High Intensity CBT Therapist

Job overview

This is a fantastic opportunity for an experienced and passionate CBT Therapist to join Westminster Talking Therapies Service (IAPT) located in the diverse and vibrant community of the London borough of Westminster. Our team is key in the work we do and service provided to the population of Westminster.

You will have opportunities for regular clinical supervision from the senior leadership team, specialist supervision for PTSD and training opportunities, such as Behavioural Couples Therapy and LTC. You will provide clinical supervision to our Step 2 team, including qualified and trainee psychological wellbeing practitioner and will receive supervision training to equip you in doing this. Our Step 3 team also provide supervision for our trainee clinical psychologists and CBT trainees on placement with our service.

Wellbeing is important within our service, and we are a diverse, collaborative and cohesive team. We offer flexible working patterns including onsite and remote working.

Main duties of the job

You will hold a Step 3 caseload of anxiety disorders, and depression and offer CBT treatment in line with NICE guidance. At Step 3 we offer treatment digitally and face-to-face in order to best meet the needs of our service users. In your role you will be involved with our duty team and screening referrals, have regular supervision, regular reflective practice, monthly team CPD and monthly sub-team and wider team meetings, a chance to be involved in areas of interest including perinatal, community outreach, young adults, older adults, long-term health conditions, and LGBTQ+.

There are opportunities for training, plus career progression within the team. The ability to deliver therapy in local languages in desirable.

You must be BABCP accredited or have attended a BABCP accredited CBT training course to be eligible for this post. If you working towards accreditation, you will also be considered for the post as long as you meet the shortlisting criteria and can demonstrate you are on track to meeting the course requirements.

You will be expected to participate in extended hours clinics offered by the service which include evening clinics.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• CLINICAL
• Provide specialist psychotherapeutic assessment of patients referred for CBT, based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex psychological data from a variety of quantitative and qualitative sources including self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with patients and others involved with their care. Ensure the outcome of assessment is communicated to the referring agent and other professionals involved. Determine suitability of the approach and refer on unsuitable individuals to appropriate agencies and/or provide advice, including psycho-education, as appropriate.
• Formulate and implement plans for the specialist psychotherapeutic treatment and/or management of patient’s mental health problems, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of those problems derived from a broad theoretical knowledge of cognitive behaviour therapy, and employing methods based upon evidence of proven efficacy within modality. It is expected that the post-holder will treat patients across the range of severity.
• Be responsible for implementing a range of specialist cognitive behavioural therapy interventions for individual patients and groups. Adjusting and refining psychotherapeutic formulations as practice and experience demand and drawing upon different explanatory models and objective cognitive behaviour therapy measures to maintain a number of provisional hypotheses, whilst maintaining ethical and legal standards.
• Regularly monitor and evaluate therapy programmes and progress, using objective measures where appropriate, and communicate this to referring agent and other professionals involved as appropriate.
• Evaluate and make decisions about treatment options considering both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical, developmental and cultural processes and systems, which have shaped the individual.
• Include family members and others involved in clients’ problems in therapy programmes where necessary.
• Assess and deliver therapy programmes in the community or GP Surgery and other settings as necessary.
• Discharging patients as appropriate and arrange follow-up as appropriate on completion of therapy. Ensure outcome and follow-up of treatment is communicated to the referring agent and other professionals involved as appropriate.
• Exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment, discharge and onward referral of patients whose problems are managed by psychotherapeutic interventions.
• Assess and manage clinical risk to self and others. Involve other agencies as appropriate.
• Adhere to the BABCP and other relevant professional codes of conduct, policy and guidance.
• Maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping including electronic data-entry and recording, report writing for the purposes of personally generated clinical, audit, teaching and research information.
• Exercise responsibility for professional self-governance in accordance with BABCP and other relevant professional codes of practice and conduct and Trust policies and procedures.
• Develop and maintain knowledge of local resources and relationships with relevant statutory, voluntary and community groups and organisations.
• Develop and propose innovative responses to identified needs of the diverse and multi-cultural community the service serves in collaboration and consultation with colleagues and other relevant teams and agencies.

