Senior Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner - Band 6 in London

Ealing Talking Therapies is seeking to recruit a Senior Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP) who has undertaken the specialist PWP Talking Therapies training and is looking to progress their career as part of our supportive and highly regarded team. We have a very well‑established step 2 team, consisting of trainee and qualified PWPs. We provide a wide range of CBT‑based interventions, such as groups, one‑to‑one sessions (face‑to‑face and telephone), and online therapy (cCBT), in addition to the telephone and face‑to‑face assessments. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to co‑facilitate a step 3 group, attend further training, and gain experience in carrying out audits relevant to the service. As senior PWP you will be expected to carry out supervision and line management duties of step 2 staff, including providing clinical skills to trainee PWPs and qualified staff. Senior PWPs have clinical variety and deliver sessions over the telephone, face‑to‑face, online, and in groups. There is a need to be able to work flexibly, with sessions in different locations across Ealing and Southall.

Main Duties of the Job

• Support the Step 2 Leads and Lead PWP in the operational management of the PWP team.
• Hold a small caseload and work with some of the more complex Step 2‑appropriate cases seen within the service.
• Provide case management, clinical skills supervision and line management for Trainee PWPs and other roles as appropriate.
• Assist in clinically related admin, development of audit and/or research projects, teaching and project work; have opportunity to lead on smaller projects.
• Work with people from different cultural backgrounds and ages, using interpreters when necessary, and commit to equal opportunities.
• Recruit, onboard and induct new members of the Step 2 team.

The successful applicant will have a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner qualification, be registered with the BABCP/BPS, have supervision experience and a can‑do and compassionate approach to management.

Person Specification

Essential

• Significant experience in working with people with mental health problems and/or other disabilities.
• Ability to demonstrate substantial post qualifying experiences in offering and delivering the range of evidence based Talking Therapies low intensity interventions such as CCBT, Guided Self‑help & workshops.
• Consolidated & reflective supervised post qualifying experience within a Talking Therapies Service.
• Knowledge of different models of mental health/mental illness.
• Knowledge of NHS policies, procedures and guidelines.
• Knowledge of working sensitively with diversity (including working with black minority ethnic groups).
• An awareness of severe and enduring mental health presentations (including psychosis, bipolar).
• Knowledge of outcome measures and their use in clinical and audit purposes.
• An ability to apply existing psychological knowledge to a mental health context.
• Evidence based practice/clinical governance.
• Models of assessment (including clinical risk assessment) record keeping and evidence based brief psychological intervention.
• Ability to work effectively with interpreters.
• Ability to effectively manage the demands of working with more complex cases at Step 2.
• High level of communication skills (written and verbal) including an ability to communicate and work in settings in which the atmosphere may be highly emotive.
• Ability to communicate sensitive information to patients, carers and colleagues in a way that addresses psychological resistance.
• Experience using computers for databases or data‑analysis, especially Excel and SPSS for Windows.
• High standard of report writing.
• An ability to work well within a team and foster good working relationships with staff from all disciplines.
• An ability to develop positive therapeutic relationships with people with mental health difficulties.
• Ability to work independently, reliably and consistently with a busy workload agreed and managed at regular intervals.
• Ability to be reflective, whilst working with service users, in own personal and professional development and in context of supervision.

Desirable

• Experience of paid work as an Assistant Psychologist or Graduate Mental Health worker, with supervision from an applied Psychologist.
• Experience in providing supervision to others within a therapy/helping profession setting.
• Experience of working with clients who present with risk to self.
• Experience of working with individuals whose children are subject to Child Protection legislation.
• Experience of co‑working with staff in other agencies (e.g. health visitors or staff in drug and alcohol services).
• Experience of audit and research.
• Experience of managing people in a primary care setting.
• Experience of paid direct care work.
• Ability to carry out a range of evaluation and monitoring techniques.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and requires a Disclosure and Barring Service check. Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. Applicants must have current UK professional registration.