Job overview
H&F NHS Talking Therapies are offering several places on the London-wide NHS Talking Therapies for trainee Cognitive-Behavioural Therapists. Please note this role will involve working with the adult population.
If you are an experienced mental health or social care worker with a recognised professional qualification working in a mental health setting (see core professionals list on the BABCP website), or a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner with at least 2 years’ post-qualification experience, this course gives you the training you need to become an accredited Cognitive Behavioural Therapist (CBT Therapist) via the BABCP route.
Since launching in 2009, H&F NHS Talking Therapies has become a well-established successful NHS Talking Therapy service and is one of the three services provided by West London NHS Trust. Our main base is in the heart of Hammersmith near the vibrant market of Lyric Square.
We have an excellent track record of successfully supporting our CBT trainees through their training and preparing them for life after. We have also retained many of our trainees who have completed the training. We recognise that the Talking Therapies training programme can be demanding, and we are careful to provide weekly individual supervision, supportive line management.
Please note that due to the popularity of this post, it will be closed earlier than advertised if exceeding a high volume of applications
Main duties of the job
Applications are invited from qualified clinical or counselling psychological therapists, Mental Health Nurses, Psychotherapists, Counsellors, Occupational Therapists, Social Workers and Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners to apply for the one year full-time Talking Therapies post graduate diploma courses based at Royal Holloway University.
Applicants without a core mental health profession (such as Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner or counsellors without UKCP or BACP accreditation) must be able to meet the required KSA process criteria (see the Talking Therapies website for more information).
The training programme consists of three days working within H&F NHS Talking Therapies and two days at university taught by experts in the field. A typical week for a trainee involves working at least two days in the office including one evening clinic (12pm–8pm Monday to Thursday). You will then have two academic days to attend university (Royal Holloway) throughout the year.
IMPORTANT PLEASE READ – This role is part of the London wide recruitment process for CBT training places at Royal Holloway. If you have already applied for a CBT training role via an NHS Talking Therapies service, we would advise that you only apply for if this is the service you wish to prioritise.
Please note that if you have been offered another interview for a role Holloway College London service as part of the Royal Holloway process, you will not be offered an interview at H&F.
Working for our organisation
West London NHS Trust is one of the most diverse healthcare providers in the UK, delivering a range of mental health and physical healthcare and community services. The Trust runs Broadmoor Hospital, one of three high secure hospitals in the country, with an international reputation.
Our high secure services care for patients from South of England and we provide low and medium secure services across eight London boroughs. The Trust also provides mental and physical healthcare in three London boroughs (Ealing, Hounslow and Hammersmith & Fulham). We employ over 5,000 staff, of whom 59% are BME. Our turnover for 2024-25 is over £500m.
The Trust is rated as ‘Good’ overall by the Care Quality Commission. Forensic services are rated as ‘Outstanding’.
The Trust is an established partner and contributor in the development of the evolving North West London Integrated Care System and the Integrated Care Board. The Trust leads the NW London Children and Adolescent Mental Health provider collaborative.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The Candidate Pack provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge required. Please view as attached
The person specification below is not the full person specification, but outlines the criteria against which your application form will be assessed.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
1. 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 criteria
2. Experience working in a stepped care service for anxiety and depression.
Experience
Essential criteria
3. Experience working in a stepped care service for anxiety and depression.
4. Ability to manage own caseload and time
5. Demonstrates high standards in written communication
6. Ability to meet agreed/specified service targets
7. Able to write clear reports and letters to referrers
Desirable criteria
8. Experience of working in Primary Care Services
9. Worked in a service where agreed targets in place demonstrating clinical outcomes
Knowledge
Essential criteria
10. Demonstrates an understanding of anxiety and depression and how it may present in Primary Care
11. Demonstrates a knowledge of the issues surrounding work and the impact it can have on mental health
12. Knowledge of medication used in anxiety and depression and other common mental health problems
13. Demonstrates an understanding for the need to use evidence based psychological therapies and how it relates to this post
Skills
Essential criteria
14. Ability to evaluate and put in place the effect of training
15. Computer literate
16. Excellent verbal and written communication skills
17. Has received training (either formal of through experience) and carried out risk assessments within scope of practice
18. Able to develop good therapeutic relationships with clients
Desirable criteria
19. Car driver and/or ability and willingness to travel to locations throughout the organisation
20. Fluent in languages other than English
21. Experience of working with diverse communities within a multicultural setting
Other Requirements
Essential criteria
22. Able to attend a two day per week course
23. Able to complete academic components of the course (e.g. submitting recordings, completing assignments, self-study)
24. Able to integrate training into practice