Joining #TeamNELFT means you’ll become part of a welcoming and supportive working environment. We’re CQC rated Good, and we want you to join us on the journey towards an Outstanding rating. NELFT has sites across North East London, Essex, Kent and Medway. We provide community and mental healthcare services to adults and children within these areas.

The Trust has award winning equality and diversity initiatives and staff health and wellbeing activities. We invest heavily in your development, because when you are valued and supported, we provide the best care to our patients. We are a Level 3 Disability Confident Leader, have been featured in the Working Families Top 10 Employers benchmark for three consecutive years, and we have achieved a Carers UK Level 1 Accreditation. Along with our staff networks and training opportunities, we work hard to embed a just and compassionate culture here at NELFT.

Find out more about NELFT careers and what makes our Trust a great place to work, in this video

Job overview

Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (Qualified) - Band 5

We are looking to recruit Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners to join our diverse and expanding Talking Therapies Team in Barking & Dagenham. The Step 2 team is made up of a PWP Lead, 4 Senior PWPs, along with qualified and trainee PWPs, Therapy Assistants and Honorary staff. The wider team consists of Counsellors, Cognitive Behavioural Therapists, a physical activity co-ordinator, and a newly appointment employment advisor. This is an opportunity for qualified Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners to develop their career by offering evidence-based low intensity interventions through guided self-help (6-8 sessions) and computerised CBT (SilverCloud). We also value experience or interest of delivering therapy in a group format, and provide opportunities to co-facilitate groups with Step 3 clinicians. 

Please only apply for this post if you are a newly qualified or an experienced Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner, and hold the IAPT specific certificate in Low Intensity Psychological Interventions. Your application will not be considered without this qualification. We also welcome applicants who are nearing the end of their training, looking for their first qualified role as a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner. We offer a structured preceptorship programme for newly qualified PWPs to ensure a smooth transition into the role and to support with developing your confidence and clinical skills.

Main duties of the job

We have an active outreach team who ensure the service is well-known across the community, by attending events and running psychoeducational workshops. We value PWPs' participation in outreach and encourage contributions towards our Special Interest Groups (SIGs), such as long term conditions (LTCs), perinatal mental health, and LGBTQI+. In line with our trust values, we are a team that encourages continual professional development (CPD). We offer opportunities to attend training delivered through University College London, such as PWP Supervision and LTCs.

Each PWP is well-supported by daily clinicians on duty, weekly case management supervision, and monthly clinical skills supervision, along with a peer-led reflective space which contributes towards wellbeing. We also offer specific LTC and group supervision.

We have an in-house training programme, consisting of monthly sessions on advanced topics, to aid assessment skills and develop knowledge in areas such as PTSD, Grief, and Health Anxiety. This has proven helpful for newly qualified members of staff, to consolidate their learning post-training. There are also opportunities for team-wide training through external services, and we encourage PWPs' input in identifying further training needs.

Please see the attached job description and person specification for further details on this vacancy.

Working for our organisation

Starting with NELFT
NELFT place a great deal of importance on new starters being properly welcomed and inducted into the Trust. All new starters will join the Trust on the first Monday of each month and will undertake a comprehensive induction of up to two weeks which will include mandatory training, systems training and the allocation of equipment. As part of the process new starters will have the opportunity to also meet the executive team, senior managers and attend a number of drop in sessions focusing in engagement, health and wellbeing and key processes. The induction will be held at our head office in Rainham, Essex.

Probationary Period

This post will be subject to a probationary period. Internal applicants are exempt from the probationary period (unless you are an internal applicant currently part way through a probationary period or currently a bank member of staff). 

High Cost Area Supplement - London

This post attracts payment for High Cost Area Supplement of 15% of the basic salary with a minimum payment of £4,551 and a maximum payment of £5,735 per annum (pro rata for part time).

Certificates of Sponsorship

Although we are a registered sponsor organisation, we are unable to offer sponsorship for all job roles. Please check your eligibility under the UKVI points based system. 

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

We are a dynamic and empowering team and as such the post holders will be expected to work well within a team setting, however, should also be able to deliver an autonomous service, operating within recognised professional guidelines and the overall framework of the service policies and procedures.

These vacancies are offered as permanent posts, with the expectation that all clinical staff work one late evening per week (12pm until 8pm). We currently offer blended working, working from both home and from the office. We will continue to review this approach in line with future service needs. 

Training & Qualifications:
• To hold a university degree in a subject enabling the post holder to demonstrate psychological mindedness: for example, a degree in psychology, health or social sciences.
• To hold a qualification from a recognised, accredited, post graduate PWP training programme (or to be working towards this).

Experience:
• Experience of working with mental health service users in an IAPT service in the NHS or voluntary sector
• Experience of working in a service with agreed targets in place, demonstrating clinical outcomes

Accreditation
• BABCP Accredited Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (or working towards accreditation through submission of relevant portfolio to the BABCP).

Use of AI
Applications for this role should be written by the applicant. If artificial intelligence (AI) programmes are used then the application may be rejected due to this document being an important part of the assessment process. This does not prevent applicants seeking appropriate support with applications should they need to for the purposes of any declared disability.

Person specification

Qualification

Essential criteria

Qualification from PWP Training Course (Post Graduate Certificate or Level 3 undergraduate course)

Desirable criteria

Psychology or other health related postgraduate degree Training in nursing, social work, counselling or within a psychological therapy

Experience

Essential criteria

Evidence of working with people who have experienced a mental health problem Able to write clear reports and letters.

Desirable criteria

Experience of working in Primary Care Services Worked in a service where agreed targets in place demonstrating clinical outcomes Ability to manage own caseload and time Evidence of working in the local community

Skills & Competencies

Essential criteria

Ability to evaluate and put in place the effect of training Computer literate Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including telephone skills Able to develop good therapeutic relationships with clients

Desirable criteria

Received training (either formal of through experience) and carried out risk assessments within scope of practice

Knowledge

Essential criteria

Demonstrates an understanding of anxiety and depression and how it may present in Primary Care

Desirable criteria

Demonstrates a knowledge of the issues surrounding work and the impact it can have on mental health Knowledge of medication used in anxiety and depression and other common mental health problems Demonstrates an understanding for the need to use evidence based psychological therapies and how it relates to this post

Benefits

We believe in bringing your authentic and best self to work, in order to deliver the best care to our patients. We are committed to supporting our employees holistically. Here is a snapshot of what is on offer at NELFT:

A long-standing and award-winning approach to equality and diversity with supportive networks for ethnic minority staff, staff with disabilities or long term/chronic conditions and LGBT staff. A commitment to supporting colleagues to achieve a work life balance, through flexible working opportunities and our effortsto support our working parents and carers. This has resulted in us being recognised as a ‘Top 10 Family Friendly Employer’ from the Working Families Charity. Proactive health and wellbeing support, including access to our employee assistance programme, staff psychological support, individual wellbeing conversations and a network of health and wellbeing ambassadors. Detailed information about our wellbeing and benefits offer can be found in this link.

As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement whether that’s a job share, part time hours or another flexible pattern.