Job summary
We are recruiting for a Trainee High Intensity CBT Therapist. Applicants must be available to commence their employment by the beginning of September 2026.
There is an exciting opportunity to train with the University of Southampton, and to join NHS Talking Therapies Isle of Wight. The successful candidate will provide high intensity therapy as approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) .
You will work with patients who have a range of mild to moderate anxiety and depression, and severe common mental health problems for which high intensity psychological interventions are demonstrated to be clinically effective.
Are you eligible to apply?
The course you will be completing at the University of Southampton 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 provisional accreditation as a CBT therapist with the BABCP.
Link for training course: https://www.southampton.ac.uk/courses/cbt-anxiety-and-depression-pgdip
To be appointable to this post, you must meet the criteria for CBT training and also have a BABCP-recognised professional background in mental health or related areas.
There will be an expectation to travel to and from Southampton for this course.
As part of the interview, you will be expected to complete a CBT assessment role play. All interviews will take place face to face on the Isle of Wight, remote interviews are not able to be offered under any circumstance.
Main duties of the job
This is a training role within the NHS Talking Therapies on the Isle of Wight. The post-holder will work within the Talking Therapies 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 complex problems for which CBT is demonstrated to be clinically effective.
The post-holder will work in the service for 3 days of the week using the newly developed skills whilst attending the training programme for the other two days. The post holder will work with people with different cultural backgrounds and ages, using interpreters when necessary and should be committed to equal opportunities. On completion of the training the post holders will be eligible to join our preceptorship programme designed to support newly qualified therapists to consolidate their learning and further enhance their therapeutic skills.
About us
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a newly established organisation, bringing together expertise from across mental health, learning disabilities, community, and physical health services. We are dedicated to delivering compassionate, high-quality, and accessible care to the diverse communities of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
With over 13,000 dedicated staff working across more than 300 sites, we place patients and staff at the centre of everything we do. Our goal is to create an integrated healthcare system that improves accessibility and ensures more consistent care for patients. By working together, we aim to improve patient outcomes, drive innovation, and meet the unique needs of the populations we serve.
Our Trust unites services from Southern Health, Solent NHS Trust, Isle of Wight NHS Trusts community and mental health teams, as well as Hampshire CAMHS, originally part of Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. This transformation enables us to deliver more seamless care across the region, ensuring that patients receive the right support, in the right place, at the right time.
Join us as we embark on this exciting journey to shape the future of healthcare across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. We are deeply committed to our CARE values of compassion, accountability, respect, and excellence, and offer outstanding opportunities for career development, training, and collaborative working.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Further information about the Trust and this role can be found on the Job Description and Person Specification document attached. It is important to us that we ensure our recruitment processes are accessible and inclusive to everyone - if as a potential candidate you are concerned a person specification may prevent or restrict your application for employment as a result of unintentional barriers on the grounds of your sex, race, age, sexual orientation, religion/belief or disability please initially contact the Trust's Recruitment team - detailed in the advert. The Trust will seek to resolve this issue wherever possible.
We are happy to talk Flexible Working - all requests for flexible working options can be discussed as part of the interview process.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Further information about the Trust and this role can be found on the Job Description and Person Specification document attached. It is important to us that we ensure our recruitment processes are accessible and inclusive to everyone - if as a potential candidate you are concerned a person specification may prevent or restrict your application for employment as a result of unintentional barriers on the grounds of your sex, race, age, sexual orientation, religion/belief or disability please initially contact the Trust's Recruitment team - detailed in the advert. The Trust will seek to resolve this issue wherever possible.
We are happy to talk Flexible Working - all requests for flexible working options can be discussed as part of the interview process.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- A recorded/registered qualification in one of the following at graduate level in nursing, social work, occupational therapy, arts therapy or within a psychological therapy.
- OR
- Evidence of meeting the Knowledge Skills and Attitude (KSA) requirements of BABCP.
Desirable
- Experience working in a stepped care service for anxiety and depression.
Experience
Essential
- Demonstrable experience of working in mental health services.
- Ability to meet agreed/specified service targets.
- Ability to manage own caseload and time.
- Demonstrates high standards in written communication
- Able to write clear reports and letters to referrers.
Desirable
- Experience of working in Primary Care Services.
- Worked in a service where agreed targets in place demonstrating clinical outcomes.
Additional Criteria
Essential
- What our services users expect of this post holder
- Skills & Competencies:
- Ability to evaluate and put in place the effect of training.
- 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.
- Able to develop good therapeutic relationships with patients.
- Knowledge:
- Demonstrates an understanding of anxiety and depression and how it may present in Primary Care.
- Demonstrates a knowledge of the issues surrounding work and the impact it can have on mental health.
- Knowledge of medication used in anxiety and depression and other common mental health problems.
- Demonstrates an understanding for the need to use evidence based psychological therapies and how it relates to this post.
- Training:
- Able to attend a two day per week course both at the university campus and remotely.
- Able to complete academic components of the course.
- Able to integrate training into practice.
- Other Requirements:
- High level of enthusiasm and
- Motivation.
- Advanced communication skills.
- 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 be self-reflective, whilst working with service users, in own personal and professional development and in supervision.
- Hold values and behave in a way consistent with university and NHS values.
Desirable
- Car driver and/or ability and willingness to travel to locations throughout the organisation.
- Experience of working with diverse communities within a multicultural setting.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- A recorded/registered qualification in one of the following at graduate level in nursing, social work, occupational therapy, arts therapy or within a psychological therapy.
- OR
- Evidence of meeting the Knowledge Skills and Attitude (KSA) requirements of BABCP.
Desirable
- Experience working in a stepped care service for anxiety and depression.
Experience
Essential
- Demonstrable experience of working in mental health services.
- Ability to meet agreed/specified service targets.
- Ability to manage own caseload and time.
- Demonstrates high standards in written communication
- Able to write clear reports and letters to referrers.
Desirable
- Experience of working in Primary Care Services.
- Worked in a service where agreed targets in place demonstrating clinical outcomes.
Additional Criteria
Essential
- What our services users expect of this post holder
- Skills & Competencies:
- Ability to evaluate and put in place the effect of training.
- 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.
- Able to develop good therapeutic relationships with patients.
- Knowledge:
- Demonstrates an understanding of anxiety and depression and how it may present in Primary Care.
- Demonstrates a knowledge of the issues surrounding work and the impact it can have on mental health.
- Knowledge of medication used in anxiety and depression and other common mental health problems.
- Demonstrates an understanding for the need to use evidence based psychological therapies and how it relates to this post.
- Training:
- Able to attend a two day per week course both at the university campus and remotely.
- Able to complete academic components of the course.
- Able to integrate training into practice.
- Other Requirements:
- High level of enthusiasm and
- Motivation.
- Advanced communication skills.
- 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 be self-reflective, whilst working with service users, in own personal and professional development and in supervision.
- Hold values and behave in a way consistent with university and NHS values.
Desirable
- Car driver and/or ability and willingness to travel to locations throughout the organisation.
- Experience of working with diverse communities within a multicultural setting.
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).
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.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
