Job summary
**DO NOT PROCEED WITH YOUR APPLICATION UNTIL YOU HAVE READ THE ESSENTIAL INFORMATION PACK IN THE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE**
**You MUST include answers to the 5 supporting questions stated in the Essential Information Pack or your application may not be considered**
Have you considered a career in talking therapies? Do you want to make a difference in helping people manage anxiety, stress and depression?
Train as a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP) with NHS West Sussex Talking Therapies (formally Time to Talk)
Training is provided in partnership with The University of Surrey, based in Guildford. The course commences in late September 2023.The University delivers a hybrid approach to teaching, involving some face-to-face and some remote learning.
The usual teaching days for the course are Wednesdays and Thursdays with some additional training days and teaching blocks. The remaining days will be spent in clinical practice in your designated team base.
Applications will not be considered after the closing date of midnight 17 May 2023.
Please be aware that the closing date may be brought forward if the number of applicants exceeds the required amount for shortlisting - so please apply early.
Main duties of the job
You will be part of a high-performing service which provides remote and face-to-face treatments for our patients including telephone, video and in-person appointments, with qualified staff being both home and office based. We offer flexible working, provide an 8am-8pm service and once qualified working one evening per week is required.
You will receive excellent clinical supervision from a Senior PWP. You will also have the opportunity to work with CBT Therapists, Counsellors and qualified PWPs, all of whom have a reputation for being friendly and supportive of trainees.
We have training posts available in a variety of locations across West Sussex. We also have positions available in our specialist leading long-term conditions team. You will need to be able and willing to travel to different sites as required in West Sussex.
Please note that you will be expected to pay for any travel you have to make to and from the University, although any travel between your work base and our locations in West Sussex will be covered by NHS West Sussex Talking Therapies expenses.
We are looking for candidates from a broad range of backgrounds. This enhances trainees' learning and we are also keen to develop a workforce that represents the diverse society in which we live. As part of this, the course is offered at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. We actively encourage candidates who have non-standard qualifications and/or experiences to apply (see entry requirements attached).
About us
We are a leading NHS Talking Therapies service with a track record of innovation, imagination and excellence. We are a flagship service within our Trust and recognised as one of the best service providers of psychological interventions in the country.
We pride ourselves on the support we offer trainees in the service, from designated trainers and senior staff to the whole team of administrators, managers and clinicians. We know from experience that our trainees are always keen to stay within the service upon completion of their course, and in the first year post qualifying as a PWP, our newly qualified staff are fully supported through all areas of the work to continue building their skills as a PWP through our excellent preceptorship scheme. Your wellbeing is of paramount importance to us and we have various initiatives in the service and in the wider Trust that can help to support you further.
Areas available:
Coastal: Chichester and Worthing
North: Crawley, Horsham, Burgess Hill
Teams available:
Core: supporting patients with anxiety and depression
Health: supporting patients with anxiety and depression who live with a long-term health condition. You can learn more about the Health team in our service on our website.
You must provide your preference for which area and team you are applying in your answer to question 5 in your supporting statement. Full details on how to do this can be found in the Essential Information Pack in the supporting documents on the right hand side.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see Job Description, Person Specification & Entry Requirements Checklist in the supporting documents for a full person specification.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see Job Description, Person Specification & Entry Requirements Checklist in the supporting documents for a full person specification.
Person Specification
Qualifications and/Or Professional Registration
Essential
- Evidence of working with people in a supportive or educational capacity
- Able to attend a 1-2 day per week course at University and work 3-4 days per week in service.
- Able to complete academic components of the course and integrate training into practice
Desirable
- Graduate
- Training in nursing, social work, occupational therapy, arts therapy or within a psychological therapy.
- Evidence of working with people who have suffered with a mental health problem
Exerience
Essential
- Evidence of having worked in a supportive or educational capacity with people/patients
- Evidence of working with people who have experienced a mental health problem or has an interest in or understanding of common mental health problems
- Demonstrates high standards in written communication
- Able to write clear reports and letters or ability to learn to do so.
