Team Co-ordinator for Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners

Job overview

We are looking for a qualified Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner with substantial experience in delivering low intensity CBT assessments and interventions in talking therapies to join our committed and hard working team of clinicians as Step 2 Team Co-ordinator.

Merton Talking Therapies offers evidence based psychological interventions including CBT, IPT, EMDR, BCT and DIT to people with common mental health problems (depression, anxiety disorders and eating disorders) living in the borough of Merton within a stepped care model. The service is professionally led by a Consultant Clinical Psychologist and operationally managed by the Merton talking therapies service manager. The clinical team includes Clinical/ Counselling Psychologists, CBT Therapists, High Intensity Trainees, and Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners.

You will work clinically within primary care settings and be required to work flexible hours in line with the ‘Improving Access’ agenda. The service operates from 8am to 8pm Monday to Thursday and 8am-5pm on Fridays, and the postholder will be required to work at least one evening per week between Monday-Thursday.

Do you have a post graduate low intensity PWP qualification? IF YOU DO NOT HAVE THIS QUALIFICATION YOU WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS POST.

Main duties of the job

You will be providing low intensity interventions to clients with mild to moderate anxiety and depression. You will be responsible for coordinating the provision of telephone-based triage assessments and supporting the training and development of the service’s Band 4 Trainee PWP and Band 5 PWP staff in the application of low intensity treatments. You will work closely with the Step 2 Lead and the Clinical Leads to ensure the Step 2 assessments and interventions delivered in Merton Talking Therapies are of the highest standard and help the service to meet the nationally agreed access and recovery targets.

You will contribute to the development and implementation of group low-intensity programmes for people with anxiety and/or depression. You will provide professional and clinical supervision to PWP’s within the service which will include ensuring that all clinicians work towards their identified capacity. You will participate in staff recruitment and also assist in clinically related audits, project work, data collection, and teaching as required. You will receive regular clinical supervision from a Band 8a Clinical/Counselling Psychologist or CBT Therapist working within the service and have regular line management supervision with the Step 2 Lead.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical and Clinical Research

• 1.     To work to a job plan with weekly clinical contact targets 2.    To assist qualified applied psychologists in the implementation of the stepped care model of delivery of psychological interventions to patients within a primary care setting in line with NICE guidance. 3.     To assist with the provision of information and self-help material for service users as part of a library based self-help resources, including implementing computerised and guided CBT and co-facilitating reading groups under the Books on Prescription scheme under the supervision of a qualified professional psychologist. 4.     To undertake protocol based psychological assessments of patients applying psychological, including self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with patients and others involved in the client’s care. 5.     To assist in the formulation and delivery of care plans involving psychological interventions for mild to moderate mental health problems, under the clinical supervision of qualified professional psychologists, in community and primary care settings. 6.     To assist in the coordination and running of therapeutic and groups.

Teaching, Training and Supervision

3. To receive regular clinical and professional supervision at least monthly from a more senior psychologist/CBT therapist according to Trust guidelines.

• 1.     To provide professional and clinical supervision as required to the Step 2 staff 2.     To contribute to the development and implementation of group low intensity programmes for people with anxiety and/or depression. 4.     To take part in regular internal continuing professional development events and participate in external CPD which is linked to appraisal goals. 5.     To contribute to the induction, teaching and training of the step 2 team. 6. In common with all applied psychologists, to receive regular clinical supervision in accordance with professional practice guidelines and IAPTs clinical governance guidelines. 7.   To develop skills and competencies that assist in the delivery of current duties. 8.     To support the Step 2 workers in the regular and systematic entry of clinical data on IAPTus according to IAPTs protocols and to highlight areas of difficulty to the triage lead as soon as they arise. 9.   To contribute to the training and support of others, including community pharmacists, librarians, college tutors and workers in the non-statutory sector enabling them to provide effective mental health care. 10.  To inform primary care practitioners and users about local statutory and voluntary services to whom people can be “signposted”.

Management, Recruitment and Service Development

• 1.     To provide professional Line management supervision as required to the Step 2 staff 2.     To manage and support Step 2 staff including ensuring that staff are working to their individual capacity plan. 3.    To supervise the workload of Step 2 staff, within the framework of the Talking Therapies service policies and procedures, and ensure that all clinicians supervised work towards their identified capacity.. 4.    To participate as appropriate in staff recruitment, both in the short-listing process and as a member of interview panels for step 2 staff. 5.     To take the lead in managing the delivery of the triage system for entry to the service in line with agreed protocols and to highlight issues relating to waiting times and access to the Step 2 Lead, Service Manager and Clinical Leads. 6.    To assist in the design and implementation of service development projects within the service as required. 7.   To attend meetings in which service developments are planned and discussed. 8.     To support the Step 2 lead in the management of complaints.