HR Support Assistant in Watford

Herts Mind Network, (HMN) is a rapidly growing charity providing an essential and diverse range of mental health support across Hertfordshire. We have 8 Wellbeing Centres across the County and services include Crisis intervention, Complex needs and Community outreach, Peer and group support, Wellbeing and Counselling, Training and Education: for adults, young people and children in Hertfordshire.

HR Support Assistant Reference number: 328

Reports to: Head of HR

Working Hours: 37.5 hours per week (9:00 – 17:00 with 30 mins break)

Rate of Pay: £26,500 per annum

Working base: Watford Wellbeing Centre with ability to travel to locations in Hertfordshire as required

Contract: Permanent

About the role

This is a position offering someone with the appropriate values and experience, the opportunity to play a pivotal part in our small HR team. As an HR Support Assistant, we would expect you to have a strong customer service focus with a remit of providing high quality and accurate effective HR and payroll administration service including recruitment, onboarding and employee lifecycle processes and procedures. This role is part of first line HR support for a current headcount of 200 employees.

Key Responsibilities

• To work closely with the team and deliver a high quality accurate and confidential administrative process from recruitment throughout the employee journey at Herts Mind Network.
• Undertake general HR tasks as required and appropriate to the role including responding promptly to internal/external e-mails and completing other general administrative duties accurately and efficiently as needed.
• Maintain accurate records of all employee job changes and ensure the timely preparation and issue of updated contracts, letters and other HR documentation.
• To work in compliance with employment law and best practice for HR processes including, contracts, starters and leavers, employment checks, DBS checks, Right to Work checks and pre-employment referencing.
• Support with note taking for internal HR meetings, with guidance from the HR team.
• Arrange candidate interviews on request and follow up to ensure documentation and recruitment records are held according to our retention policy and GDPR standards.
• To administrate new starters, leavers and salary changes on our outsourced payroll bureau.
• To respond to Subject Access Requests in relation to employee SARs.
• Promoting communication about EAP, Cash plan and other benefits that may be available from time to time.
• To work with the HR team to maintain the quality standards system for all groups in line with National Mind Policy and ISO9001.
• Monitoring the Breathe HR System, ensuring employee profiles are up to date, including personal data, annual leave entitlement and job changes.
• Creating profiles for new employees on Breathe and ensuring the dashboard is up to date for all employees.
• Responding to queries regarding annual leave and absence, reporting and calculating allowances as required.
• Maintain our online E-learning resource (iHasco) ensuring new starters are onboarded and leavers are offboarded promptly. Complete monthly reporting on mandatory training for each directorate.
• Maintain our Cash Plan and EAP system to ensure new starters are added and leavers are offboarded.
• Ensure that Breathe is up to date and to be able to produce accurate and timely reports that aid decision making within HMN.
• Administrating and prompting line managers to complete the probation process and escalate if there are any performance feedback to the Senior Co-ordinator.
• Complete probation communications to ensure the documents are completed and up to date on Breathe and communications to employee, payroll and cash plan provider is accurate, prompt and up to date.
• Compile accurately information from HR systems and timesheets received each month for submission to payroll for processing.
• To collate and analyse employee data on a quarterly basis to produce accurate reports and visual tables for the Board.
• Update the HMN Organisational Chart and publish monthly intranet announcements on new starters and leavers.

General Responsibilities

• To promote HMN services, attending campaign and open days as required to raise mental health awareness.
• At all times to carry out every aspect of your duties with due regard to HMN policies and procedures including the Equalities statement.
• To maintain the utmost confidentiality at all times.
• Undertake other duties as may be reasonably determined by the Senior Leadership Team.

Benefits

• Annual leave entitlement of 25 days per year pro rata, rising to a max. of 29 days after 5 years employment (plus 8 days Bank Holidays).
• Birthday leave day.
• Cash plan health cover (after 6 months employment).
• Eligibility for blue light card.
• Employee Assistance Programme.
• Ongoing training relevant to your role.

Closing date for receipt of applications is 12 noon on Wednesday 18th February 2026. We will close the advert prior to this date if we receive sufficient applications. Interviews to be held Monday 23rd February 2026.

N.B. Please quote reference number 328 when completing your application for this role.

Equal Opportunities

We welcome applications from all suitably-qualified candidates, irrespective of gender, disability, marital or parental status, racial, ethnic or social origin, colour, religion, belief, or sexual orientation. In addition, during the various stages of recruitment, specific measures can be taken to ensure equal opportunities for candidates with disabilities or special needs. Hertfordshire Mind Network is committed to the Disability Confident and Mindful Employer charters. We actively recruit staff who have a lived experience of mental ill health. Our inclusive approach recognises the unique skills, knowledge, and perspectives that lived experience brings to our team.

No agencies please.