CBT Therapist / HIT Therapist
Location: Chelmsford
Salary: £43,742 per annum
Vacancy Type: Permanent, Full Time
Closing Date: 25th September 2025
We are looking for a qualified, or soon-to-qualify, CBT / High Intensity Therapist to join our Talking Therapy (IAPT) team within a Category B Prison. This is a unique and rewarding opportunity to deliver evidence-based psychological interventions to adults in custody, supporting their mental health and recovery within a secure environment.
As a High Intensity Therapist, you will work both one-to-one and with groups, providing interventions that meet IAPT standards and guidance. You will also play a key role in assessing service users suitability for treatment, supporting stepped-care approaches, and ensuring interventions are tailored to individual needs and backgrounds.
In addition, you will have management and leadership responsibilities, including line management and clinical supervision of a Senior PWP, as well as contributing to case management, report writing, and multi-disciplinary meetings.
This role requires flexibility, resilience, and a collaborative approach. At times, you may be the most senior representative on site, so professionalism, reliability, and strong relationship-building with both colleagues and partner agencies will be key.
Key Responsibilities
* Deliver evidence-based, high intensity psychological interventions (CBT/IAPT) to individuals and groups
* Assess service users suitability for interventions and manage care pathways in line with IAPT stepped-care models
* Provide line management and clinical supervision to Senior PWP staff
* Contribute to case management, clinical reviews, report writing, and internal/external MDT meetings
* Work collaboratively with partner agencies and prison staff to ensure integrated, high-quality care
* Manage and prioritise your own workload effectively, ensuring timely and accurate record-keeping
* Act as a senior representative on-site when required, maintaining high professional standards
Essential Skills & Experience
* Qualified (or about to qualify) in High Intensity CBT therapy
* Experience delivering high intensity IAPT interventions
* Experience working with individuals experiencing mental health difficulties in primary care or similar settings
* Knowledge of the IAPT programme and stepped-care model
* Experience of managing and developing staff, including clinical and line management supervision
* Experience working as a Psychological Therapy Practitioner with competencies as set out in the CBT Competence Framework (Roth & Pilling, 2007)
* Strong organisational skills, with the ability to plan and prioritise workloads
* Knowledge of the criminal justice sector and/or community services
* Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to engage diverse service users
* Commitment to evidence-based practice and continuous professional development
* Flexibility to travel between sites as required
About Us
We are The Forward Trust, the social enterprise with charitable status that empowers people to break the often-interlinked cycles of crime and addiction to move forward with their lives. For more than 25 years we have been working with people to build positive and productive lives, whatever their past. We believe that anyone is capable of lasting change. Our services have supported thousands of people to make positive changes and build productive lives with a job, family, friends and a sense of community.
We are committed to our cause and the work we carry out as a charity. Equally the wellbeing and the employees who work for us are also important. Joining us an employee, we will offer you the following benefits:
* Flexible working
* Training and development opportunities
* Simply Health Cashback Scheme (optional)
* Season Ticket Loan Scheme
* Cycle to work scheme
* Crisis Loan Scheme
* Electric Car Scheme
* 3 x Wellbeing Days (pro rata'd for part time employees)
* Access to Blue Light Card
* 25 days (rising to 30 with length of service) Annual Leave plus Bank Holidays
* Contributory Pension Scheme Employer matched contributions of up to 6% in the first two years service and up to 9% thereafter
* Death in Service Payment (2x annual salary)
* Critical Illness Insurance (subject to qualifying criteria)
To Apply
If you feel you are a suitable candidate and would like to work for the Forward Trust, please click apply to be redirected to their website to complete your application.
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