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 4 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 Exeter and the course commences on the 9th September 2025. Applicants must be able to commence employment by 1st September 2025. 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 anticipated to be in London, on 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.
Please be aware that the closing date will 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 which will be located in Horsham West Sussex. You will need to be able and willing to travel to different sites as required in West Sussex.
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. We actively encourage candidates who have non-standard qualifications and/or experiences to apply (see entry requirements attached).
About us
We are the main provider of NHS community services across East and West Sussex, with 6,000 staff serving 1.3 million people. We deliver essential care to adults and children, helping them manage their health, avoid hospital admissions, and reduce hospital stays.
Our Trust vision is to provide excellent care at the heart of the community. We offer opportunities across medical, clinical, support, and corporate services.
Why work for us?o Positive 2023 NHS Staff Survey results, highlighting compassionate leadership and wellbeingo Varied environments: community hospitals, patients' homes, and bases across Sussexo Flexible working options: part-time, flexi-time, annualised hours, and flexi-retiremento Excellent training, development, and research opportunitieso Cost-effective workplace nurseries in Crawley, Hove, and Brightono Active EMBRACE, Disability & Wellbeing, LGBTQIA+, and Religion & Belief networkso Level 3 Disability Confident Leader and Veteran Aware Trusto Beautiful Sussex location near the South Downs and coast
Our values--Compassionate Care, Working Together, Achieving Ambitions, Delivering Excellence--guide everything we do.
We embrace diversity and encourage applications from all backgrounds, particularly from ethnically diverse, disabled, and LGBTQIA+ individuals. We aim to create an inclusive environment and support reasonable adjustments during recruitment.
This post may close early if sufficient applications are received.
Job description
Job responsibilities
a) Accept referrals via agreed protocols within the service.
b) Assess and support people with a common mental health problem in the self management of their recovery.
c) Provide a range of information and support for evidence based high volume, low-intensity psychological treatments. This may include Guided Self Help, computerised low intensity CBT, and information about pharmacological treatments. This work may be face to face, telephone or via other media.
d) Undertake patient-centred interviews which identify areas where the person wishes to see change and/or recovery and make an accurate assessment of risk to self and others.
e) Assess and integrate issues surrounding work and employment into the overall therapy process.
f) Complete all requirements relating to data collection within the service.
g) Participate in individual performance review and respond to agreedobjectives.
h) This post may require the post holder to travel to other sites in the course of fulfilment of their duties.
i) The service is commissioned to provide patient access 8am to 8pm and the post holder may be required to improve access to mental health services by working some out of hours sessions. Provide a summarised list of the main activities the post holder will spend their time doing. This will vary from job to job. This section should not normally contain at least 10 separate paragraphs.
Please see Job Description, Person Specification & Entry Requirements Checklist in the supporting documents for a full person specification.
Job description
Job responsibilities
a) Accept referrals via agreed protocols within the service.
b) Assess and support people with a common mental health problem in the self management of their recovery.
c) Provide a range of information and support for evidence based high volume, low-intensity psychological treatments. This may include Guided Self Help, computerised low intensity CBT, and information about pharmacological treatments. This work may be face to face, telephone or via other media.
d) Undertake patient-centred interviews which identify areas where the person wishes to see change and/or recovery and make an accurate assessment of risk to self and others.
e) Assess and integrate issues surrounding work and employment into the overall therapy process.
f) Complete all requirements relating to data collection within the service.
g) Participate in individual performance review and respond to agreedobjectives.
h) This post may require the post holder to travel to other sites in the course of fulfilment of their duties.
i) The service is commissioned to provide patient access 8am to 8pm and the post holder may be required to improve access to mental health services by working some out of hours sessions. Provide a summarised list of the main activities the post holder will spend their time doing. This will vary from job to job. This section should not normally contain at least 10 separate paragraphs.
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 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
- 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
- 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
- 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 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 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
- 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
- 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
- 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 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.
