Job summary
Are you an experienced and enthusiastic Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT) Therapist who wishes to make a difference to patients with complex and severe mental health difficulties?
We would be excited to have someone like you join our team as a Senior CAT Therapist. This is a key role within the North & West Adult Mental Health Team (AMHT) and supporting psychological therapies across all Oxfordshire AMHTs.
This is a part time vacancy 18.75 hours per week, alternative arrangements can be discussed for the suitable candidate.
Main duties of the job
We would really like to hear from you if you can demonstrate you have the following skills required for this role:
- Evidence of significant knowledge in your specialist therapy area of working with adults with severe and/or complex mental health difficulties.
- A good working knowledge of evidence-based treatments.
- Sound clinical risk assessment and management.
- Experience of safeguarding children and vulnerable adults.
- Experience of supervision with therapists and other clinical staff.
About us
Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust provides physical, mental health and social care for people of all ages across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Swindon, Wiltshire, Bath and North East Somerset.
Our services are delivered at community bases, hospitals, clinics and people's homes, delivering care as close to home as possible
Our vision is that no matter who you are or where you are, you will tell us that you receive:"Outstanding care delivered by an outstanding team"
Our values are:"Caring, safe and excellent"
At Oxford Health we offer a wide range of benefits designed to support your career and wellbeing. These include:
- Excellent opportunities for career progression
- Access to tailored individual and Trust wide learning and development
- 27 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days with continuous service
- NHS Discount across a wide range of shops, restaurants and retailers
- Competitive pension scheme
- Lease car scheme
- Cycle to work scheme
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Mental Health First Aiders
- Staff accommodation (please note waiting lists may apply)
- Staff networking and support groups hosted by our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion team
Job description
Job responsibilities
We offer great CPD and training opportunities and have excellent links with the Oxford Centre for Psychological Health and Oxford Institute for Clinical Psychology Training, which is hosted by the Trust. We actively encourage innovation and research with opportunities for collaborations with the University of Oxford Department of Psychiatry. We also collaborate with Oxford Brookes University, Buckinghamshire New University, and the University of Bath.
We provide excellent opportunities for professional development and accredited supervision by senior therapists to help you consolidate your therapy skills in a focused and supported way, monthly opportunities to meet psychological therapy colleagues from across the county for reflective practice groups and clinical updates.
The post holder will:
Work as part of the psychological therapies team within the North & West Adult Mental Health Team, seeing patients individually and in groups, providing formal psychological treatment and/or management of a clients mental health problems.
Be responsible for the assessment, treatment, and discharge of patients whose problems are managed by psychologically based standard care plans.
Evaluate and make decisions about treatment options considering both theoretical and therapeutic models and complex factors concerning the patients mental health difficulties.
Provide specialist psychological advice, guidance, and consultation to the wider Adult Mental Health Team to help develop their patients formulation, diagnosis and treatment plan.
Receive and provide professional clinical supervision for yourself and other appropriately trained psychological therapy staff.
Contribute to the development and evaluation of the teams operational practices to ensure high quality, responsive and accessible services are available.
Job description
Job responsibilities
We offer great CPD and training opportunities and have excellent links with the Oxford Centre for Psychological Health and Oxford Institute for Clinical Psychology Training, which is hosted by the Trust. We actively encourage innovation and research with opportunities for collaborations with the University of Oxford Department of Psychiatry. We also collaborate with Oxford Brookes University, Buckinghamshire New University, and the University of Bath.
We provide excellent opportunities for professional development and accredited supervision by senior therapists to help you consolidate your therapy skills in a focused and supported way, monthly opportunities to meet psychological therapy colleagues from across the county for reflective practice groups and clinical updates.
The post holder will:
Work as part of the psychological therapies team within the North & West Adult Mental Health Team, seeing patients individually and in groups, providing formal psychological treatment and/or management of a clients mental health problems.
Be responsible for the assessment, treatment, and discharge of patients whose problems are managed by psychologically based standard care plans.
Evaluate and make decisions about treatment options considering both theoretical and therapeutic models and complex factors concerning the patients mental health difficulties.
Provide specialist psychological advice, guidance, and consultation to the wider Adult Mental Health Team to help develop their patients formulation, diagnosis and treatment plan.
Receive and provide professional clinical supervision for yourself and other appropriately trained psychological therapy staff.
Contribute to the development and evaluation of the teams operational practices to ensure high quality, responsive and accessible services are available.
Person Specification
Training and Qualifications
Essential
- To have undertaken a recognised qualification in one of the core mental health professions e.g. psychiatric nursing, psychology, medicine, social work, occupational therapy or to have other extensive relevant experience and demonstrable competence to work in the mental health field in the NHS and Successful completion of Qualification to masters or doctoral level or equivalent in Cognitive Analytical Therapy
- Accredited with ACAT as a Cognitive Analytic Practitioner/ Psychotherapist
Desirable
- Pre-qualification training and qualifications or experience in research methodology, staff training and/or other fields of applied psychology.
- ACAT Accredited Supervisor training course and the training requirements in order to practice as a CAT supervisor
- Successful completion of IRRAPT or working towards completion of this training.
Experience
Essential
- Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients across the full range of care settings, including outpatient, community, day services and in patient settings.
- Experience of supervising others.
- Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and threat of physical abuse
Desirable
- Experience of the application of psychotherapy in different cultural contexts
- Experience of working in the NHS
- Experience of running / co-running groups
- Experience of working with people with severe and/or complex mental health difficulties
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
- Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
- Evidence of continuing professional development as required by professional and accrediting bodies.
- Good organisational and time management skills, ability to plan and prioritise own workload
- Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
Desirable
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies with people with severe and/or complex mental health difficulties
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health.
Other
Essential
- An interest in and positive approach towards working with people with severe and/or complex mental health difficulties
- Ability to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team and independently.
- Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.
- Ability to travel between bases as required
Desirable
- Willingness to work flexibly
- An awareness of own strengths and limitations
Person Specification
Training and Qualifications
Essential
- To have undertaken a recognised qualification in one of the core mental health professions e.g. psychiatric nursing, psychology, medicine, social work, occupational therapy or to have other extensive relevant experience and demonstrable competence to work in the mental health field in the NHS and Successful completion of Qualification to masters or doctoral level or equivalent in Cognitive Analytical Therapy
- Accredited with ACAT as a Cognitive Analytic Practitioner/ Psychotherapist
Desirable
- Pre-qualification training and qualifications or experience in research methodology, staff training and/or other fields of applied psychology.
- ACAT Accredited Supervisor training course and the training requirements in order to practice as a CAT supervisor
- Successful completion of IRRAPT or working towards completion of this training.
Experience
Essential
- Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients across the full range of care settings, including outpatient, community, day services and in patient settings.
- Experience of supervising others.
- Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and threat of physical abuse
Desirable
- Experience of the application of psychotherapy in different cultural contexts
- Experience of working in the NHS
- Experience of running / co-running groups
- Experience of working with people with severe and/or complex mental health difficulties
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
- Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
- Evidence of continuing professional development as required by professional and accrediting bodies.
- Good organisational and time management skills, ability to plan and prioritise own workload
- Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
Desirable
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies with people with severe and/or complex mental health difficulties
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health.
Other
Essential
- An interest in and positive approach towards working with people with severe and/or complex mental health difficulties
- Ability to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team and independently.
- Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.
- Ability to travel between bases as required
Desirable
- Willingness to work flexibly
- An awareness of own strengths and limitations
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
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).
