Trainee Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner

Job overview

We are recruiting for Trainee Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners to join Sussex Partnership Trust working in the Brighton and Hove NHS Talking Therapies service (Brighton and Hove Wellbeing Service).

NHS TT services provide evidence-based treatments for people with depression and/or a range of anxiety-based difficulties within primary care.

Please see our website for further information  www.brightonandhovewellbeing.org/

Main duties of the job

As a Trainee PWP you will be responsible for your own caseload, offering high quality, evidence-based low intensity interventions including telephone, face to face, groups, and online sessions.

You will receive support from our Senior PWPs and your Team Lead in the form of case management and clinical supervision. Alongside your clinical work, you will be studying with the University of Exeter working toward a PGCert or GradCert in Psychological Therapies Practice.

The course itself consists of 45 training days, 30 of which are ‘taught’ and 15 of which are directed study days. The University will be using a mixed model of delivery including remote online lectures, workshops and tutorials. The University are also aiming to deliver some face-to-face teaching as part of the course, which will be based in London.

To succeed in this role, you will have excellent interpersonal skills and proven experience of working with people to improve their mental health and wellbeing.  You will also be educated to degree level, preferably in a related field (e.g. psychology) but there is also the opportunity to access the undergraduate route if you do not have a degree level education.

Successful candidates will be employed full time by Sussex Partnership NHS Trust and will attend University 2 days per week during the academic year and the remainder of the working week in service delivering LI-CBT treatments and assessments to the Brighton and Hove Wellbeing Service service users.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

You will be expected to attend University for some of the time in person (London), and the rest remotely, and required to work a minimum of 2 days at a base in Brighton and Hove.

We strongly encourage you to check the job description and the core profession criteria carefully before applying for this post. Please explicitly state how you meet these criteria in your supporting information as this plays a significant role in our shortlisting process.

Please be aware due to the high volume of emails we receive regarding these vacancies, we unfortunately cannot answer questions that are related to your eligibility for the course. We ask you to complete your own research using the information provided within this advert, job description and person specification.

Entry requirements

Skilled Worker visa sponsorship

This role is not eligible for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK for at least 15 months from the expected start date to allow completion of the training programme and professional registration.  Once the training programme has been successfully completed and professional registration obtained, the substantive Band 5 role may meet the eligibility criteria for sponsorship, subject to the immigration rules in force at that time.

Can I reapply for this course if I have withdrawn previously?

Yes, you can. However, your re-entry into an NHS Talking Therapies (e.g., PWP or HI) trainee post will be governed by these factors:

• NHS England has a strict policy that once you start an NHS-funded psychological professions training programme, you cannot receive NHS funding for another one for two years from your expected completion date.
• This timeframe is generally calculated from the date of the qualifying exam board of the first programme. It applies regardless of how your previous enrolment ended (whether you passed, failed, or withdrew).

• Withdrawal in good standing: If you withdrew for personal, medical, or other valid reasons, you generally have a strong chance of reapplying.
• Dismissal for academic failure: Some universities have strict policies preventing candidates who previously enrolled and failed on a funded course from re-enrolling, though you may be able to appeal with extenuating circumstances.

• The 2-Year Psychological Professions Funding Rule
• University/HEI Discretion Because these are dual-requirement roles (you must be employed by an NHS service and accepted by a university), the university has a say in who they admit.