational Leadership & Service Coordination

• Provide operational oversight and coordination across Healthcare Records and Switchboard services.
• Support Service Managers in the delivery of safe, effective, and efficient day-to-day operations.
• Ensure consistency of service delivery standards, policies, and procedures across both departments.
• Monitor service performance and ensure timely escalation and resolution of operational issues.
• Maintain oversight of 24/7 service delivery arrangements and ensure continuity of critical services.
• Hold delegated responsibility for operational performance, resilience, and stability across both services.
• Act as the primary operational lead for service recovery and escalation of issues impacting service delivery.
• Ensure timely identification, assessment, and resolution of operational risks and service disruptions.
• Lead on corrective action planning following incidents, performance issues, audits, or service failures.
• Ensure escalation pathways are effectively managed and issues are addressed at the appropriate level without delay.
• Maintain accountability for service performance outcomes across both departments.
• Oversee monitoring of KPIs, performance indicators, quality standards, and compliance requirements.
• Ensure risks are identified,recorded, reviewed, and mitigated in line with organisational governance frameworks.
• Contribute to relevant committees, working groups, and governance forums.
• Ensure effective communication of decisions and actions into operational teams.
• Ensure workforce systems are used effectively to support operational and financial accuracy.
• Ensure full compliance with mandatory training requirements across services.
• Work with managers to identify training gaps and implement corrective action plans.
• Oversee workforce development planning to ensure staff competency meets service requirements.
• Promote continuous learning and development across both departments.
• Monitor and report on training compliance and workforce readiness.
• Lead and support the implementation of service change and transformation initiatives.
• Work collaboratively with senior management to design and deliver service improvements.
• Support service managers in embedding operational change within teams.
• Ensure change is effectively planned, communicated, and sustained.
• Contribute to organisational restructuring and service alignment initiatives.
• Ensure services remain adaptable to evolving organisational requirements.
• Lead and/or contribute to service development and improvement projects.
• Deliver assigned projects within agreed timelines, governance structures, and outcomes.
• Ensure project outputs are embedded into operational practice.
• Work across departments and stakeholders to deliver cross-functional initiatives.
• Provide regular reporting on project progress, risks, and outcomes.
• Support effective resource utilisation and workforce planning across both services.
• Ensure accurate and timely revenue capture processes, particularly in relation to Emergency Department patient registration activity.
• Identify and support delivery of cost improvement and efficiency initiatives.
• Contribute to budget monitoring and financial governance within services.
• Work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders across clinical and non-clinical services.
• Represent services in relevant meetings, committees, and working groups.
• Ensure effective communication and implementation of cross-service decisions.
• Support cross-cover arrangements across wider support services as required.
• Support staff within your area of responsibility with raising purchase orders and invoices via the IFMS system.

Emergency Preparedness, Resilience & Business Continuity

• Support the development, maintenance, and testing of Major Incident, Emergency Preparedness, and Business Continuity Plans across both services.
• Ensure alignment of departmental plans with organisational emergency planning frameworks.
• Coordinate the testing, exercising, and evaluation of incident response procedures.
• Lead on post-incident reviews, ensuring lessons learned are embedded into service improvements.
• Act as a key contributor to hospital-wide incident response and resilience arrangements.
• Hospital-wide governance and emergency planning groups

The above Job Specification is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all duties involved and consequently, the post holder may be required to perform other duties as appropriate to the post which may be assigned to him/her from time to time and to contribute to the development of the post while in office.