Job summary
We have an exciting opportunity for an accredited Counsellor to join the highly successful Talking Therapies service in locations across Berkshire. Your base will be in Wokingham.
The post holder will be part of the NHS Talking Therapies Service and will provide high quality, short term, evidence-based counselling to people with common mental health problems who have self-referred, been referred by GPs and other referrers to Talking Therapies.
In addition to clinical work, the post holder will spend 10% of their time each week to support senior colleagues to meet service objectives to ensure the smooth running of the service, management of staff, developing new ways of working and ensuring all targets are met. The remainder of the time (90%) will be spent delivering clinically for the service.
Main duties of the job
- This post is for a position within our Wokingham team in West Berkshire.
- You will be delivering counselling for depression using a stepped care model in line with the national Talking Therapies programme and latest NICE guidance for psychological interventions.
- The post holder will work with people with different cultural backgrounds and ages, using interpreters when necessary and should be committed to equal opportunities.
- The jobholder will be required to work flexibly to cover the service hours of 8am - 8pm Monday - Thursday and 8am - 5pm Friday. This will include one evening a week plus an additional evening when covering groups or courses or as required by the service.
About us
Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust isa specialist mental health and community health services trust. Rated 'outstanding' by the CQC, we're committed to providing the best possible care to people across Berkshire.
We value diversity and are proud to be a Stonewall Top 100 Employer. We work hard to create an inclusive environment where you'll be supported by friendly and professional colleagues to flourish.
Our values at Berkshire Healthcare:
- Caring for and about you is our top priority
- Committed to providing good quality, safe services
- Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions
We welcome people who share these values to come and work for us.
Benefits of working for us include:
- Flexible working options to support work-life balance.
- 27 days' annual leave rising with service + opportunity to buy and sell
- Generous NHS pension scheme
- Excellent learning and career development opportunities
- 'Cycle to Work' and car leasing scheme
- Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services
- Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants
- Staff networks for race, diversity, disabilities and armed forces community to support equality
- Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave.
- Free parking across Trust sites
Job description
Job responsibilities
The must haves for this role:
- Will be BACP accredited or other Talking Therapies recognised accreditation e.g. NCS, UKCP
- Be trained in a Talking Therapies modality e.g. PE-CfD, CTFD, DIT or IPT
- Able to develop good therapeutic relationships with clients
- Experience of working in the NHS
- Experience of management and supervision
If youre someone who shares our passion for excellence and care, join us and lets be outstanding together.
We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please dont hesitate to call: Claire Hall on 07890 058967 or email claire.hall@berkshire.nhs.uk who will be delighted to help.
We are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics. Reasonable adjustments will be made for disabled applicants where required.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The must haves for this role:
- Will be BACP accredited or other Talking Therapies recognised accreditation e.g. NCS, UKCP
- Be trained in a Talking Therapies modality e.g. PE-CfD, CTFD, DIT or IPT
- Able to develop good therapeutic relationships with clients
- Experience of working in the NHS
- Experience of management and supervision
If youre someone who shares our passion for excellence and care, join us and lets be outstanding together.
We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please dont hesitate to call: Claire Hall on 07890 058967 or email claire.hall@berkshire.nhs.uk who will be delighted to help.
We are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics. Reasonable adjustments will be made for disabled applicants where required.
Person Specification
Education/Qualifications/Training
Essential
- A minimum two-year post-graduate (or equivalent) qualification in Psychotherapeutic Counselling, Psychotherapy, Counselling, or Counselling Psychology, comprising no less than 450 hours programme contact AND no less than 450 hours supervised counselling or psychotherapy practice (including hours gained after core training)
- One or more NHS Talking Therapies specified counselling or psychotherapy accreditations (as detailed in the NHS Talking Therapies Manual): British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) Accredited; United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) Registered as a Psychotherapist or Psychotherapeutic Counsellor; Association of Christian Counsellors Accreditation; National Counselling Society Accredited Professional registrants, British Psychoanalytic Council Registered
- Evidence of relevant continuing professional development
- Evidence of successful completion of training in one or more of the following specialist trainings in NICE-recommended time limited psychological therapies for depression (Counselling for Depression, Couple Therapy for Depression, Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy, or Interpersonal Psychotherapy) or Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, with the required training and individual accreditation to deliver the modality as specified by the NHS Talking Therapies Manual.
