The Role: What you’ll do:

Have you got experience in supporting/treating people with mental health problems and looking to take your career to the next level? If so, have you considered training in cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and getting paid to do it? 

We are looking for aspiring Cognitive Behavioural Therapists to join our West Essex Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) service as Trainee High Intensity Therapists (HITs) in the September 2022 cohort at the University of Hertfordshire (the exact start date will be confirmed at interview).

Applications are invited from qualified Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners (with two years post qualifying experience) and Clinical or Counselling Psychological Therapists, Mental Health Nurses, Psychotherapists, Counsellors, Occupational Therapists, General Nurses (will need to complete a Knowledge, Skills & Attitudes (KSA) portfolio) and Social Workers to apply for the one-year full-time IAPT post graduate diploma course run by University of Hertfordshire.

• You will receive high quality training in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) delivered by University of Hertfordshire, working towards a Post Graduate Diploma in High Intensity Psychological Therapies.
• You will provide High Intensity CBT interventions recommended by NICE to clients with moderate to severe common mental health disorders.
• The Trainee position is aimed at health professionals who have some experience of CBT.
• Candidates must be able to attend University of Hertfordshire.
• Three days a week will be workplace based within West Essex and two days per week will be based at the University.  Applicants must be able to attend both.

Applicants without a 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 be able to demonstrate at interview that they meet the KSA requirements set by the BABCP.

For more information about Core Professions:

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

For more information about the KSA requirements:

https://www.babcp.com/Accreditation/Provisional-Accreditation/Knowledge-Skills-and-Attitudes

Your skills and background:

Essential:

• 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 and the service as required.
• Experience of working in mental health services, including risk management.
• An understanding of anxiety and depression and how it presents in Primary Care.
• An understanding for the need to use evidence based psychological therapies.
• Ability to meet agreed/specified service targets.
• Ability to manage own caseload and time.
• IT literacy and the ability to use patient record information systems, diary systems and maintain clinical records in a timely and accurate manner.
• Evidence of values that are consistent with the NHS constitution and VHG’s values.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including telephone skills.
• Interpersonal skills to engage and develop working alliances with colleagues and patients, including the ability to develop good therapeutic relationships and inter-agency relationships.
• Evidence of an openness to learning new knowledge and skills.
• High level of enthusiasm and motivation.

Desirable:

• Evidence of foundation level or sustained CPD in CBT.
• Evidence of supervised CBT practice.
• Experience of working in Primary Care/IAPT services.
• Worked in a service where agreed targets are in place demonstrating clinical outcomes.

Other Requirements:

• A Disclosure and Barring check (DBS, formerly CRB) will be required by the service for appointment to post.

Interviews will be held week commencing 27^th June.

You will initially be paid at Band 6 AfC equivalent, rising to Band 7 (£41,902-47,684 including fringe benefit) once qualified.

Why Vita Health Group?

Vita Health Group celebrates life. Improving lives physically and mentally drives everything we do.

We are physical and mental health specialists with over 30 years of experience.  We work in partnership with the NHS, support the UK’s largest corporate companies to help assist 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. 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 in full on our website.  To progress your skills and enable career development we provide Continued Professional Development opportunities including secondments, management training, a mentoring scheme and regular events and webinars across a range of clinical disciplines.

Vita Health Group is proud to be an equal opportunities employer.  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.  To support this we have a dedicated team of EDI specialists and run a range of active in-house diversity networks.

We are actively seeking to increase the diversity of our workforce, to ensure we are representative of the communities we serve at all levels. We therefore welcome applications from candidates with a wide range of lived experience.

We are committed to equitably support the wellbeing of all employees as demonstrated by:

• Our association with the MINDFUL EMPLOYER Charter for Employers who are Positive About Mental Health.
• Our status as a Disability Confident Committed Employer dedicated to ensuring that all candidates are treated fairly throughout the recruitment process. All disabled candidates that meet the minimum essential criteria will be invited to interview.
• 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 (EDS2), Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) and Workforce Disability Equality Standard (WDES).
• The provision of access to health and wellbeing services for colleagues which includes a team of trained Mental Health Advocates and an Employee Assistance Programme.
• An embedded “speaking up” culture facilitated by Freedom to Speak Up Guardians.

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

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.

Vita Health Group