Are you looking for a job where you can make a difference? Do you like the idea of working in the NHS? Are you interested in the experiences of people coping with mental health issues? Join us as a Trainee Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP) or a High intensity Cognitive Behavioural Trainee (CBT) Therapist and see for yourself how much of a difference you can make to people’s lives.
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What is a Trainee Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner?
As a trainee PWP you will work in a supportive team providing high-volume low-intensity interventions using brief cognitive behavioural therapy to clients presenting with mild-to-moderate depression and anxiety. Once qualified you will deliver a minimum of 20 hours a week of direct clinical work, consisting of assessment and treatment and spanning a variety of formats (1:1, online 1-1, courses, telephone, video and face-to-face).
How about the benefits?
As a PWP you’ll make a difference to people with mental health problems. As you will be employed by the NHS, you’ll have good holiday entitlement and access to:
- fully funded training plus a salary while you train and a job in the service when you qualify
- an excellent pension scheme
- NHS discounts in shops and restaurants
Where can a PWP role take me?
You will be provided with ongoing supervision to help you engage in self-reflection, seek and respond to feedback, and develop your professional knowledge and skills. As a qualified and experienced PWP you can apply for senior posts. We have access to a range of continuing professional developments (CPD) and opportunities to train in clinical work and in leadership.
Am I eligible for PWP training?
Training is open to people with a range of experience but it will help your application if you have a years experience of working with people with mental health problems, and good interpersonal skills are essential for the role.
What happens when I qualify?
If you do not have the relevant professional body (BABCP or BPS) qualification, you can work towards registration within 6 months of qualification. As a qualified and experienced PWP you can develop in specialist areas of interest as ‘champion’, or apply for senior posts.
What is a High Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Therapist?
A large part of your role will be to assess a service user’s suitability for evidence-based psychological interventions, formulating and implementing treatment and evaluating progress. Once treatment begins, you’ll meet with service users regularly, usually weekly, to measure and review progress and tailor treatment accordingly.
You’ll work independently with service users and collaborate closely with other healthcare professionals, managing referrals and signposting to other agencies as appropriate.
You'll also offer specialist advice and consultation to other professionals, individuals and groups across mental health trusts, community-based trusts and other voluntary agencies on the practice and delivery of specific therapeutic models and service provision.
Where can a High Intensity CBT Therapist role take me?
There is a wide range of opportunities for qualified high intensity therapists. You could move into a role with more senior responsibility, such as clinical leadership, supervision or service management/leadership.
Entry requirements
To become a qualified high intensity therapist, you’ll need to gain a postgraduate diploma in CBT while working as a trainee high intensity therapist within an NHS Talking Therapies service. To be eligible for the training you will need to meet the minimum requirements. Further information on the minimum requirements and the role can be found here.
What is IPT?
IPT is a talking treatment that helps people with depression identify and address problems in their relationships with family, partners and friends. IPT considers that poor relationships with people in your life can leave you feeling depressed. Depression can in turn make your relationships with other people worse.
This role provides a qualified specialist psychological therapy service for depression to clients from the NHS Talking Therapies service.
Where can an IPT role take me?
The IPT role is a professional qualification, which enhances a previous core profession. Staff may develop the skills and experience to enable them to offer supervision within the IPT modality. The professional qualification provides a foundation to progress to other senior management roles within Talking Therapies.
Entry requirements
- A minimum two-year post-graduate (or equivalent) qualification in Psychotherapeutic Counselling, Psychotherapy, Counselling, or Counselling Psychology, comprising no less than 450 hours programme contact and no less than 450 hours supervised counselling or psychotherapy practice.
- Completion of an IPT qualification as specified by the NHS Talking Therapies manual. There are often opportunities to gain this qualification whilst working in a Talking Therapies trainee IPT role.
Long Term Conditions
What is a LTC?
We support adults who are diagnosed with LTC’s and who are experiencing symptoms of anxiety, low mood and stress. It is common for health conditions to affect us and can impact our mental health. It is also common for us to not know how to manage this. The mind and body are closely linked and our mood can make our symptoms worse and difficult to cope with.
We offer a wide range of support for many different long-term health conditions, including:
- chronic pain
- fatigue
- diabetes (type 1 and type 2)
- respiratory conditions (e.g. asthma, COPD),
- cardiac disease
- long COVID
- irritable bowel syndrome
Clinical/Counselling Psychologist in Long Term Conditions
What does a Clinical/Counselling Psychologist in Long Term Conditions do?
Working as a clinical or counselling psychologist in the Talking Therapies Long Term Conditions (LTCs) service arm involves providing specialist high intensity psychological assessment, formulation and intervention for a range of presenting health conditions, for example chronic pain, chronic fatigue, diabetes, COPD, coronary heart disease and long covid. This may involve providing individualised therapy or facilitating groups.
The role also involves supporting the Talking Therapies workforce and physical health colleagues across the region with the delivery of services, providing highly specialist clinical supervision, consultation and training workshops.
