Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner

Job Summary

My Name is Louise Barry, I am a Team Manager for the NHS Kirklees Talking Therapies Service, in Huddersfield and Dewsbury. We are a friendly and supportive service, where our staff are valued, supported in their development and contribute to service development.

We are excited to welcome applications for a qualified Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP) to work across Kirklees within the NHS Kirklees Talking Therapies Team.

This is an ideal opportunity for qualified PWPs looking to broaden their experience working in primary care.

Team Background

We provide NICE compliant psychotherapy incorporating CBT, Counselling and Guided Self Help to clients in primary care across Kirklees. We are an 8-8 service Monday to Friday, and offer sessions either by Microsoft Teams, telephone or face to face.

We hold clinics both in Trust premises and also in primary care settings across the area to ensure that were, as much as possible, nearby for the people that use the service.

We treat clients with common mental health problems such as depression or anxiety and consistently achieve our recovery target of 50%, for us this is important because it means were making a difference to peoples lives.

Main duties of the job

As a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner your main duties will be to provide assessments and guided self-help treatment sessions to clients with common mental health problems.

As an applicant you must have completed a Talking Therapies approved PWP training course and have experience of working in mental health services. You do not have to be accredited, but we would support you in working towards your accreditation with a regulatory body.

As a service we encourage our PWPs to be involved in projects, service promotion and service development. We offer our assessments and treatment sessions via Face to Face, Telephone, Microsoft Teams, and group work. We work agilely within the service so you will attend clinics in Kirklees, and you would also need to have a confidential and private workspace at home.

We understand that supervision, CPD and training are essential to your work as a PWP. As such we are committed to supporting you to develop your skills and practice by offering supervision and CPD in line with national guidance.

About Us

We are a specialist NHS Foundation Trust that provides community, mental health and learning disability services for the people of Barnsley, Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield. We also provide low and medium secure services and are the lead for the west Yorkshire secure provider collaborative.

Our mission is to help people reach their potential and live well in their communities, we do this by providing high-quality care in the right place at the right time. We employ staff in both clinical and non-clinical services who work hard to make a difference to the lives of service users, families and carers.

We encourage and welcome applications from all protected characteristic groups, we value diversity and want our workforce to be reflective of our communities.

Being a foundation Trust means were accountable to our members, who can have a say in how were run. Around 14,300 local people (including staff) are members of our Trust.

Join us and you will be one of over 4,500 staff committed to supporting and improving the mental, physical and social needs of the thousands of people we meet and help each year.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all colleagues and volunteers to share this commitment.

Contact

You are welcome to contact me if you would like to discuss this post Louise Barry, Team Manager, NHS Kirklees Talking Therapies Team on 07917 803626 or you can email me: Louise.Barry@swyt.nhs.uk

Key Result Areas – Clinical

• Accept referrals via agreed protocols within the service.
• Assess and support people with a common mental health problem in the self‑management of their recovery.
• Undertake patient‑centred interviews which identify areas where the person wishes to see change and or recovery and make an accurate assessment of risk to self and others.
• Make decisions on suitability of new referrals, adhering to the department’s referral protocols, and refer unsuitable clients on to the relevant service or back to the referral agent as necessary or step‑up the person’s treatment to high intensity.
• Provide a range of information and support for evidence‑based high‑volume low‑intensity psychological treatments. This may include guided self‑help computerised CBT, information about pharmacological treatments. This work may be face‑to‑face, telephone or via other media.
• Educate and involve family members and others in treatment as necessary.
• Adhere to an agreed activity contract relating to the number of client contacts offered, and clinical sessions carried out per week in order to minimise waiting times and ensure treatment delivery remains accessible and convenient.
• Attend multi‑disciplinary meetings relating to referrals or clients in treatment, where appropriate.
• Complete all requirements relating to data collection within the service.
• Keep coherent records of all clinical activity in line with service protocols.
• Work closely with other members of the team ensuring appropriate step‑up and step‑down arrangements are in place to maintain a stepped care approach.
• Assess and integrate issues surrounding work and employment into the overall therapy process.

Key Result Areas – Professional

• Ensure the maintenance of standards of practice according to the employer and any regulating, and keep up to date on new recommendations/guidelines set by the department of health (e.g NHS plan, National Service Framework, National Institute for Clinical Excellence).
• Ensure that client confidentiality is protected at all times.
• Be aware of, and keep up to date with advances in the spheres of treatment for common mental health problems.
• Ensure clear objectives are identified, discussed and reviewed with senior therapists on a regular basis as part of continuing professional development.
• Attend clinical/managerial supervision on a regular basis as agreed with Manager.
• Participate in individual performance review and respond to agreed objectives.
• Keep up to date all records in relation to Continuing Professional Development and ensure personal development plan maintains up to date specialist knowledge of latest theoretical and service delivery models/developments.
• Attend relevant conferences / workshops in line with identified professional objectives.

Person Specification

Physical Attributes – Essential

• Ability to undertake the duties and demands of the post. A satisfactory sickness record over the previous 2 years (subject to the need to act with fairness and equality of opportunity, particularly where the sickness is related to a disability and/or pregnancy).

Personal Attributes – Essential

• A current driving licence and access to a car during the working day is essential (reasonable adjustments will be considered for any applicants who are unable to drive due to a disability).

Experience – Essential

• Substantial mental health working experience including voluntary work or expertise gained by experience of mental health problems.
• Demonstrates high standards in written communication.
• Able to write clear reports and letters.

Experience – Desirable

• 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.

Qualifications – Essential

• Post Graduate Certificate for Low Intensity Therapies (IAPT)
• Psychology degree or other related degree.

Qualifications – Desirable

• Post Graduate Mental Health Certificate or Mental Health Professional qualification (nursing, Social Work, Occupational Therapy, etc).

Special Knowledge & Skills – Essential

• 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.
• Applicants should demonstrate evidence of interpersonal skills to engage and develop working alliances with colleagues and patients.
• Demonstrates an understanding of anxiety and depression and how it may present in Primary Care.
• High level of enthusiasm and motivation.
• Advanced communication skills.
• Ability to work within a team and foster good working relationships.
• Ability to use clinical supervision and personal development positively and effectively.
• Ability to work under pressure.
• Regard for others and respect for individual rights of autonomy and confidentiality.
• Ability to be self reflective, whilst working with service users, in own personal and professional development and in supervision.

Special Knowledge & Skills – Desirable

• Received risk assessment training (either formal or through experience) and carried out risk assessments within scope of practice.
• Demonstrates a knowledge of the issues surrounding work / Employment 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.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer Details

Employer name: South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust

Address: Folly Hall Mills, St Thomas Road, Huddersfield, HD1 3LT

Employer’s website: https://www.southwestyorkshire.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)

Additional Information

We are aware that an increasing number of applicants are using AI technology to generate responses on NHS Job application forms. Over reliance on AI-generated content in application forms is strongly discouraged and we will conduct a thorough screening process before selecting candidates to progress to the next stage. If you are using AI to enhance your application, please disclose this in your NHS Jobs application form.

For Full Job Description, Please See Attached Supporting Documents.

Details

Date posted: 30 January 2026

Band: Band 5

Salary: £31,049 to £37,796 a year

Contract: Permanent

Working pattern: Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number: C9378-CK2408

Job locations: Folly Hall Mills, St Thomas Road, Huddersfield, HD1 3LT