Job summary
We are seeking to recruit a Primary Care Counsellor for Depression in the IAPT North Herts Wellbeing Team. Candidates can be either trained in Counselling for Depression (now called Person- Centred Experiential Counselling for Depression (PCE-CfD) or have the appropriate qualifications to be able to attend the training, which we will fund as part of the role.
In line with the National IAPT programme, the Wellbeing Team provides evidence based talking therapies for people with mild to moderate mental health problems. The post holder will deliver IAPT compliant Counselling for Depression to patients referred or self-referred to the IAPT Primary Care Wellbeing Service.
We would welcome applications from people preferably from a humanistic/person centred/integrative counselling background, who may also be accredited in other evidence based, IAPT compliant therapies such as CBT, IPT, DIT.
Candidates will already be trained in the Counselling for Depression modality OR will be eligible for the Counselling for Depression modality training which will be funded by our service once appointed to post.
As part of the full time role (and if of interest) theremay be opportunity to provide such alternative modalities for an agreed number of weekly sessions. Accreditation with BACP/UKCP/HCPC/BABCP is a requirement for this post.
The post requires clients to be seen face to face at local sites and as online appointments, as required and appropriate to the client.
Main duties of the job
Duties and responsibilities are given in details in the job description.
This new role in the North Herts team follows the success of the post in the other areas, to deliver IAPT counselling for depression within a primary care NSH setting.
A full time qualified post will require a caseload of 20 clinical hours per week, which will be supported with clinical and caseload supervision and line management supervision.
For all posts, the Trust operates a robust Continuing Professional Development system within a Performance Management framework, including an annual appraisal and CPD review
The North Herts Wellbeing service are based in Stevenage and cover the North of Hertfordshire. The team works in a blend of online and in-person working, allowing staff to have some flexibility of working whilst feeling integrated and included as part of a team. The team offers a buddy system to allow you to have more informal support and learning, as part of a full induction into the service.
About us
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT) is an outstanding organisation with ambitions to match. We are one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of 'Outstanding' from theCare Quality Commission, and our aim is to be the leading provider of mental health and specialist learning disability services in the country.
Our family of over 3500 members of staff provide health and social care for over 400,000 people with mental ill health, physical ill health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Norfolk, delivering these services within the community and several inpatient settings. We also deliver a range of nationally commissioned specialist services including Tier 4 services for children and young people, perinatal services, plus medium and low secure learning disabilities services.
The care we provide makes a fantastic difference to the lives of our service users, their families and carers - everything is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout:
Our Trust values are:
Welcoming. Kind. Positive. Respectful. Professional.
These values are at the core of who we are, everything we do, and how we do it!
Would you like to be part of the HPFT family? Would you like work with us to ensure our service users live the fullest lives possible they can? Would you like to be supported in your career to be the best that you can be?
Then please read on..."
Job description
Job responsibilities
To provide a comprehensive assessment and therapeutic service for adult patients with common mental health problems referred to the IAPT service based on the IAPT counselling for depression modality, working within the context of primary care services.
To undertake risk assessment and risk management for individual clients and to provide advice to other professions within the Trust on psychological aspects of risk assessment including risk of self-harm.
To offer guidance to patients on the appropriate psychological and psychosocial management of their problems, and when appropriate to offer time limited Counselling for Depression to patients whose mental health problems can be addressed and ameliorated by the application of psychological therapy.
To make appropriate use of formal methods for the assessment of patients mental health, including structured and semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, rating scales and guided inquiry methods.
IF UNQUALAFIED TRAINEE, WE WOULD OFFER AS A TRAINING POST 75% OF THE SALARY
Job description
Job responsibilities
To provide a comprehensive assessment and therapeutic service for adult patients with common mental health problems referred to the IAPT service based on the IAPT counselling for depression modality, working within the context of primary care services.
To undertake risk assessment and risk management for individual clients and to provide advice to other professions within the Trust on psychological aspects of risk assessment including risk of self-harm.
To offer guidance to patients on the appropriate psychological and psychosocial management of their problems, and when appropriate to offer time limited Counselling for Depression to patients whose mental health problems can be addressed and ameliorated by the application of psychological therapy.
To make appropriate use of formal methods for the assessment of patients mental health, including structured and semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, rating scales and guided inquiry methods.
IF UNQUALAFIED TRAINEE, WE WOULD OFFER AS A TRAINING POST 75% OF THE SALARY
Person Specification
QUALIFICATIONS/EDUCATION/TRAINING
Essential
- Post-graduate training in professional counselling at a minimum of diploma level, and further skills acquired through the achievement of accreditation with the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) or UKCP registration
- Accreditation in the IAPT Counselling for Depression modality
Desirable
- Further post qualification, post graduate training in a recognised model of psychological therapy
- Further accreditation in an evidence based therapy such as IPT, DIT (in addition to accreditation in the Counselling for Depression modality).
PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE
Essential
- Experience of the assessment and psychological treatment of people with a wide range of mental health problems, of varying severity and complexity within NHS or Social care settings
- Significant experience of working as a qualified specialist mental health counsellor.
- Experience of Psychological assessment and treatment of a wide variety of client groups from different ethnic backgrounds across a broad range of settings
Desirable
- Experience of working in both Primary and Secondary Mental Health Care settings.
- Experience of Mental health problems and the capacity to use that experience to the benefit of patient care
SKILLS/KNOWLEDGE/ABILITY
Essential
- Knowledge of a range of psychological counselling procedures and techniques and practitioner level knowledge of at least one model of psychological therapy.
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of providing psychological therapy in a brief, time-limited way
- Knowledge of the BACP or UKCP code of ethics and particularly of confidentiality issues in Primary Care settings
- Awareness of therapeutic issues arising out of work in a multicultural setting and the potential impact of discrimination and disadvantage on mental health
- Up to date knowledge of Psychological research and national guidance relevant to working psychologically in Primary Care.
- Knowledge of legislation and its implication for clinical practice and the appropriate management of people presenting with mental health problems
- An understanding of the stepped care model of service delivery
- Skills in the provision of brief time-limited counselling/psychotherapy
- Skills in the assessment and evaluation of risk associated with mental ill health and related psychopathology.
- Skills in the presentation and dissemination of complex, emotionally highly sensitive information to both clinical and social care colleagues and patients and their families.
- Excellent communication skills.
- Commitment to continuing professional development to partnership working and to reflexive clinical practice
- Commitment to flexible working and to provide early or late clinics as required by the Service
- Capacity to work in situations demanding careful clinical judgement and with time limited specialist support.
Desirable
- Able to draw upon a broad theoretical knowledge base
- Knowledge of the structure and provision of Primary Care Services and how they relate to other health and mental health services
- Skills in the entry of information into the PCMIS clinical records and data entry system and in managing the care pathway within the PCMIS system
- Skills in the production of reports suitable for public presentations and presentations in a medico-legal setting
- High level knowledge in the assessment and evaluation of counselling and psychological therapies
Person Specification
QUALIFICATIONS/EDUCATION/TRAINING
Essential
- Post-graduate training in professional counselling at a minimum of diploma level, and further skills acquired through the achievement of accreditation with the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) or UKCP registration
- Accreditation in the IAPT Counselling for Depression modality
Desirable
- Further post qualification, post graduate training in a recognised model of psychological therapy
- Further accreditation in an evidence based therapy such as IPT, DIT (in addition to accreditation in the Counselling for Depression modality).
PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE
Essential
- Experience of the assessment and psychological treatment of people with a wide range of mental health problems, of varying severity and complexity within NHS or Social care settings
- Significant experience of working as a qualified specialist mental health counsellor.
- Experience of Psychological assessment and treatment of a wide variety of client groups from different ethnic backgrounds across a broad range of settings
Desirable
- Experience of working in both Primary and Secondary Mental Health Care settings.
- Experience of Mental health problems and the capacity to use that experience to the benefit of patient care
SKILLS/KNOWLEDGE/ABILITY
Essential
- Knowledge of a range of psychological counselling procedures and techniques and practitioner level knowledge of at least one model of psychological therapy.
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of providing psychological therapy in a brief, time-limited way
- Knowledge of the BACP or UKCP code of ethics and particularly of confidentiality issues in Primary Care settings
- Awareness of therapeutic issues arising out of work in a multicultural setting and the potential impact of discrimination and disadvantage on mental health
- Up to date knowledge of Psychological research and national guidance relevant to working psychologically in Primary Care.
- Knowledge of legislation and its implication for clinical practice and the appropriate management of people presenting with mental health problems
- An understanding of the stepped care model of service delivery
- Skills in the provision of brief time-limited counselling/psychotherapy
- Skills in the assessment and evaluation of risk associated with mental ill health and related psychopathology.
- Skills in the presentation and dissemination of complex, emotionally highly sensitive information to both clinical and social care colleagues and patients and their families.
- Excellent communication skills.
- Commitment to continuing professional development to partnership working and to reflexive clinical practice
- Commitment to flexible working and to provide early or late clinics as required by the Service
- Capacity to work in situations demanding careful clinical judgement and with time limited specialist support.
Desirable
- Able to draw upon a broad theoretical knowledge base
- Knowledge of the structure and provision of Primary Care Services and how they relate to other health and mental health services
- Skills in the entry of information into the PCMIS clinical records and data entry system and in managing the care pathway within the PCMIS system
- Skills in the production of reports suitable for public presentations and presentations in a medico-legal setting
- High level knowledge in the assessment and evaluation of counselling and psychological therapies
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).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
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).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