Rider Clause This is an outline of the post holder’s duties and responsibilities. It is not intended as an exhaustive list and may change from time to time to meet the changing needs of the Trust and Department.

Supplementary Information

Job Flexibility The post holder will be required to work flexibly, providing assistance as and when necessary, which may involve them in a developing role. The role will involve working some out-of-hours shifts.

Working Relationships The working relationship between all members of staff should be mutually supportive, with staff deputising and covering for each other when appropriate.

Health and Safety Central and North West London Mental Health NHS Trust has a Health and Safety Policy applicable to all employees. Employees must be aware of the responsibility placed on them under the Employment Rights Act 1996, to ensure that agreed safety procedures are carried out, and to maintain a safe environment for employees, patients and visitors.

Improving Working Lives Central and North West London Mental Health NHS Trust is committed to the principles of

Improving Working Lives and all managers are encouraged to follow Improving Working Lives practices. Consideration will be given to all requests for flexible working in line with Trust policy.

Staff Involvement Central and North West London Mental Health NHS Trust is committed to involve staff at all levels in the development of the organisation.

Managers should ensure that staff are encouraged and involved in organisational and service developments including business planning and they are able to influence discussions, which affect them and their working conditions.

All managers should engender a culture of openness and inclusion so that staff feel free to contribute and voice concerns. They should develop and implement communication systems that ensure staff are well informed and have an opportunity to feedback their views.

Smoking Central and North West London Mental Health NHS Trust acknowledges its responsibility to provide a safe, smoke free environment to its employees, patients and visitors. In expressing its commitment to the prevention of smoking related diseases, the Trust has a ‘Non Smoking Policy’ and all Trust buildings and vehicles are designated as smoke free areas.

Alcohol Employees are expected to be aware of and understand that Central and North West London Mental Health NHS Trust has a policy on alcohol and the consumption of alcohol. Alcohol is not permitted whilst on duty.

Confidentiality Employees should be aware that the Trust produces confidential information relating to patients, staff and commercial information. All employees have a responsibility for ensuring the security of information and to comply with the Data Protection Acts, Access to Health Records and Computer Misuse Act. Disclosure of personal, medical, commercial information, systems passwords or other confidential information to any unauthorised person or persons will be considered as gross misconduct and may lead to disciplinary action which may include dismissal.

Equal Opportunities All employees of Central and North West London Mental Health NHS Trust are expected to be aware of, and adhere to, the provision of the Trust’s Equal Opportunities Policy, and to carry out their associated duties and responsibilities under this policy. As users of the disability symbol, the Trust guarantees to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum essential criteria for a vacant post.

Grievances, Disputes, Disciplinary and Other Industrial Relations Procedures Central and North West London Mental Health NHS Trust has grievance, disputes, disciplinary and other industrial relations procedures. Employees are required to make themselves aware of these procedures, copies of which are available on the Trustnet, from your manager and the Human Resource Directorate.

Personal Development The post-holder is expected to co-operate in activities which line management believes will contribute to personal and/or to team growth. This includes attending supervisory sessions and training modules, both at their work base and other selected venues of instruction.

Conflict of Interest Employees are expected to declare any private ‘interest or practice’, which might conflict with their NHS employment, and be perceived to result in actual or potential financial or personal gain.

Working Time Regulations The Working Time Regulations 1998 require that you should not work more than an average of 48 hours each week i.e. no more than 816 hours in a 17-week period. To work more than 48 hours you must have management authorisation and you will be required to sign an opt out agreement.

The Trust policy has a limit of 60 hours per week and all staff must ensure a 24 hour rest period is taken in every 7 days.

Conditions of Employment The Trust will screen all staff who will be working with children and police checks will be carried out on all staff appointed to posts which have access to children.

This will also apply if role develops to include access to children.

Terms and Conditions The terms and conditions of service associated with this position are those agreed by the Trust.

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.