Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

Administration Assistant/Receptionist

The closing date is 11 January 2026

Job summary

We are looking for an experienced, organised and adaptable person to work in the admin team for the North East Essex IAPT service. We are a primary mental health service offering talking therapy for people presenting with depression, anxiety and other mental health issues.The job is based at Hospital Road in Colchester

As the admin team for Therapy for You, we are responsible for taking and processing referrals to our service. As the first port of call for people needing help, we are proud to give great service to people and make them feel reassured. A lot of our work is based on the phone, so we need someone who can give great first impressions. We are a small, supportive and welcoming team supporting a large team of therapists.

This advert will close early should we receive a high number of applications.

Main duties of the job

Some of the main responsibilities and duties include but are not limited to: Taking self-referrals on the phone, processing professional referrals, booking assessments and treatments and dealing with queries - both by phone and by email.

About us

Valuing you. Recognising your dedication. At EPUT, we look after you.

  • Receive supervision and support to help you fulfil your potential.
  • Join an inclusive EPUT community and connect with others through engagement events and equality or champion networks.
  • If you need help, we provide mental health and wellbeing services, occupational health advice and counselling.
  • We run recognition awards to recognise staff's hard work and dedication.

Benefits

  • 27 days holiday, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days after 10 years' service.
  • Excellent pension of up to14.5% of your pensionable pay.
  • Staff discounts include Blue Light Card, NHS discount offers, and staff benefits.
  • Season ticket loans are interest-free to cover the cost of travelling to and from work via tram, rail, or bus.

Work that wraps around your needs

  • Flexible working: available from day one for most roles.
  • Job share: Applications for job shares are welcomed

Details

Date posted

29 December 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£24,937 to £26,598 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

364-A-9486-A

Job locations

1 Hospital Road

Colchester

CO3 3HJ


Job description

Job responsibilities

  • Answering incoming calls to answer queries, take self-referrals.
  • Monitoring the contact centre inbox including passing on queries, putting referrals onto system, calling people to take their referrals following their enquiries to the service, booking telephone assessments.
  • Monitoring the sickness inbox in order to process therapist cancellations.
  • Helping the waiting list team with patient allocations, booking first treatment appointments, updating the waiting list accordingly.
  • Booking interpreters for telephone assessments that require them and for treatment sessions when requested by therapists.
  • Dealing with the batch printing.
  • Take minutes at meetings when required most notably the monthly service meeting.
  • Booking wellbeing calls.
  • Processing Access to Records requests.
  • Printing and posting therapist materials as and when requested by clinicians.
  • Preparing and distributing contact lists for internal staff and for outside agencies and GPs.

Job description

Job responsibilities

  • Answering incoming calls to answer queries, take self-referrals.
  • Monitoring the contact centre inbox including passing on queries, putting referrals onto system, calling people to take their referrals following their enquiries to the service, booking telephone assessments.
  • Monitoring the sickness inbox in order to process therapist cancellations.
  • Helping the waiting list team with patient allocations, booking first treatment appointments, updating the waiting list accordingly.
  • Booking interpreters for telephone assessments that require them and for treatment sessions when requested by therapists.
  • Dealing with the batch printing.
  • Take minutes at meetings when required most notably the monthly service meeting.
  • Booking wellbeing calls.
  • Processing Access to Records requests.
  • Printing and posting therapist materials as and when requested by clinicians.
  • Preparing and distributing contact lists for internal staff and for outside agencies and GPs.

Person Specification

Education/Qualifications

Essential

  • oGood standard of general education
  • oIT skills equivalent to RSA2, NVQ2 or relevant experience of Microsoft Word Packages

Job Related

Essential

  • oGeneral administration
  • oAbility to communicate both verbally and in writing routine information

Desirable

  • oProven experience of working in the NHS in a clerical role

Knowledge

Essential

  • oLiterate in IT/Computer Skills
  • oGood oral communication skills based on fluency on the English Language
  • oAbility to assist both patients and clinical colleagues with non-clinical information relating to community appointments
  • oMethodical organised approach to work with good attention to details
  • oAbility to use Microsoft Word Packages

Desirable

  • oKnowledge of Trust ITT Systems and Software Packages, including Iaptus and SYSTMONE

Personal Qualitities

Essential

  • Customer focussed, calm, empathetic and diplomatic
Person Specification

Education/Qualifications

Essential

  • oGood standard of general education
  • oIT skills equivalent to RSA2, NVQ2 or relevant experience of Microsoft Word Packages

Job Related

Essential

  • oGeneral administration
  • oAbility to communicate both verbally and in writing routine information

Desirable

  • oProven experience of working in the NHS in a clerical role

Knowledge

Essential

  • oLiterate in IT/Computer Skills
  • oGood oral communication skills based on fluency on the English Language
  • oAbility to assist both patients and clinical colleagues with non-clinical information relating to community appointments
  • oMethodical organised approach to work with good attention to details
  • oAbility to use Microsoft Word Packages

Desirable

  • oKnowledge of Trust ITT Systems and Software Packages, including Iaptus and SYSTMONE

Personal Qualitities

Essential

  • Customer focussed, calm, empathetic and diplomatic

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Additional information

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer details

Employer name

Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

Address

1 Hospital Road

Colchester

CO3 3HJ


Employer's website

https://eput.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

Address

1 Hospital Road

Colchester

CO3 3HJ


Employer's website

https://eput.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Admin Hub Lead

Jane Davidson

jane.davidson3@nhs.net

07583138294

Details

Date posted

29 December 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£24,937 to £26,598 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

364-A-9486-A

Job locations

1 Hospital Road

Colchester

CO3 3HJ


Supporting documents

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