Job Summary
Receptionist/Administrator
The service is open until 8pm on Mondays and Thursdays. Late shifts will need to be covered on a rota basis. This is a predominantly work based position with the opportunity to work from home on occasion, this will be dependant on the number of contracted hours.
Office based, working from Gilbert Hitchcock House in Bedford.
We are looking for a dynamic, self-motivated and enthusiastic Receptionist/Administrator to join the Bedfordshire Talking Therapies Team. We encourage and support our staff to be involved in all aspects of improving the service and work hard to ensure the culture of the service is one that enables everyone to fulfil their full potential.
Main Duties of the Job
The main duties of the role will be to offer reception support at our main base in Gilbert Hitchcock House which will include meeting and greeting patients for their face-to-face appointments with their therapist. The successful candidate will have a good telephone manner and be able to deal with the high volume of calls that come into the service along with effective management of the administration processes that have been developed to support patients and therapists.
About Us
Bedfordshire Talking Therapies (BTT) is an NHS funded Talking Therapy service that helps with common mental health problems like low mood and anxiety. We offer a range of different therapies from CBT to counselling. Therapy is offered; in groups, by telephone, online or face-to-face.
Job Details
Date posted: 27 October 2025
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 4
Salary: £27,485 to £30,162 a year per annum
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time, Part-time
Reference number: 363-SSLB7502376-A
Job locations: Gilbert Hitchcock House, 21 Kimbolton Rd, Bedford, MK40 2AW
Job Responsibilities
* To act as first point of contact for all patients and visitors. Respond professionally to enquiries from staff, therapists and the public in a prompt and efficient manner (e.g. in person, by telephone, by email, by text, letter etc.) including handling non-routine enquiries, using own initiative and prioritisation skills. Dealing professionally and sympathetically with patients/family members who are distressed.
* To be responsible for booking, re‑scheduling and cancelling Interpreter services for the therapy team.
* To be responsible for booking patients into their first treatment appointments on behalf of clinical staff and to complete the administration tasks associated with this responsibility (e.g. sending letters).
* Liaise and communicate with other members of the admin team and relevant managers to ensure availability and efficient coordination of clinic diaries and appointments.
* Ensure all messages are correctly recorded and promptly passed to relevant team members/other personnel.
* To provide support with processing of Subject Access Requests within the specified time frame.
* Be an efficient user of the services electronic patient record system i.e. IAPTus and RiO.
* To maintain efficient administrative systems (e.g. opening, sorting and distributing incoming post/emails, franking and posting of outgoing letters and updating notice‑boards with staff & service users information).
* To provide information to both internal and external colleagues, when required, in line with Service Protocol and Trust Policies.
* To be aware of the teams daily movements, compile daily visitor lists, text message patient appointment details and assist in booking therapy rooms.
* Undertake routine clerical duties including filing, data entry, scanning and photocopying as required.
* To be responsible for care and maintenance of office equipment, ordering and maintaining office stocks and stationery for the Team.
* To work constructively and flexibly as part of the admin team. To collaborate in providing cover across the service as required.
* To provide evening reception cover according to service hours when required in line with the clinical teams working from site.
* Contribute to the development of reception responsibilities and the quality of service provided to all patients, clients and visitors.
* Assist in delivering local induction programmes for new staff to the team (e.g. training staff on reception duties and administrative procedures, as required).
* To ensure the safe keeping of all clients records, maintaining confidentiality, and to maintain electronic and manual systems of activity information, retrieval and data input when required.
* To liaise with Estates and Facilities regarding facilities used by the service including facilitating room bookings via Support Services.
* To provide administrative support to the senior management upon request.
* To support with IT equipment on site and for staff working from home, logging jobs with the IT helpdesk when required, manage the IT equipment inventory stock list, managing access fobs for the sites.
* To take up tasks and responsibilities as delegated by the admin lead as required and appropriate for this Grade/Band.
* To be a First Aider/Fire Warden and Health and Safety Officer for the service and undertake risk assessments for the buildings.
Person Specification
Education / Qualification / Training – Essential
* Good standard of written and spoken English.
* Customer Care or equivalent experience.
* Evidence of Continued Professional Development.
Experience – Essential
* Minimum of 3 years administrative experience.
* Working as part of an NHS administrative team for at least a year.
* Experience of patient databases.
Knowledge and Skills – Essential
* Microsoft Office user.
* Experience of patient databases.
Other – Essential
* Professional accountability.
* Reliable, flexible and adaptable.
* Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to get things done in cooperation with others and as part of a support team.
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
East London NHS Foundation Trust
Gilbert Hitchcock House, 21 Kimbolton Rd, Bedford, MK40 2AW
https://www.elft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)
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