Senior Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner

Job responsibilities

The post presents an opportunity for an experienced Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner, to move to develop their career within NHS Talking Therapies.

The post-holder will:

Hold an NHS Talking Therapies compliant qualification (Post Grad Dip/Cert) in Low Intensity working or Primary care Mental Health work.

Attended and completed the NHS Talking Therapies supervisor training.

Attended and completed the NHS Talking Therapies Long Term conditions training.

Offer evidence-based practice in facilitated self-help, psycho-educational groups and working with clients with long term physical health conditions.

In addition, there is a significant case management, and clinical supervision component to the post, and this is an opportunity for a qualified and experienced Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner who is enthusiastic and excited by the development of low intensity services to share their interest and passion, and to develop these qualities and skills in others. The post holder will take ownership of, or make contributions to identified project work, including working to deadlines, within the service as required.

The post holder will work with people with different cultural backgrounds and ages, using interpreters when necessary and may be called upon to work in various community settings.

The post holder will be expected to support their team, department and organisation by:

Focusing support to allow individuals to have meaningful lifestyles.

Supporting the Trust Vision by incorporating the Trusts values into their day to day role.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Clinical

1. Provide assessment and low intensity interventions e.g. psycho-educational interventions, guided self-help, computerised CBT to service users presenting with anxiety and/or depression drawing from CBT theories and techniques.

2. Provide a service that is comprehensive and accessible to a broad range of individuals with common mental health problems

3. To provide a service that is equitable and non-discriminatory in terms of age, gender, ethnicity and disability.

4. Support GPs and other primary care workers in making appropriate referrals and in carrying out the mental health aspects of their own roles.

5. Make appropriate referrals to other service providers in the statutory and voluntary sectors and signpost patients to other sources of appropriate support within the local community as required.

6. Develop a local knowledge of the locality and its services and facilities, particularly in relation to mental health issues.

7. Educate and involve family members and others in treatment as necessary, conveying low intensity CBT formulations with sensitivity in easily understood language.

8. Provide a service that is flexible as far as possible in terms of clinic hours.

9. Liaise as appropriate with secondary care mental health services and social service departments.

10. Conduct risk assessments and initiate appropriate action where indicated (including requests for mental health assessments and referrals to relevant secondary care services).

11. Work with clients with mental health problems and physical health problems and liaise with physical health services.

Supervision and Training

1. Undertake appropriate clinical supervision on a regular basis in accordance with the relevant professional guidelines and policies.

2. Provide clinical supervision to PWPs and Trainee PWPs within the Talking Therapies team.

3. Offer training to primary care staff in CBT based interventions.

4. Attend locally organised and national training appropriate to the work role.

Professional

1. Take personal (unprompted) responsibility for achieving agreed clinical activity relating to the number of agreed therapy contact hours per week.

2. To develop an area of interest, to the level whereby the post-holder could become a resource of information for the whole service.

3. Maintain appropriate clinical records in keeping with service operational policy

4. Participate in setting and review of objectives for the post on an annual basis

5. Participate in activities of continuing professional development (CPD) on an annual basis. 6. Attend professional meetings as appropriate.

7. Ensure that client confidentiality is protected in keeping with Trust policies.

8. Co-ordinate and liaise between different staff groups.

9.Exercise personal responsibility for the systematic clinical governance of your own professional practice.

10. Proactively take responsibility for attending supervision, case management and line management regularly, participate in objective setting, performance reviews and respond to agreed objectives.

11. Be aware of and comply with the policies, procedures and standards of service in the Trusts policies and procedures.

12. Promote and contribute to the development and maintenance of a healthy therapeutic culture amongst colleagues and service users.

This is not an exhaustive list.

Additional Criteria

Essential

• NHS Talking Therapies Supervisor Training - Pass.
• NHS Talking Therapies Long Term Physical Health training - Pass.

Experience

Essential

• Knowledge of different models of mental health/mental illness.
• Knowledge of NHS policies, procedures and guidelines.
• Awareness and understanding of factors and barriers that may prevent people from diverse backgrounds from accessing the service, and a commitment to address these to ensure the service is accessible to all.
• Evidence-based practice/clinical governance Models of assessment, screening, referral, recordkeeping and evidence-based brief psychological intervention.
• Knowledge of outcome measures and their use for clinical and audit purposes.
• Knowledge of Child Protection legislation.
• An awareness of serious mental health presentations.
• The capacity to adapt core psychological approaches to the primary care culture, incorporating a range of skills to meet a broad spectrum of presenting issues.
• Carrying out clinical risk assessments.
• Ability to be self-reflective, whilst working with service users, in own. personal and professional development and in supervision.
• Able to develop good therapeutic relationships with clients
• Ability to work within a team and foster good working relationships
• Ability to use clinical supervision and personal development positively and effectively
• Ability to work under pressure
• Regard for others and respect for individual rights of autonomy and confidentiality
• Ability to undertake comprehensive risk assessments.
• Ability to work cross -culturally.
• Able to communicate clearly and persuasively, both verbally and in writing.
• Ability to, liaise and network with a wide range of organizations and members of the public.

Desirable

• Evidence of further training in psychological interventions.
• Knowledge of working with Long Term Health conditions.

Skills & Attributes

Essential

• Computer literate.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Has received training (either formal of through experience) and carried out risk assessments within scope of practice.
• Understanding of issues surrounding clinical risk.
• Able to develop good therapeutic relationships with clients.
• An understanding of the context of NHS Talking Therapies stepped care.
• Worked in a service where agreed targets in place demonstrating clinical outcomes.
• Ability to manage own caseload and time.
• Access to a vehicle and/or ability to travel across the geography as required.

Desirable

• Fluent in languages other than English.
• Holder of UK driving licence.

Qualifications

Essential

• A related undergraduate degree, e.g. Psychology with either a Post Graduate Cert/Dip in Mental Health or Equivalent
• Post Graduate Certificate in Primary Care Mental Health/low intensity worker/ psychological wellbeing practitioner qualification
• Qualification or substantial experience in PWP role.
• On the PWP register or in the process or being registered with the BABCP/BPS professional body.

Desirable

• Training in CBT

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.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).