Job Description

Jesmond, Newcastle Upon Tyne

Part Time - 12 to 18 hours per week (potential to work up to 24 hours at times to cover holidays)

14.00 per hour

Overview

Jesmond Therapy Centre is a private organisation which specialises in providing talking therapies including counselling, CBT and trauma therapy to children (9 plus), young people, individuals, couples and families. As a small centre, we are discretely based within the heart of Jesmond in a converted residential building accessed up a flight of stairs.

We are seeking a new person to join our small team in-person to fulfil the role of Therapy Centre Receptionist/Administrator.

This position will encompass working on our centre reception dealing face to face with clients and therapists and may involve working at a desk doing administrative work.

Work offered will be on a part time basis, typically comprising two or three x 6 hour shifts per week, plus an 8 hour shift on a Saturday once or twice per month.

Flexibility is required as the shift pattern may vary from week to week

About the Job Role

The centre is a quiet, confidential environment and a calm, respectful manner is essential at all times.

In the role of Receptionist, you will be required to respond promptly and efficiently to all enquiries which come into the centre; co-ordinate diary appointments and room bookings; take payments over the telephone; administer CPD course bookings and prepare rooms for CPD course events. You will deal personally with clients contacting the centre for therapy and perhaps most importantly will collect information on their individual circumstances in order that our referrals team can match them with the most appropriate therapist for their needs. Your ability to maintain confidentiality is a pre-requisite. You will also provide a warm welcome to all visitors and ensure the therapy rooms and communal areas of the building are clean and tidy at all times.

There may also be opportunities to undertake administrative tasks, which could include preparation of contractual documentation for new therapists; follow up with therapists to ensure their ethical body memberships and DBS checks are up to date; create promotional email campaigns, process courses and associated administration, carry out basic updates of our website, prepare a range of correspondence and assist with invoices. The balance between reception and administrative work may vary depending on service needs.

As we are a small centre, you will be a keyholder and will be responsible for opening up in the morning and locking up the building at night (depending upon your work pattern). This would involve short periods of lone working.

What are we looking for:

For many clients, coming to therapy for the first time can be very daunting. As the first point of contact on the telephone, by email and in person, your interpersonal skills are paramount in providing a friendly yet professional service to our clients and the therapists who work out of the centre.

You will therefore be a confident, approachable, articulate and empathic person who can quickly put people at ease whilst also being able to handle sometimes difficult client situations. These skills are also important in developing relationships with our team of qualified and experienced therapists.

As the front of house face of Jesmond Therapy Centre, you must be smart and presentable with a clear speaking voice.

Ideally, you will have experience of working in a clinical and/or counselling setting and will be appreciative of delivering a high-quality customer focused service to our clients as well as being able to deal efficiently with internal administrative processes and procedures. The ability to multi-task and prioritise is essential as is accuracy with good attention to detail.

A competent and confident user of IT, you will have good accurate typing skills and you will preferably have experience in using social media for business development. A good working knowledge of Word and Excel are minimum requirements.

Working Pattern

As we are open from Monday to Saturday, including 4 late nights until 9.15 pm, you must be able to work flexibly and be available to work at least one late night per week and at least one Saturday per month. Our working shifts tend to be six hours in duration, starting at either 9.30 am or 3.15 pm, with Saturday hours being 9.30 am to 5.30 pm.

We will try to accommodate your working hours preferences in terms of actual days and hours worked, however, flexibility to work additional hours to cover during holidays, sickness and other busy periods is essential.

To Apply

Please upload your CV and very importantly a

covering letter

telling us why you are the ideal candidate for the Therapy Centre Receptionist / Administrator role (please do not forget to attach this as we will be unable to consider your application without it).

After reading the full job description (see below),

please ensure you complete the additional questions fully

AND in your covering letter, please be sure to tell us:

The ideal number of hours per week you are looking for (between 12 and 21 are available) What hours you are generally available (from and to each day) during our opening hours stated below.
9.30 am - 9.30 pm - Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
9.30 am - 5.30 pm - Saturday (note- occasional 8.30 am starts when courses are running)

*Telling us your availability is essential to your application.

If you do not provide the hours you are available to work on your cover letter, we will be unable to consider you and will unfortunately need to reject your application

. Please note, that your availability is an indication of what hours you can work each day and is not a commitment to undertake those hours.

Interviews:

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an interview in-person at Jesmond Therapy Centre,
Newcastle Upon Tyne and may be asked to undertake some job relevant exercises to test skills and aptitudes.

All offers of work will be conditional and subject to:

Verification of Identity and eligibility to work in the UK 2 Written References from previous employers Confirmation of Qualifications A valid check under the Disclosure and Barring Service. If you don't have a transferrable Disclosure Check, Jesmond Therapy Centre will arrange for this to be done.