Further, there are ongoing opportunities to undertake service development; creating, designing and developing specialist service pathways across the region, developing interventions and contributing to service evaluations.
Where can a Clinical/Counselling Psychologist in Long Term Conditions role take me?
There may be opportunities to contribute to national policy, guidelines and research projects. Role and job progression may involve moving into a senior management position, supporting the executive management team with leading the service.
Entry requirements
Applicants need to have completed a doctorate in clinical psychology or counselling psychology and hold HCPC registration as a clinical or counselling psychologist. Experience working with people with LTCs and applying psychological theory to clinical practice with this population would also be beneficial.
High Intensity CBT Therapist in Long Term Conditions
What does a High Intensity CBT Therapist in Long Term Conditions do?
Working as a High Intensity Therapist in the Talking Therapies Long Term Conditions (LTCs) service arm involves providing high intensity psychological assessment, formulation and intervention for a range of presenting health conditions, for example chronic pain, chronic fatigue, diabetes, COPD, coronary heart disease and long covid. This may involve providing individualised therapy, facilitating groups or supporting with the delivery of computerised-CBT.
The role also involves supporting the Talking Therapies workforce with the delivery of services, providing clinical supervision and training workshops. Further, there are ongoing opportunities to undertake service development through attending team and service meetings, taking on champion roles and by contributing to service evaluations.
Where can a High Intensity CBT Therapist in Long Term Conditions role take me?
There may be opportunities to contribute to national policy, guidelines and research projects. Role and job progression may involve moving into a more senior position; taking on leadership, consultancy or service management duties.
Entry Requirements
To become a qualified high intensity therapist, you’ll need to gain a postgraduate diploma in CBT or one of the other therapies while working as a trainee high intensity therapist within an NHS Talking Therapies service. To be eligible for the training you will need to meet the minimum requirements.
Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP) in Long Term Conditions
What does a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP) in Long Term Conditions do?
Working as a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP) in the Talking Therapies Long Term Conditions (LTCs) service arm involves providing low intensity CBT-based intervention for a range of presenting health conditions, for example chronic pain, chronic fatigue, diabetes, COPD, coronary heart disease and long covid. This may involve providing 1:1 therapy sessions, facilitating psycho-educational groups or supporting with the delivery of computerised-CBT.
The role involves attending ongoing supervision and training to develop your clinical practice. Further, the role involves taking on champion roles, being involved in service-related projects and undertaking service evaluations and clinical audits.
Where can a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP) in Long Term Conditions Role take me?
Role and job progression can involve moving into a more senior position; taking on leadership, supervision or service management duties. There are also opportunities to undertake ongoing CPD courses to advance your skills to a higher level.
Entry Requirements
To apply for the post you will need to be a qualified Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP). Experience working with people with LTCs and applying psychological theory to clinical practice with this population would also be beneficial.
Senior Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (SPWP) in Long Term Conditions
What does a Senior Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (SPWP) in Long Term Conditions do?
Working as a Senior Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP) in the Talking Therapies Long Term Conditions (LTCs) service arm involves providing low intensity CBT-based intervention for a range of presenting health conditions, for example chronic pain, chronic fatigue, diabetes, COPD, coronary heart disease and long covid. This may involve providing 1:1 therapy sessions, facilitating psycho-educational groups or supporting with the delivery of computerised-CBT.
A central aspect of this role involves being embedded within physical health teams across the region to support the integrated delivery of psychological support to those with LTCs. The role also involves taking on LTC champion roles, being involved in service-related projects and undertaking service evaluations and clinical audits.
Further, the role involves attending ongoing training and supervision with clinical psychologists and HI CBT Therapists to develop your clinical practice.
Where can a Senior Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (SPWP) in Long Term Conditions role take me?
Role and job progression can involve moving into a more senior position; taking on leadership, supervision or service management duties. There are also opportunities to undertake ongoing CPD courses to advance your skills to a higher level.
Entry Requirements
To apply for the post you will need to be a qualified Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP). You will also need to demonstrate previous evidence of working with people with LTCs and applying psychological theory to clinical practice with this population as well as experience working alongside physical health colleagues.
Assistant Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP) in Long Term Conditions
What does an Assistant Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (APWP) in Long Term Conditions do?
Working as an Assistant Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (APWP) in the Talking Therapies Long Term Conditions (LTCs) service arm involves providing supporting with the delivery of psycho-educational CBT-based groups for a range of presenting health conditions, for example chronic pain, chronic fatigue, diabetes, COPD, coronary heart disease and long covid.
The role also involves taking on a LTCs champion role, being involved in service-related projects, promoting the service and undertaking service evaluations and clinical audits.
Where can an Assistant Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (APWP) in Long Term Conditions Role take me?
The role can provide relevant experience for applying for training to become a qualified PWP.
Entry Requirements
To apply for the post you will need to have experience of working with people with LTCs and applying psychological theory to clinical practice with this population.
