Corporate Affairs Administrator

County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust Corporate Affairs Administrator The closing date is 18 December 2025 The Corporate Affairs Administrator is a key support role, providing high‑quality administrative, governance and compliance expertise within a vibrant environment. The post holder will play a crucial role in ensuring the organisation meets all statutory, regulatory and contractual compliance obligations, including maintaining accurate corporate records, supporting governance structures and ensuring policies and procedures remain compliant and up to date. This position offers an exciting opportunity to be part of a small but effective team with an approach of openness and transparency in the field of Corporate Governance. Main duties of the job This role would suit an experienced administrator with the skills and qualifications to meet the needs of the role or someone looking to develop their career further within a Corporate Governance setting. Full training and support will be provided. The right candidate will be highly literate, have excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to operate independently, building positive and productive relationships throughout the organisation. Acting as a key liaison between internal teams, senior management and external regulatory bodies, the role is central to maintaining organisational integrity, transparency and adherence to best practice. This involves strong organisational skills, attention to detail and being a clear communicator. There will also be a need to take formal minutes for our high level meetings. They will act as a subject matter expert and have an ambitious approach to the production of replies to FOI requests and application of FOI exemptions, whilst playing an integral part in the development of how our organisation handles FOI requests in the future. The candidate should be resilient, self‑motivated and be able to negotiate challenging situations. About us If you are being interviewed you must accept an interview slot in the system to continue, even if you have arranged with the manager. You must be able to produce ALL certificates stated essential in the person specification or you will not be able to complete pre‑employment checks. We provide hospital services from two acute sites – Darlington Memorial Hospital and University Hospital of North Durham. We have a centre for planned care in Bishop Auckland and provide care from community hospitals in Chester‑Le‑Street, Shotley Bridge, Barnard Castle, Sedgefield and Weardale as well as over 80 other community based settings and providing care in patients' homes. We particularly welcome applications from disabled and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) candidates as BAME and disabled people are currently under‑represented. Full Job Descriptions can be found in the adverts supporting documents. Over reliance on AI‑generated content is discouraged and may diminish the applicant's chances of success. For the most up‑to‑date information on visa requirements and eligibility, please check online to determine whether you can apply. From April 9th 2025 – Healthcare assistants – You must have been employed for a minimum of two years as an HCA within the NHS for the Trust to consider sponsorship (we will only consider sponsorship if you meet this criteria and have a current visa expiring within 3 months). Job responsibilities Foundation Trust / Secretariat To act independently in planning and co‑ordinating, attending and servicing a range of meetings within the Trust; being responsible for the booking of accommodation and refreshments, preparation of agendas, collation and distribution of timely and high quality documentation to attendees, recording of discussions and decisions taken at meetings, the compilation and production of accurate minutes, the composition of letters arising out of meetings and dealing with all follow‑up actions. Re‑arranging meetings as necessary. Liaise with internal and external meeting attendees and presenters as part of the process of planning and co‑ordinating meetings above. This may include Board members of other organisations and those of equivalent seniority. Use of highly developed typing skills for the production of timely and accurate meeting documentation. To provide routine procedural advice on corporate governance issues. To maintain paper‑based and electronic statutory registers and the records management system. To assist with the administration and organisation of elections to the Council of Governors working with any third‑party organisations which the Trust employs to recruit and communicate with members including the preparation and distribution of election communications. To support training for the Governors in all aspects of their responsibilities: identifying and sourcing appropriate training, arranging training dates, organising slots and overseeing / delivering administration of all aspects of the training day. To assist the Governor and Membership Engagement Officer in building the membership and profile of the Trust including the organisation of public events and preparation of mail shots. To be the first point of contact in relation to queries regarding committee meetings. Freedom of Information and Environmental Information Regulations Maintain and implement an effective system for recording, controlling and responding to all requests for information received by the Trust under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Manage a caseload of requests received under the FOIA and EIR ensuring the collation and production of quality responses within the timeframe set out by the Act and support colleagues during absence to ensure a constant provision of service. To act independently in ensuring that all requests for information are registered to the system and managed in a way that enables the Trust to comply with the requirements of the Act as regards disclosure and response times. Act as the point of contact for applicants under the FOIA and EIR, and where appropriate; liaise with the requesting party over the nature of the request, the provision of additional detail about it and the need for an extension of time for responding. Provide advice and guidance to managers and teams on the requirements of the FOIA and EIR, and their duties and responsibilities under it. Support the development and maintenance of the Trust's publication scheme and disclosure log. Escalate issues with FOI and EIR requests and response times, as appropriate to the Corporate Affairs Manager. Support the delivery of internal training in accordance with the FOI and EIR Training programme. Maintain current knowledge of the application of the FOI Act 2000 and associated case law. Corporate Records Ensure the maintenance and development of up to date, accurate and complete libraries of policies and procedures, including Patient Information Leaflets and LOCSIPS, in line with the Policy for Policies and Corporate Records Policy, including both electronic and paper libraries in line with need; Provide advice, education and communication to Care Groups and corporate directorates to support the implementation of the Policy for Policies and corporate records requirements within their areas. Support the development and publication of templated documentation to assist Care Groups and corporate directorates in complying with the Policy for Procedural Governance Documents. Design and supervise the delivery and reporting of an audit programme to monitor compliance with the Corporate Records Policy and requirements in each area of the Trust as appropriate. Provide support and guidance for the Procedural Documents function of the CDDFT Quality Insights System. General Maintain and continuously improve sustainable systems and processes for all of the above activities. Providing cover for colleagues across the Trust as necessary and at the demands of the service. Propose changes to Policies and Procedures with regard to changes in national policy and changes in law. Implements Policies and Procedures for own area which impact across the Trust. Any other duties relevant to the grade. Person Specification Qualifications Minimum 5 GCSE at grades A to C (English Language Essential) or equivalent qualification, or equivalent knowledge gained through work experience NVQ Level 4 or Diploma or equivalent or equivalent knowledge gained through relevant work experience Educated to degree level Specific qualifications and training related to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 or policy and records management. HNC or first degree in public administration or membership of (or working towards) ICSA qualifications Special Skills & Knowledge IT skills literate in Microsoft packages, including Outlook, Word, Access, Excel and Power point Ability to convey expert knowledge to lay persons. Ability to deal confidently and successfully with conflict Ability to work in a confidential environment and exercise discretion. Able to organise own workload and prioritise competing deadlines and work streams Self‑motivated and able to work on own initiative and part of a team. Proven track record of professionalism and commitment to quality.Excellent general secretarial and office administration skills. Ability to communicate at all levels, verbally and written with individuals and groups, both internal and external. Good organisational skills and ability to meet deadlines Knowledge of the NHS environment and legislation and guidance relevant to corporate records management in the NHS and Freedom of Information Act. Special Requirements Present a professional image at all times Ability to travel across Trust sites and to attend meetings outside of normal office hours as required Experience Demonstrable understanding of the principles and application of the FOI Act 2000 Administrative experience in a role requiring adherence to deadlines and KPIs Experience in delivering training, coaching and providing advice and guidance. Experience in organising meetings and minute taking NHS Experience Experience of corporate records management Experience of dealing with Freedom of Information Requests Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions. Employer name County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust #J-18808-Ljbffr