Trainee High Intensity Therapist - Nottingham

Job description

Job responsibilities

We are looking for aspiring Cognitive Behavioural Therapists to join our Nottinghamshire Talking Therapies service as Trainee High Intensity Therapists (HITs) in the January 2026 cohort at Coventry University. The course you will undertake is the one-year, full-time, PGDip Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. For further information on the course please visit:

https://www.coventry.ac.uk/course-structure/pg/shc/cognitive-behavioural-therapy-pgdipmsc/

This is a permanent position with a start date of 12th January for induction with Vita Health Group and 19th January 2026 at Coventry University.

There will be an initial two-week teaching block at Coventry University and then two days per week at University which is likely to be Thursdays and Fridays. Each term will begin with a teaching block. Please note that remote teaching is not available so candidates must be willing and able to travel to Coventry University every week.

A typical working week includes 3 days of clinical practice with the service and 2 days attending university.

Work in the service area will be hybrid, with one day per week at our base or community venues. You will be required to work one evening shift from 12:00pm-8:00pm per week to support service demand. You will receive full supervision and support from our experienced team. There will be protected time for study days, preceptorship, and professional development opportunities provided.

Upon successful completion of the training, you will be offered a qualified High Intensity Therapist role. This may be in any of our service areas within Vita Health Group.

You will provide High Intensity CBT interventions recommended by NICE to clients with moderate to severe common mental health disorders and will receive weekly supervision provided by both the university and the workplace.

How we support you:

Close liaison with the University and the workplace

During your training you will receive weekly supervision by both the workplace and by the University.

Preceptorship Period Post-Training

Following successful completion of training, newly qualified therapists are offered a six-month preceptorship period. The preceptorship package provides opportunity to consolidate knowledge and build confidence through reflective learning with an allocated mentor.

Benefits we offer

Vita Health Groups offers an excellent benefits package which includes:

• Flexible working arrangements
• Enhanced annual leave
• Discretionary sick pay in any 12-month period
• Salary Exchange Pension with Scottish Widows
• Benenden Health Cover
• Employee Assistance Programme (provided by WeCare)
• £500 finders fee when recommending someone to join the company, plus a £20 Amazon voucher for you on their first day
• Discounted gym membership
• Enhanced maternity/adoption offering
• Enhanced paternity
• Paid compassionate leave
• Blue light card - high street and online discounts
• Pay Now - Pre- pay day access to up to 50% of your salary to support your financial wellbeing
• Benefits Platform
• Buddy system
• Health and Wellbeing initiative

Getting to know You:

The Trainee position is aimed at mental health professionals who have some experience in CBT and who continue to work in a mental health environment.

Applications are invited from qualified Clinical or Counselling Psychological Therapists, Mental Health Nurses, Psychotherapists, Counsellors, Occupational Therapists, Social Workers and PWPs (with two years post qualification experience).

Applicants without recognised and accredited core mental health professional training (such as Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners or Psychotherapists and Counsellors without UKCP or BACP accreditation) are eligible to apply but must have a KSA portfolio completed prior to interview.

For more information about Core Professions:

https://www.babcp.com/Core-Professions

For more information about the KSA requirements:

https://www.babcp.com/Knowledge-Skills-Attitudes

Essential Requirements:

• Core Professional training or qualification, or able to demonstrate at interview that you meet the KSA requirements set by the BABCP.
• Undergraduate degree or equivalent in a discipline connected to mental health (or ability to study at third year undergraduate degree level).
• Membership of the BABCP (from the time that the course commences).
• Availability to attend university as required teaching will be a mixture of face to face and remote.
• Experience of working in mental health services, including risk management.
• Experience of working in Primary Care/IAPT services.
• Worked in a service where agreed targets are in place demonstrating clinical outcomes.

Desirable Requirements:

• Evidence of foundation level or sustained CPD in CBT.
• Evidence of supervised CBT practice.