Desirable
- A Batchelors degree and/or professional training in a health practitioner field (e.g. nursing, occupational therapy)
- Evidence of post qualification training in clinical supervision
Previous Experience
Essential
- Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients within an NHS Talking Therapies service
- Experience of working with a variety of client groups and presenting problems that reflect a range of clinical severity including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse.
- Experience of specialist psychological therapy assessment and treatment of clients across a range of care settings relevant to an NHS Talking Therapies service, including outpatient, community, and primary care settings
Desirable
- Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
Essential
- High -level knowledge of the theory and practice of one or more NHS TALKING THERAPIES-recognised psychological therapies
- Knowledge of effective care pathway navigation across primary and secondary care psychological therapies services
- Experience at working with one or more NHS Talking Therapies-recognised psychological therapies at a specialist level
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of adapting specific NHS Talking Therapiesrecognised psychological therapies for anxiety and/or depression in the context of co-morbidity and complexity (e.g. personality disorder, additional disabilities etc).
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health.
- Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non -professional groups
- 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, and where relevant their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
Desirable
- Knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the clinical field of psychological therapies
Additional Requirements
Essential
- 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.
- Able to work specified work hours for the service including a specified pattern of evening and/or weekend shifts
- Self-motivated, able to work autonomously and independently with confidence
- Be aware of the limitations in own competencies and seek appropriate senior advice.
Person Specification
Education/Qualifications/Training
Essential
- A minimum two-year post-graduate (or equivalent) qualification in Psychotherapeutic Counselling, Psychotherapy, Counselling, or Counselling Psychology, comprising no less than 450 hours programme contact AND no less than 450 hours supervised counselling or psychotherapy practice (including hours gained after core training)
- One or more NHS Talking Therapies specified counselling or psychotherapy accreditations (as detailed in the NHS Talking Therapies Manual): British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) Accredited; United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) Registered as a Psychotherapist or Psychotherapeutic Counsellor; Association of Christian Counsellors Accreditation; National Counselling Society Accredited Professional registrants, British Psychoanalytic Council Registered
- Evidence of relevant continuing professional development
- Evidence of successful completion of training in one or more of the following specialist trainings in NICE-recommended time limited psychological therapies for depression (Counselling for Depression, Couple Therapy for Depression, Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy, or Interpersonal Psychotherapy) or Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, with the required training and individual accreditation to deliver the modality as specified by the NHS Talking Therapies Manual.
Desirable
- A Batchelors degree and/or professional training in a health practitioner field (e.g. nursing, occupational therapy)
- Evidence of post qualification training in clinical supervision
Previous Experience
Essential
- Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients within an NHS Talking Therapies service
- Experience of working with a variety of client groups and presenting problems that reflect a range of clinical severity including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse.
- Experience of specialist psychological therapy assessment and treatment of clients across a range of care settings relevant to an NHS Talking Therapies service, including outpatient, community, and primary care settings
Desirable
- Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
Essential
- High -level knowledge of the theory and practice of one or more NHS TALKING THERAPIES-recognised psychological therapies
- Knowledge of effective care pathway navigation across primary and secondary care psychological therapies services
- Experience at working with one or more NHS Talking Therapies-recognised psychological therapies at a specialist level
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of adapting specific NHS Talking Therapiesrecognised psychological therapies for anxiety and/or depression in the context of co-morbidity and complexity (e.g. personality disorder, additional disabilities etc).
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health.
- Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non -professional groups
- 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, and where relevant their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
Desirable
- Knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the clinical field of psychological therapies
Additional Requirements
Essential
- 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.
- Able to work specified work hours for the service including a specified pattern of evening and/or weekend shifts
- Self-motivated, able to work autonomously and independently with confidence
- Be aware of the limitations in own competencies and seek appropriate senior advice.
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).
