Job summary
Referral Administrator - Talking Therapies
Are you an organised and proactive administrator looking for a rewarding role within a friendly and supportive team? Our Talking Therapies service is looking for a Referral Administrator to provide essential administrative support to our clinicians and wider staff.
This is a fantastic opportunity to join a dedicated team that makes a real difference to people's lives. If you're a compassionate and organised individual looking to contribute to an essential NHS service, we'd love to hear from you!
What We're Looking For:
- Strong administrative skills with a keen eye for detail.
- Excellent communication and organisational abilities.
- The ability to multitask and work flexibly as the service develops
Main duties of the job
- Be the welcoming voice of our service -supporting patients with booking, amending and understanding their Talking Therapies appointments.
- Keep our service running smoothly by managing a busy workload, staying flexible, and responding calmly to changing priorities.
- Provide compassionate administrative support, especially when dealing with sensitive, complex or occasionally distressing information.
- Champion accuracy by maintaining confidential patient records and ensuring data is entered correctly into our clinical systems.
- Support smooth communication across the service by handling calls, emails, letters and messages efficiently and professionally.
- Help patients feel informed and cared for by offering clear advice about appointments, cancellations and next steps.
- Take ownership of everyday office tasks like ordering supplies, photocopying and maintaining the reception area equipment.
- Contribute to team life by attending meetings, taking minutes, and supporting quality improvement initiatives.
- Embrace new technology by helping implement updated administrative systems.
- Be flexible with travel when required across our county-wide service bases.
About us
At Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, we're committed to supporting our employees with a range of benefits designed to enhance your professional and personal life. We offer:
- Flexible working options to help you balance work and life
- NHS pension scheme for long-term financial security
- Generous annual leave allowance to recharge and relax
- A strong focus on career development to help you grow and achieve your potential
Additionally, you'll gain access to our Blue Light Card, unlocking exclusive discounts on shopping, dining, and leisure activities, as well as NHS-specific perks to support you both inside and outside of work.
We are proud to foster a diverse, skilled, and inclusive workforce, and we encourage applications from all backgrounds.
Why Somerset? Somerset offers the perfect blend of idyllic countryside, outstanding areas of natural beauty, and breathtaking coastlines, with vibrant cities like Bristol, Bath, and Exeter just a short drive away - and only two hours to London.
The region is home to excellent educational facilities, and with affordable housing compared to other parts of the country, it's a great place to build both your career and your future.
Somerset truly has it all - the peaceful countryside and cosmopolitan city life, with something for everyone to enjoy.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Communication & Relationships
- Work closely with service leads, clinicians, GPs, and Talking Therapies team members.
- Interact sensitively with patients, carers and relatives, including those who may be anxious or distressed.
- Use a range of communication tools including telephone, email, letters, memos and fax.
Planning & Organisation
- Manage your own workload independently each day.
- Adapt quickly to interruptions, shifting priorities and frequent task switching.
Information Management & Administration
- Store and handle sensitive and confidential information securely.
- Enter Emotional Health & Wellbeing data accurately on Trust systems.
- Support the rollout and use of new computerised admin systems.
- Access voicemail, action messages and manage service inboxes as required.
- Book patient appointments and ensure cancelled slots are efficiently reallocated.
- Undertake photocopying, order supplies, and ensure office materials are well stocked.
Service Support
- Participate in team meetings and produce accurate minutes.
- Assist with quality improvement initiatives within the service.
- Be responsible for correct and safe use of reception equipment.
Professional Responsibilities
- Take part in the staff appraisal process and work towards agreed development goals.
- Uphold Trust values of kindness, respect and teamwork.
- Adhere to Trust policies relating to confidentiality, safeguarding, infection control, information governance, equality & diversity and health & safety.
Other Requirements
- Be flexible in working across other team bases within the county when needed.
- Occasionally process distressing or sensitive referrals and handle challenging calls.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Communication & Relationships
- Work closely with service leads, clinicians, GPs, and Talking Therapies team members.
- Interact sensitively with patients, carers and relatives, including those who may be anxious or distressed.
- Use a range of communication tools including telephone, email, letters, memos and fax.
Planning & Organisation
- Manage your own workload independently each day.
- Adapt quickly to interruptions, shifting priorities and frequent task switching.
Information Management & Administration
- Store and handle sensitive and confidential information securely.
- Enter Emotional Health & Wellbeing data accurately on Trust systems.
- Support the rollout and use of new computerised admin systems.
- Access voicemail, action messages and manage service inboxes as required.
- Book patient appointments and ensure cancelled slots are efficiently reallocated.
- Undertake photocopying, order supplies, and ensure office materials are well stocked.
Service Support
- Participate in team meetings and produce accurate minutes.
- Assist with quality improvement initiatives within the service.
- Be responsible for correct and safe use of reception equipment.
Professional Responsibilities
- Take part in the staff appraisal process and work towards agreed development goals.
- Uphold Trust values of kindness, respect and teamwork.
- Adhere to Trust policies relating to confidentiality, safeguarding, infection control, information governance, equality & diversity and health & safety.
Other Requirements
- Be flexible in working across other team bases within the county when needed.
- Occasionally process distressing or sensitive referrals and handle challenging calls.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- ECDL or equivalentGood Standard of general educations to GCSE Level or Equivalent
Experience
Essential
- Previous experience of booking systems.Experience of working in a busy environment.
Desirable
- Experience of working within the NHS or client based environment.
Additional Criteria
Essential
- Knowledge of a full range of secretarial procedures and software programmes.Knowledge and understanding of general medical terminology.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- ECDL or equivalentGood Standard of general educations to GCSE Level or Equivalent
Experience
Essential
- Previous experience of booking systems.Experience of working in a busy environment.
Desirable
- Experience of working within the NHS or client based environment.
Additional Criteria
Essential
- Knowledge of a full range of secretarial procedures and software programmes.Knowledge and understanding of general medical terminology.
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.