Note:

Jesmond Therapy Centre is based on the 1st and 2nd floors of a building, accessed by a flight of stairs (no lift). The role also involves a limited amount of cleaning, which may involve carrying equipment up and down the stairs.

JOB DESCRIPTION - THERAPY CENTRE RECEPTIONIST / ADMINISTRATOR

Job Purpose:

To offer a welcoming, friendly and supportive environment for clients who utilise the Centre's Services. To provide an administrative service to ensure that the Centre runs smoothly on a day to day basis, providing support to therapists and the centre manager.

Job Responsibilities:

1. Be the first point of contact for clients, therapists and other parties and respond promptly and efficiently to all enquiries by telephone, email and in person.

2. To take counselling referrals over the telephone to include collecting sensitive personal information, including the reasons for seeking therapy and accurately recording this data to pass on to the referral team for placement.

3. Process all counselling referrals and enquiries which come via the Jesmond Therapy
Centre website and accurately record this data to pass onto the referral team for placement.

4. Provide a warm welcome to all who enter the centre, informing new clients of the centre facilities and advising therapists when clients arrive for appointments

5. Manage the appointments calendar, including making new bookings, amending existing room bookings and processing room and client appointment cancellations

6. Update all relevant spreadsheets and documents including room bookings, referrals, cancellations, invoicing, therapist availability and course documents, ensuring that they are up to date at all times.

7. Process new course bookings, prepare documentation for delegates, arrange furniture and equipment for the course events and ensure course days run smoothly.

8. Undertake a range of written communications to a high standard of accuracy including preparing documentation for new therapists including writing for references and recording return of qualifications, DBS checks, Ethical Body membership and references.

9. Produce personalised Service Level Agreements for therapists and create and update both electronic and paper therapist personal files

10. Monitor expiry dates of therapist insurance documents and DBS checks, and liaise with therapists to ensure renewal documents are received in a timely manner.

11. Create ad hoc invoices when required for employer paying referrals / CPD courses / other third party invoices

12. Take card payments for client appointments and CPD course bookings

13. Basic updating of the Jesmond Therapy Centre website and assisting in updating social media platforms.

14. Maintain a high level of confidentiality of sensitive client and therapist data and ensure all confidential information is shredded in a timely manner.

15. Provide training to new colleagues to support them in their role.

16. Manage the reception area and therapy rooms with minimal supervision. There may be occasions when the Therapy Centre Receptionist /Administrator will be working alone in the building.

17. Be a keyholder and depending upon hours of work to either open up the building, preparing the Centre in readiness for business and/or to close and lock up the building at the end of the day.

18. Ensure the therapy rooms, reception, kitchen area and all communal areas are clean and tidy at all times ensuring a high standard of room presentation. On certain evenings to undertake cleaning and vacuuming when no cleaner is available.

Qualities, knowledge, skills and experience

1. Demonstrate confidence, approachability and empathy.

2. Good listening skills with the ability to quickly put people at ease whilst also being able to handle sometimes difficult client situations.

3. A clear speaking voice with excellent communication skills. Able to relate to clients who may be distressed and/or facing difficult personal circumstances.

4. One years previous experience of working in a customer facing role with a genuine commitment to providing an excellent customer focused service.

5. One years previous reception and administrative experience, ideally in a clinical setting.

6. Good organisational skills with the ability to prioritise own work effectively within deadlines.

7. Articulate with accurate written and typing skills with good attention to detail.

8. Experience of producing letters, emails and other correspondence to a high standard.

9. Good working knowledge of Microsoft Word and Excel.

10. Ideally a knowledge of updating social media platforms from a business perspective.

11. Good numerical and data checking skills.

12. Self-motivated and able to seek out work.

General

To take responsibility for the health, safety and welfare of yourself and through your acts and/or omissions do not affect your colleagues.

To comply with the Centre's health and safety policy.

To undertake all reasonable training activity designed to support you in your role.

The responsibilities detailed within this job description are not intended to be exhaustive and the job holder will be required to undertake any such other reasonable duties as may from time to time be required by the Centre.

Job Types: Part-time, Freelance

Pay: 14.00 per hour

Ability to commute/relocate:

Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 2AR: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Application question(s):

Work is offered on a self employed / freelance basis only. Are you prepared to work as a self employed / freelance person? It is essential for our application process that you submit a Covering Letter. Have you attached this before submitting your application? What are the minimum and maximum number of hours you are looking to work each week? Are you able to work at least one late night per week until 9.15 pm and at least one or two Saturdays per month?
Education:

A-Level or equivalent (preferred)
Experience:

Customer service: 1 year (required) Reception / Administrative: 1 year (required)
Language:

English (required)
Work authorisation:

United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: In person