Trainee High Intensity Therapist - High Wycombe inHigh Wycombe inHigh Wycombe PUBLISHED THU 17 OCT 2024

Band 6: £37,338 to £44,962 a year per annum, pro-rata PERMANENT
MENTAL HEALTH NHS SOCIAL WORK

Oxford Health NHS Trust rH27iWzC

The role of Trainee High Intensity Therapist at Oxford Health NHS Trust in High Wycombe offers an exciting opportunity to pursue training as a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist (CBT). Candidates will be part of Bucks Talking Therapies, a highly regarded service that utilizes a hybrid model of working—combining office-based, face-to-face clinic, and remote work. The training, commencing in March 2025, involves attending the University of Reading for classes and participating in clinical practice under supervision, with earlier onboarding in February for induction. Applicants must possess a core mental health qualification or demonstrate equivalent competencies through a Knowledge, Skills, and Attitude (KSA) portfolio.

The position is structured to provide extensive training aimed at achieving BABCP accreditation, with the initial role being Band 6 during training and moving to Band 7 upon successful completion of the course. Applicants need to be committed to delivering effective psychological therapies for common mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression, and will be evaluated on their performance after qualification to secure a permanent Band 7 position.

Are you interested in training to be a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist?

This is an exciting opportunity to join Bucks Talking Therapies as a Trainee High Intensity Therapist! We are a nationally recognised, high performing, diverse and innovative Talking Therapies service, offering excellent care.

We work using a hybrid model, with time spent in office bases, face-to-face clinic and working remotely. The training year will consist of a mixture of face-to-face teaching days in Reading and an expectation to work from your office base and offer a face-to-face clinic. Until successful completion of the course you are required to work from either an office/clinic base or university for 4 days per week and will have the opportunity to work from home 1dayper week. Once training is complete all newly qualified members of staff will need to complete a new hybrid working agreement.Please note this will be subject to review in line with service requirements.

We run clinics from a variety of community venues across Buckinghamshire and our main bases are located centrally in High Wycombe in the south and Aylesbury in the north of the county. We have opportunities for trainee CBT therapists in both High Wycombe and Aylesbury.

Thereare separate adverts for the posts in each base, if you wish to be considered for both locations, you only need to apply once.

You will have a core mental health profession, for example mental health nurse, social worker or occupational therapist. Applicants who do not have a core professional qualification as defined by the BABCP (such as qualified Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners) are required to provide evidence of knowledge, skills and attitude (KSA) competences (details below).

Bucks Talking Therapies supports over 10,000 adults every year to manage their common mental health difficulties, such as anxiety and depression. Our service has over 250 staff including PWPs, High Intensity Therapists, referral coordinators, employment advisors, managers and administrators. You will be trained to deliver effective, evidence-based psychological therapies either in person, online via digital platforms, or telephone, either individually or in groups.

About us
In return, we offer you a thorough training in CBT based at the University of Reading (UoR), clinical experience through Bucks Talking Therapies, and a supportive supervisor team, at both University and on placement, throughout your training.

The training programme is scheduled to start in March 2025 and ideally people will start work with the service in early February to complete induction and other duties. Applicants must be able and willing to travel to Reading regularly for their training year (university supervision is blended and teaching is held in person).

You will attend the UoR Post Graduate Diploma in Evidence Based Psychological Treatments for two days a week from March 2025. You will receive clinical supervision (CBT) from the UoR and Bucks Talking Therapies BABCP accredited clinicians, as well as managerial supervision in service.

Please note: for those applicants who already hold a psychological therapist qualification (e.g. clinical, counselling or health psychologists or core profession) these posts will be a Band 7 during and post training. Please mention this during your interview if you think you may be eligible to be paid at Band 7 during training. For all other applicants, the post will be a Band 6 during training, moving to a Band 7 once the training course has been passed and competencies have been achieved.

Following completion of the course, moving to a qualified Band 7 post will be contingent on meeting a number of strict criteria related to the roles and performance of a HI therapist. These will be regularly assessed over the first 6 months post qualification and all these need to be fulfilled to meet the full requirements of a HI therapist.

