Cognitive Behavioural Therapist

This is an exciting time for Blackpool Healthier Minds. We’re continually expanding our service and looking at innovative ways of delivering therapy and improving access. The service is focused on delivering high quality therapy, being amongst the highest performers in the area. Our service has exceeded the national target of 50% recovery rate every month for over two years and our patient feedback is excellent.
You’ll have the opportunity to be part of a fantastic team of staff who are genuinely committed to improving the lives of our service users and carers. The Blackpool Healthier Minds team includes CBT therapists, Counsellors and Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners, providing psychological assessment and brief therapies to people with mild to moderate anxiety and depression. The service also offers EMDR, "Stress Control" courses, MCBT courses as well as a range of webinars to support health and wellbeing.

Main duties of the job

As one of the United Kingdom’s largest coastal resort, Blackpool has plenty to offer its residents -it’s not just a good place to work; it’s a great place to live. In addition to its bustling centre and historic seafront, the town is world famous for its many attractions, including the famous Blackpool Tower. Blackpool also offers a number of scenic cycling routes round our local parks and across the surrounding countryside, as well as boasting panoramic views of the coast on its picturesque Promenade. Further afield, Blackpool also benefits from less than three-hour connections via rail to Edinburgh in the north and London in the south.

**Our strategic vision for 2021 is**:
“As a high performing Trust, operating as part of an integrated care system, we will provide high quality, safe and effective care. This will be achieved in a financially sustainable way, through our skilled and motivated workforce”.

**Detailed job description and main responsibilities**:
Blackpool Healthier Minds operates from a number of community bases within the Blackpool area. We offer IAPT interventions and psychological therapies across Step 2 and 3, and over the past 12-18 months have developed pathways with physical health services in line with the National IAPT Long Term Conditions programme, in order to expand and increase the offer of psychological therapies to the Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde population. We receive self-referrals and referrals from health care professionals for the Long Term Conditions arm of the service.
Accept referrals via agreed protocols within the service.
Assess clients for suitability for psychological interventions.
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
Formulate, implement and evaluate therapy programmes for clients
Use highly developed communication skills in working with people to
understand their personal and often very sensitive difficulties.
To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment and treatment of clients in line with the service.
Undertake risk assessments with clients and respond to these in line with
service policies and procedures.
Educate and involve family members and others in treatment as necessary,
conveying CBT and other psychological formulations with sensitivity in easily understood language.
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.
Engage in regular case management and clinical supervision.
Complete all requirements relating to data collection within the service.
Keep coherent detailed records of all clinical activity in line with service
protocols. Work closely with other members of the team ensuring appropriate step-up and stepdown arrangements are in place to maintain a stepped care approach.
Assess and integrate issues surrounding work and employment into the
overall therapy process.
To participate in the planning and facilitation of groups as and when required by the service.