Other Requirements:

• Shortlisted applicants must be available to attend academic screening (completed remotely) on 24th September. If successful at this stage, interviews will be held on 1st or 6th October. All interviews will be held remotely via Microsoft Teams.
• Applicants must be available to commence the role and attend service induction beginning on 12th January 2026 and begin university on 19th January 2026. All essential equipment will be provided.
• For those candidates who require a KSA portfolio, you must meet the KSA criteria and submit supporting information two weeks prior to the start of the course and complete your KSA portfolio by February 2026. Please visit babcp.com for more information. All offers made will be conditional to a successful KSA.
• A Disclosure and Barring check (DBS) will be required by the service for appointment to post.
• Applicants who have completed an NHS or HEE funded psychological professions training programme within the last two years are not eligible to apply.
• Only those with the right to work in the UK without restriction and eligible for Home Fee status can be recruited. These rules are set by the UK government and cannot be changed by individual universities or the NHS.

Why Vita Health Group?

Vita Health Group celebrates life. Improving lives physically and mentally drives everything we do. Now part of Spire Healthcare Group plc we have been providing physical and mental health services for over 30 years. We work in partnership with the NHS, are engaged by insurers and some of the UKs largest corporate companies to support their workforce and provide a full range of physiotherapy services to private customers.

To achieve our mission of Making People Better, we recognise the importance of investing in our staff. We are an award-winning employer recently recognised nationally as Best Company to Work for at the Health and Wellbeing Awards 2024.

This is also recognised by current employees our most recent Employee Survey results showed the top 5 reasons to work here as being:

• Supportive team and management
• Positive work environment
• Wellbeing and mental health support
• Trust and respect
• Autonomy and flexibility

We are keen to progress your skills and enable career development and provide regular Continued Professional Development opportunities including secondments, management training, a mentoring scheme, apprenticeships and regular events and webinars across a range of clinical disciplines. In addition to a competitive salary, we also offer the opportunity of a flexible work life balance and a comprehensive benefits package which you can view here: https://www.vitahealthgroup.co.uk/join-us/careers

Vita Health Group is proud to be an equal opportunities employer and is seeking to improve the diversity of its workforce. We are committed to Equality, Diversity & Inclusion best practice and positively encourage applications from candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion/belief, marital status, or pregnancy/maternity. For further information on our EDI commitments please view here: Vita Health Groups commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

We are committed to being equitable and supporting the wellbeing of all employees.

• We are a Mindful Employer
• Our status as a Disability Confident Leader dedicated to ensuring that all candidates are treated fairly throughout the recruitment process. All disabled candidates that meet the minimum essential criteria will be considered for interview.
• Our Ethnicity Matters Scheme where all applicants for senior roles (£40,000+) from a minority ethnic group that meet the essential criteria will be considered for interview.
• Our Gender Matters Scheme where all women applicants for senior roles (£60,000+) that meet the essential criteria will be considered for interview.
• Our sign up to the Armed Forces Covenant.
• Our status as a Menopause Friendly Committed employer.
• Our sign up to the Employer with Heart Charter.
• Our commitment to meet the standards outlined in the NHS Equality Delivery System (EDS). Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) and Workforce Disability Equality Standard (WDES).
• Access to health and wellbeing services for colleagues including Mental Health Advocates and an Employee Assistance Programme.
• An embedded speaking up culture facilitated by Freedom to Speak Up Guardians.
• Treating transgender individuals with dignity and recognising the potential complications that may arise when taking references. We encourage applicants to contact HR at hr@vhg.co.uk to discuss or amend how we manage reference requests.

Should you wish to discuss any adjustment or assistance you need in the application or interview process please contact recruitment@vhg.co.uk and we will facilitate.

Please note, all applicants must be legally entitled to accept and perform work in the UK and all positions are subject to a DBS check.

Any data which you share with us throughout the hiring process will be stored securely within the UK and is accessible only by staff who require it. Should your application be unsuccessful, your data will be securely destroyed after 6 months.

Vita Health Group reserves the right to close this job when sufficient applications have been received.

Person Specification

General Requirements

Essential

• Please refer to job description above

Desirable

• Please refer to job description above

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).

Employer details

Employer name

Vita Health Group

Address

Nottingham

NG7 2UH

Employer's website

https://www.vitahealthgroup.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)