Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Lecturer (T&S) (20% FTE)

Applications are invited for a temporary part-time (0.2FTE) post working in the School of Psychology and Sport Science. This is an exciting opportunity to join a new Cognitive Behavioural Therapy training team to deliver a Health Education Improvement Wales funded programme at Post Graduate level. This post will provide outstanding opportunities to develop skills in teaching and supervising trainees in CBT.

This post would suit an experienced CBT Therapist or mental health professional that holds British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP) accreditation. As a lecturer on the programme, you will work closely alongside the Programme Director to deliver the programme with a particular focus on delivering teaching; monitoring student progress; assignment marking and group supervision.

Candidates must be an accredited CBT therapist with the BABCP in the UK and Ireland and have a minimum of two years post qualification experience of using CBT with adults or children and young people. Experience of supervising trainee CBT Therapists and teaching psychological therapy at an HEI level would be a distinct advantage.

The School of Psychology and Sport Science at Bangor are consistently ranked in the top ten by the National Student Survey. Psychology was ranked in the top quartile for subject area in The Times Good University Guide 2021. Bangor University is one of the only universities in Wales to hold Gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework.

The University is located in an area of outstanding natural beauty, situated on the North Wales coast between the mountains of Snowdonia and the sea, making it one of the most attractive university cities in the UK. Bangor University is proud of its Welsh heritage, yet it is also renowned for its approach to internationalisation and has been ranked as one of the 100 most international universities in the world by the Times Higher Education.

The School of Psychology and Sport Science currently has the Athena SWAN Bronze award and benefits from a large and diverse academic staff employing individuals from across the world. We are committed to being a flexible and supportive work environment that allows everyone to flourish.

The ability to communicate in Welsh is desirable for this post. The successful candidate will be expected to commence as soon as possible and the post is available until 31/07/2029.

Overview: The School of Psychology and Sport Science at Bangor University provides an excellent learning environment for our students both in-person and in virtual environments. The appointee will join a vibrant teaching team who are dedicated to pedagogical excellence. This award-winning team drives educational innovation across the department and the wider institute, and they are responsible for managing our renowned combination of pioneering teaching methods, exciting student experiences and supportive pastoral care.

The appointee will be joining a newly developed programme, the PG Cert and PG Dip in CBT, which is specifically designed to aid mental health professionals treating common mental health problems within North Wales. The appointee will work closely with the programme team to deliver this programme and help with preparing an application for course accreditation with the BABCP.

Health Education Improvement Wales has commissioned Bangor University to train up to 21 mental health staff annually over the next four years in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. This involves developing both a Post Graduate Certificate and Diploma. Our programme aims to meet the high-quality standards in education set by the British Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Therapies (BABCP). The syllabus is aligned with the BABCP Minimum Training Standards, Core Curriculum and Roth and Pilling competency framework for CBT with anxiety disorders and depression.

Ensuring successful training of this group of staff will require not only excellence in teaching but also in coordination of students and supporting them with the typical difficulties’ implementation of a new psychological therapy brings to a service. The postholder will play a crucial role in supporting the high standards of assessment on the programme.

Purpose of the Job: To teach at postgraduate level. To develop teaching materials or methodologies, for example course design or assessment and contribute to module co-ordination. To provide group supervision to trainees on both the Post Graduate Certificate and Post Graduate Diploma. To liaise with key stakeholders (e.g. NHS trusts, line managers, external supervisors) To provide pastoral and academic support to students. To undertake administrative duties as designated by the Programme Director.

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

• Plan, prepare and deliver lectures and tutorials, responding effectively to a variety of student backgrounds, learning styles and class sizes.
• Motivate students to proactive engagement in learning, and provide meaningful and constructive feedback on the quality of their work.
• Keep abreast of new professional, educational and related social, economic and technological developments.
• Contribute to the development of new programmes and module co-ordination.
• Maintain and develop Scholarly activities in line with University and College strategies.

Administrative And Wider Contribution Duties Will Include:

• Participate in the student recruitment and induction procedures of the programme.
• Facilitate supervision groups.
• Contribute to the School's management, and participate in the administration of postgraduate programmes (e.g. contribute to accreditation/QA procedures).
• Contribute to the marketing of the programmes by participating in marketing initiatives.
• Undertake other administrative duties and responsibilities as directed by the Programme Director.

Other Duties And Responsibilities: The post holder will be expected to participate in performance review and developmental activities. The post holder will be expected to comply with the University’s equality policies and statements, Dignity at Work and Study Policy and the University’s Welsh Language Scheme. Ensure continued development of personal knowledge and skills to ensure that teaching reflects current best practice. The post holder has a general and legal duty of care in relation to health, safety and wellbeing and must take all reasonable steps to ensure a safe and healthy working environment for him/her self and for other members of staff, students and visitors affected by his/her actions or inactions. The post holder is also required to comply with all applicable health and safety policies, procedures and risk assessments. The post holder must comply with relevant legal and financial policies and procedures and be aware of their responsibilities in terms of the legal requirements of their posts.

Person Specification:

Qualifications/Training:

• Essential: Accreditation with the BABCP. Minimum of two years post qualification experience in the delivery of CBT.
• Desirable: Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (PGCertHE) or be close to the completion OR Recognised by the HEA as a Fellow / Recognised by Advance HE as a Fellow against Descriptor 2 of the UKPSF. Supervisor accreditation with the BABCP.

Experience/Knowledge:

• Essential: Delivering CBT to clients with a range of common mental health problems. Competence in the application of disorder specific CBT models for anxiety disorders and Depression. Knowledge of relevant legislation and publications associated with the standards of CBT (e.g. NICE guidelines, Roth & Pilling competences).
• Desirable: Experience of delivering presentations to mental health professionals. Experience of supervising trainee or qualified CBT Therapists. Experience of delivering CBT in specialist settings and/or complex presentations.

Skills/Abilities:

• Essential: Ability to prioritise workload and work to deadlines. Ability to work effectively as part of a team and on own initiative. Excellent verbal and written skills. Demonstrable IT Skills as required (e.g. VLE techniques and other forms of learning technologies).
• Desirable: Familiarity with using the Cognitive Therapy Rating Scale (CTS-R) to provide feedback on specific skills within CBT. Experience of marking academic assignments (e.g. essays). Experience of managing group dynamics within the context of supervision.

Other: The ability to communicate through the medium of Welsh is desirable for this role.

General: The University is committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity and to creating an inclusive working environment. We believe this can be achieved through attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse range of staff from many different backgrounds. We strive to develop a workforce from all sections of the community regardless of sex, gender identity, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, trans identity, relationship status, religion or belief, caring responsibilities, or age. We promote and facilitate the use of the Welsh language through our progressive Welsh Language Policy. We comply with the Welsh Language Standards and are committed to equality of opportunity.

We are a member of Advance HE's Athena SWAN Gender Equality charter and hold a Silver award in recognition of our commitment to and progress towards gender equality within the University's policies, practices, and culture. We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer.

All members of staff have a duty to ensure their actions are in line with the overall environmental aims of the University and minimise their environmental impact.

All offers are made subject to proof of eligibility to work in the UK and receipt of satisfactory references. We have a legal responsibility to ensure that you have the right to work in the UK before you can start working for us. When you apply for this post you will be required to explain the basis upon which you believe you will able to live and work in the UK legally on the commencement date of the role should your application be successful. If you do not have the right to work freely in any position in the UK already, any offer of employment we will make to you will be subject to you obtaining a right to work visa.

Please note that, in the event of applications being received from candidates on the University's Redeployment Register with a reasonable skills match to the post specification, these applicants will be given prior consideration.