PWPs are eligible to apply when they have completed a minimum of 2 years of employment as a PWP after passing all PWP course requirements at internal exam board. The only exception to this 2 year rule is if a PWP holds a previous core professional qualification recognised by the BABCP.

You will have an understanding and experience of cognitive behaviour therapy and wish to complete a BABCP accredited training in CBT. The training prepares you to meet BABCP accreditation requirements in order to work in Talking Therapies services. This is an excellent, but demanding course and candidates are expected to complete all its requirements within 12 months of starting the training.

The course you will be completing at the University of Reading as part of this role is a Level 2 accredited course with BABCP. This means that upon completion trainees will meet criteria to apply for accreditation as a CBT therapist with the BABCP. To apply, you must meet the criteria for CBT training and also have a BABCP-recognised professional background in mental health or related areas. This means having a recognised Core Profession. If you do not have a Core Profession, you must complete a portfolio of evidence to show that you have equivalent training and experience. This is known as the Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes portfolio (KSA). You can find out more on the KSA portfolio here: www.jobsincare.com/job/jbnsHLmO
If your application is successful and you are invited for an interview, you should have completed your KSA. You will be asked for a copy of you self-statement for KSA criterion 4 in the interview. Please see the BABCP website for guidance and exemplars.

Please also be aware, if you have completed previous Health Education England funded training (e.g. PWP training), you cannot attend High Intensity training until 2 full years after your previous trainings exam boards we will require proof of this time period prior to interview if you completed any NHS England funded psychological therapies training before 23rd February 2023. The completion date will usually be the date of your qualifications certificate. If you are uncertain, please contact your awarding institution. As the training course will begin on 24th February 2025, any NHS E (formally Health Education England) funded training certificates must be dated two full calendar years before this.

Please be advised that we intend on holding interviews on 18th, 19th and 20th November 2024.

The 2-year psychological professions funding rule policy was implemented from 1st April 2022 and applies to any person starting on one of the NHS-E funded psychological professions training programmes from 1st April 2022. For further information about the policy, FAQs and the affected training programmes visit NHS-Es website. NHS funding for psychological professions training programmes | NHS England | Workforce, training and education (hee.nhs.uk)

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Useful skills for a Trainee High Intensity Therapist - High Wycombe: Click to view

To work as a Trainee High Intensity Therapist (HIT) in the UK, particularly within the context of Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services, you will need a combination of clinical and interpersonal skills, as well as specific qualifications. Here are some key skills and attributes that are important for this role:

1. Clinical Skills:

- Understanding of psychological theories and therapeutic modalities, particularly Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).

- Ability to conduct thorough assessments and formulate treatment plans.

- Experience in delivering therapy sessions effectively, while adhering to ethical guidelines.

2. Communication Skills:

- Strong verbal and written communication skills to convey complex information clearly and empathetically.

- Active listening skills to understand clients’ concerns and adapt therapeutic approaches accordingly.

3. Empathy and Compassion:

- A genuine ability to show empathy and compassion towards clients, understanding their experiences and perspectives.

4. Problem-Solving Skills:

- The ability to think critically and adapt therapeutic approaches based on client needs and progress.

- Skills in evaluating therapy outcomes and modifying treatment plans where necessary.

5. Organizational Skills:

- Good time management and organizational skills, as you will need to manage multiple clients and documentation efficiently.

6. Teamwork:

- Ability to collaborate with other healthcare professionals, such as psychologists, psychiatrists, and social workers, within a multidisciplinary team.

7. Resilience and Self-Care:

- Emotional resilience to handle the challenges of working in mental health and the ability to practice self-care to prevent burnout.

8. Cultural Sensitivity:

- Awareness of diverse backgrounds and the ability to provide culturally competent care.

9. Continuous Learning:

- A commitment to ongoing professional development and learning to keep up with best practices and new therapeutic techniques.

10. IT Skills:

- Competence in using clinical software and electronic health records for documentation and appointment scheduling.

Qualifications:

To become a Trainee High Intensity Therapist, you typically need:

- A relevant undergraduate degree in psychology, social work, nursing, or a related field.

- A postgraduate training course in High Intensity Therapy, usually approved by the British Psychological Society (BPS) or the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP).

- Experience in mental health services, often as a support worker or similar role, may be required or advantageous.