Job summary
What is a the role of a trainee cognitive behavioural therapist?
Cognitive behavioural therapists equip people with the tools and techniques they need to overcome complex problems related to anxiety and depression by providing a range of evidence-based cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) interventions.
Entry requirements
Postgraduate diplomas in CBT are usually aimed at experienced healthcare professionals. To access a postgraduate diploma in CBT, you need to have secured a high intensity therapist trainee position within an IAPT service.
These positions are open to healthcare professionals with a BABCP recognised core professional qualification, including:
- mental health nursing
- clinical or counselling psychology
- medicine
- social work
- occupational therapy
- counselling
- psychotherapy/psychotherapeutic counselling
- teacher of special education / needs
- probation services
More information can be found on NHS Careers https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/psychological-therapies/roles/high-intensity-therapist
Main duties of the job
This post holder will be an experienced psychological therapist or core professional who will be taking on an additional training role within the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies Programme (IAPT). The post-holder will work within the IAPT service providing high intensity interventions whilst undertaking a programme of training for this role. This intensive training post will equip the post holder to provide a cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) service to clients with a range of mental health problems for which CBT is demonstrated to be clinically effective. The post holder will work in the service for 3 days of the week bringing their already well developed skills to practice at the same time as using the newly developed skills from the 12 month training programme which they will undertake for the other 2 days with University of East Anglia.
The post holder will work with people with different cultural backgrounds and ages, using interpreters when necessary and should be committed to equal opportunities
About us
Who are Therapy For You (IAPT)?
We offer free to access NHS talking therapy services, delivered across South East Essex and North East Essex.
We are part of EPUT (Essex Partnership University Foundation Trust) providing the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme and offer support to people with commonplace mental health problems such as anxiety and low mood.
Postholders will join a team of high intensity therapists, counsellors, EMDR therapists and PWPs. This is a demanding but well supported role.
We are committed to meeting the needs of the community and therefore staff are expected to offer out of hours appointments, typically an evening or a Saturday morning.
It is essential that postholders are able to travel independently across the geography.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Main Duties and Responsibilities
- CLINICAL
- Accept referrals via agreed protocols within the service.
- Assess clients for suitability for psychological interventions.
- To evaluate and make decisions on suitability of new referrals, adhering to the services referral protocols, and refer unsuitable clients on to the relevant service or back to the referral agent as necessary.
- Formulate, implement and evaluate therapy programmes drawing on a range of theoretical and therapeutic models across a range of mental health problems with which clients present.
- Use highly developed communication skills in working with people to understand their personal and often very sensitive difficulties and develop a range of treatment interventions.
- To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment and treatment of clients in line with the service.
2. TRAINING AND SUPERVISION
- Attend and fulfil all the requirements of the training element of the post, within specified timeframes.
- Apply learning from the training programme in practice.
- Receive supervision from educational providers in relation to course work to meet the required standards.
3. PROFESSIONAL
- Upon completion of the course, candidates are expected to achieve and maintain accreditation with the BABCP.
- Ensure the maintenance of standards of practice according to the employer and any regulating, professional and accrediting bodies (e.g. BPS, UKCP, BABCP), and keep up to date on new recommendations/guidelines set by the Department of Health (e.g. NHS plan, National Service Framework, National Institute for Clinical Excellence).
Full details available on Job Description and Person Specification.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Main Duties and Responsibilities
- CLINICAL
- Accept referrals via agreed protocols within the service.
- Assess clients for suitability for psychological interventions.
- To evaluate and make decisions on suitability of new referrals, adhering to the services referral protocols, and refer unsuitable clients on to the relevant service or back to the referral agent as necessary.
- Formulate, implement and evaluate therapy programmes drawing on a range of theoretical and therapeutic models across a range of mental health problems with which clients present.
- Use highly developed communication skills in working with people to understand their personal and often very sensitive difficulties and develop a range of treatment interventions.
- To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment and treatment of clients in line with the service.
2. TRAINING AND SUPERVISION
- Attend and fulfil all the requirements of the training element of the post, within specified timeframes.
- Apply learning from the training programme in practice.
- Receive supervision from educational providers in relation to course work to meet the required standards.
3. PROFESSIONAL
- Upon completion of the course, candidates are expected to achieve and maintain accreditation with the BABCP.
- Ensure the maintenance of standards of practice according to the employer and any regulating, professional and accrediting bodies (e.g. BPS, UKCP, BABCP), and keep up to date on new recommendations/guidelines set by the Department of Health (e.g. NHS plan, National Service Framework, National Institute for Clinical Excellence).
Full details available on Job Description and Person Specification.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- oA registered core profession as required by the BABCP or an undergraduate degree and KSA demonstrating that they have the knowledge, skills and attitudes required
Desirable
- oAn undergraduate degree in a psychology related field
Experience
Essential
- oDemonstrable experience of working with people experiencing mental health difficulties
- oExperience of delivery of short term focused interventions.
- oExperience of ability to meet agreed/specified service targets, clinical outcomes and manage own caseload and time.
- oDemonstrates high standards in written communication, experience of writing reports and letters.
- oDemonstrates an understanding of anxiety and depression and how it may present in primary care
- oDemonstrates understanding of issues surrounding clinical risk
- oExperience of engaging with all health professionals in promoting the good integration of this service with the wider health care system
Desirable
- oPrior experience to working within primary care services
- oKnowledge of medication used in anxiety and depression and other mental health problems
- oExperience of delivery of short term focused interventions
- Experience of ability to meet agreed/specified service targets, clinical outcomes and manage own caseload and time
Skills/Knowledge
Essential
- oIT literate - working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications including email
Desirable
- oPrior experience of using patient record databases
Specialist Training
Essential
- oAbility to integrate training into practice
- oAbility to complete academic components of the course
Desirable
- oEvidence of prior training in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy informed approaches
Personal competencies and qualities
Essential
- oAbility to work individually or within a team and foster good working relationships
- oAn awareness of and commitment to supporting and facilitating diversity, equality and inclusion
- oAbility to work under pressure
Desirable
- oFluency in additional languages
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- oA registered core profession as required by the BABCP or an undergraduate degree and KSA demonstrating that they have the knowledge, skills and attitudes required
Desirable
- oAn undergraduate degree in a psychology related field
Experience
Essential
- oDemonstrable experience of working with people experiencing mental health difficulties
- oExperience of delivery of short term focused interventions.
- oExperience of ability to meet agreed/specified service targets, clinical outcomes and manage own caseload and time.
- oDemonstrates high standards in written communication, experience of writing reports and letters.
- oDemonstrates an understanding of anxiety and depression and how it may present in primary care
- oDemonstrates understanding of issues surrounding clinical risk
- oExperience of engaging with all health professionals in promoting the good integration of this service with the wider health care system
Desirable
- oPrior experience to working within primary care services
- oKnowledge of medication used in anxiety and depression and other mental health problems
- oExperience of delivery of short term focused interventions
- Experience of ability to meet agreed/specified service targets, clinical outcomes and manage own caseload and time
Skills/Knowledge
Essential
- oIT literate - working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications including email
Desirable
- oPrior experience of using patient record databases
Specialist Training
Essential
- oAbility to integrate training into practice
- oAbility to complete academic components of the course
Desirable
- oEvidence of prior training in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy informed approaches
Personal competencies and qualities
Essential
- oAbility to work individually or within a team and foster good working relationships
- oAn awareness of and commitment to supporting and facilitating diversity, equality and inclusion
- oAbility to work under pressure
Desirable
- oFluency in additional languages
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).
