Job overview
We are looking for a committed, enthusiastic and motivated Senior Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP) to join our team at Brent Talking Therapies. We are a large, well established service based in a diverse and vibrant borough of London. Our service provides low and high intensity therapies at Step 2 and Step 3, alongside our Step 3 counselling service. We are passionate about the work we do and care provided to service users, and work by the trust values of compassion, respect, empowerment and partnership. Our team is key in the work we do and service provided to the population of Brent.
The post holder will hold a qualification (post graduate diploma / certificate) in Low Intensity working, from an accredited course, will offer evidence-based practice in facilitated self-help and will develop, support and train innovative practice to qualified and trainee Talking Therapies Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners, and to other workers qualified to act in low intensity worker roles.
The successful applicant may have contact with patients or service users. As an NHS Trust we strongly encourage and support vaccination as this remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course patients and service users when working on our healthcare settings.
Please note, previous applicants need not apply.
Main duties of the job
This is an exciting post for an experienced and confident Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner to develop within the role of Senior PWP.
You will work with the Step 2 leads and will be involved in delivering day-to-day coordination and supervision of PWP's within the service. This includes facilitation of Step 2 meetings, providing clinical skills support, line management, caseload management and supervision to trainee and qualified PWP's. You will also support service development with new in-house and community workshops, as well as carrying a clinical caseload of your own.
You will receive regular clinical supervision and support from a qualified therapist and work closely with other clinical practitioners within the team. Duty will also be a required responsibility within the team, where you will be screening for suitability and assessing incoming risk to the service.
Brent Talking Therapies has close links with all CNWL Talking Therapies services, as well as, wider links with other mental health teams within Brent. We have a strong tradition of supporting staff development and further progression onto higher training.
Working for our organisation
The catchment area of the post is the London borough of Brent. The main hub for the service is based at Fairfields House in Kingsbury and there is a satellite hub at Bell House in Willesden Green. You will be required to work across both hubs and in other parts of the borough, e.g. community settings.
We operate an agile working policy where staff combine remote working and being on-site to deliver face-to-face appointments and other service commitments that require a hub-based presence. The post-holder will work full-time hours and may be required to work at any times between 8am and 8pm on weekdays including an evening clinic as required by the service. Well-being is important within our service and we are a collaborative and cohesive team. We have a dedicated wellbeing group within the service to help support individuals' and the wider team wellbeing.
Benefits of working for CNWL include: 27 days of annual leave, plus bank holidays, with an increase to 33 days with continuous service. NHS discount. Opportunities for career progression. New starters will have a 13-week probation period which is a supportive process to allow individuals to learn and work within the key aspects of their role over a period of time.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see the job description for full details on the roles and responsibilities.
Clinical
·To offer rapid screening and assessment, informed by knowledge of the spectrum of mental health needs and risk factors.
·To make decisions on suitability of new referrals, adhering to the department’s referral protocols, refer unsuitable clients on to the relevant service or back to the referral agent as necessary or step up the person’s treatment to high intensity psychological therapy.
·To manage waiting-lists and capacity within the low intensity service through co-ordination of groups and other interventions across Brent
·To identify and oversee the development of best practice within the low intensity service, leading, co-coordinating resources and protocols within the service, including working with the Clinical lead and deputy Leads to identify and manage service gaps or obstacles
·To work closely with other members of the team ensuring appropriate step-up and step-down arrangements are in place to maintain a stepped care approach.
·Provide assessment and Low intensity interventions e.g. psycho-educational interventions, Guided Self Help, and group-based CBT treatments to patients registered with GP practices/health centres and or resident in the borough of Brent, drawing from CBT theories and techniques
·Provide a service that is comprehensive and accessible to a broad range of patients who have commonplace mental health problems and who are over 18 years of age
·To provide a service that is equitable and non-discriminatory in terms of age, gender, ethnicity and disability.
·Support GPs and other primary care workers in making appropriate referrals and in carrying out the mental health aspects of their own roles.
·Make appropriate referrals to other service providers in the statutory and voluntary sectors and redirect patients to other sources of appropriate support within the local community as required.
·To further develop computerized CBT to be rolled out throughout the borough.
·Develop a ‘local knowledge’ of the locality and its services and facilities, particularly in relation to mental health issues.
·Educate and involve family members and others in treatment as necessary, conveying Low intensity CBT formulations with sensitivity in easily understood language.
·Provide a service that is flexible as far as possible in terms of clinic hours.
·Liaise as appropriate with secondary care mental health services and social service departments.
·Conduct risk assessments, prepare risk management plans and initiate appropriate action where indicated (including requests for mental health act assessments and referrals to relevant secondary care services).
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download