Meet North Devon TALKWORKS Administrator: Ed

We sat down with Ed from our TALKWORKS Torridge team, who discusses what his role as an administrator looks like in an NHS talking therapies service.

Hi Ed, please can you tell us about yourself?

Hi, my name is Ed Rustioni and I am a member of the small, but mighty, Torridge admin team. I have worked for TALKWORKS since July 2023 and have been living in North Devon for about 2 and a half years. Before settling here, we lived Iowa, USA for 10 years (my wife is American) and prior to that we lived in South Korea for just over 5 years teaching English at a maritime university in a busy little port town called Mokpo.

Fun fact: Whilst in Korea I got a black belt in Taekwondo! I love travelling having been to Tibet, Australia, and Peru amongst many other places, but now we have a 4 year old and a 10 month old the most exotic location we go to is the soft play!

What made you DECIDE TO join TALKWORKS?

I spent 10 years in America telling anyone who would listen how great the NHS was, so when we moved back to the UK it made sense that I would try and find a job within it. TALKWORKS appealed to me as my Dad had suffered with anxiety and depression, so I applied for the job and was fortunate enough to get it.

What does a typical day look like for you as a TALKWORKS administrator?

My day starts at 8:00am with checking any voicemails that have come in overnight and notifying therapists of any cancellations or messages that have been left for them. If any therapists are off sick, this is the point where we get our heads down to cancel their clinics as soon as we can. I always try and make time first thing in the morning and at various points throughout the day to chat with other staff members who make their way through the admin office. We don’t have a designated staff room at 109 Boutport Street, so I feel that it is really important to have a space where people can come and decompress for a few minutes and have a light-hearted chat.

The phones get turned on at 9:00am, so there is usually a rush of calls coming through in the first hour with clients cancelling appointments and rearranging assessments. Then, depending on the day, I can either be screening self-referrals that have come in through the website or manning the phones to deal with whatever the day throws my way, along with processing the referrals that have come through to the North Devon admin teams.

Do you do anything outside your day-to-day admin role?

I am involved in a couple of extra bits and pieces that fall outside of the regular duties of Admin staff too. I am a member of the Volunteer Steering Group, so attend meetings for that and help monitor the inbox used for submitting volunteer requests. I am also one of the Torridge Wellbeing Champions which involves planning wellbeing activities for the team and collaborating with the Wellbeing Champions from the Taw Team to put on joint social events for our staff.

What do you like most about working at TALKWORKS?

I really enjoy the variety of things that I have become involved with since I started at TALKWORKS. I’m very lucky to work with a great team spread across North Devon. I know that each day will be a little different from the last when I sit at my desk and there is always a good group of people around to share the experience with. It’s also nice to know that, even in a small way, you are helping people to try and improve their lives. It is quite fulfilling when you take a call from someone, who is clearly nervous about asking for help and assisting them to take that first step on the road to recovery.

How can someone access support from TALKWORKS if they are struggling?

If you are going through a difficult time and are experiencing low mood, stress or anxiety, please don’t keep this to yourself. TALKWORKS is an NHS talking therapies service and our team can help get you back on track. You don’t need a referral from a GP to access our service – you can self refer either by completing our online self-referral form or by calling the team on 0300 555 3344. As a service that is part of Devon Partnership NHS Trust, all of our treatment and support is available free of charge to adults (age 18+) living in Devon (outside Plymouth).