- Experience of Black and Minority Ethnic communities, and / or the Hard to Reach communities [ e.g.: deaf, asylum seekers, homeless]
- Ability to manage own workload and time
Desirable
- Experience of working in Primary Care Services
- Experience of working across organisational boundaries, liaison and networking.
- Worked in a service where agreed targets in place demonstrating clinical outcomes
- Experience of working within set criteria and referring to other services as appropriate
Skills and Knowledge
Essential
- Computer literate
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including telephone skills
- Able to develop good therapeutic relationships with clients
- Demonstrates an understanding of anxiety and depression and how it may present in Primary Care
- Ability to work under pressure
- Regard for others and respect for individual rights of autonomy and confidentiality
- High level of enthusiasm and motivation
Desirable
- Ability to evaluate and put in place the effect of training
- Demonstrates a knowledge of the issues surrounding work and the impact it can have on mental health
- Knowledge of medication used in anxiety and depression and other common mental health problems
- Demonstrates an understanding for the need to use evidence based psychological therapies and how it relates to this post
- Ability to use clinical supervision and personal development positively and effectively
- Be committed to the concept of recovery and mental resilience
- Ability to be self-reflective, whilst working with service users, in own personal and professional development and in supervision
- Ability to work within a team and foster good working relationships
- Aptitude for group work
- Aptitude for integrating the Wellbeing Recovery Action Plan [WRAP] ethos into all aspects of client work
Other Requirements
Essential
- Able to work full time hours within 8am - 8pm according to commissioned service needs.
Desirable
- Car driver with ability and willingness to travel to locations throughout the organisation
- Fluent in language other than English
Person Specification
Qualifications and/Or Professional Registration
Essential
- Evidence of working with people in a supportive or educational capacity
- Able to attend a 1-2 day per week course at University and work 3-4 days per week in service.
- Able to complete academic components of the course and integrate training into practice
Desirable
- Graduate
- Training in nursing, social work, occupational therapy, arts therapy or within a psychological therapy.
- Evidence of working with people who have suffered with a mental health problem
Exerience
Essential
- Evidence of having worked in a supportive or educational capacity with people/patients
- Evidence of working with people who have experienced a mental health problem or has an interest in or understanding of common mental health problems
- Demonstrates high standards in written communication
- Able to write clear reports and letters or ability to learn to do so.
- Experience of Black and Minority Ethnic communities, and / or the Hard to Reach communities [ e.g.: deaf, asylum seekers, homeless]
- Ability to manage own workload and time
Desirable
- Experience of working in Primary Care Services
- Experience of working across organisational boundaries, liaison and networking.
- Worked in a service where agreed targets in place demonstrating clinical outcomes
- Experience of working within set criteria and referring to other services as appropriate
Skills and Knowledge
Essential
- Computer literate
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including telephone skills
- Able to develop good therapeutic relationships with clients
- Demonstrates an understanding of anxiety and depression and how it may present in Primary Care
- Ability to work under pressure
- Regard for others and respect for individual rights of autonomy and confidentiality
- High level of enthusiasm and motivation
Desirable
- Ability to evaluate and put in place the effect of training
- Demonstrates a knowledge of the issues surrounding work and the impact it can have on mental health
- Knowledge of medication used in anxiety and depression and other common mental health problems
- Demonstrates an understanding for the need to use evidence based psychological therapies and how it relates to this post
- Ability to use clinical supervision and personal development positively and effectively
- Be committed to the concept of recovery and mental resilience
- Ability to be self-reflective, whilst working with service users, in own personal and professional development and in supervision
- Ability to work within a team and foster good working relationships
- Aptitude for group work
- Aptitude for integrating the Wellbeing Recovery Action Plan [WRAP] ethos into all aspects of client work
Other Requirements
Essential
- Able to work full time hours within 8am - 8pm according to commissioned service needs.
Desirable
- Car driver with ability and willingness to travel to locations throughout the organisation
- Fluent in language other than English
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.
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).
Additional information
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.
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).
