Trainee High Intensity Therapist

Are you interested in training to be a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist?
This is an exciting opportunity to join Bucks Talking Therapies as a Trainee High Intensity Therapist We are a nationally recognised, high performing, diverse and innovative Talking Therapies service, offering excellent care.
We run clinics from a variety of community venues across Buckinghamshire and our main bases are located centrally in High Wycombe in the south and Aylesbury in the north of the county. We have opportunities for trainee CBT therapists in both High Wycombe and Aylesbury.
You will have a core mental health profession, for example mental health nurse, social worker or occupational therapist. Applicants who do not have a core professional qualification as defined by the BABCP (such as qualified Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners) are required to provide evidence of knowledge, skills and attitude (KSA) competences (details below).
Bucks Talking Therapies supports over 10,000 adults every year to manage their common mental health difficulties, such as anxiety and depression. Our service has over 250 staff including PWPs, High Intensity Therapists, referral coordinators, employment advisors, managers and administrators. You will be trained to deliver effective, evidence-based psychological therapies either in person, online via digital platforms, or telephone, either individually or in groups.
Staff wellbeing is a top priority for us. We have a very active, award winning, wellbeing team within the service and work hard to ensure that a supportive, collaborative and productive culture is in place. HI therapists at Bucks Talking Therapies receive weekly clinical supervision (both individually and in groups); a monthly clinical skills forum meeting; opportunities for ongoing training in addition to regular Line Management. There is a wealth of opportunities for career development.
We’re looking for people who are compassionate, work well in a team, have plenty of enthusiasm and motivation. You will need experience of working in a mental health setting and excellent written and verbal communication skills. If you think you have the qualities we’re looking for, we look forward to hearing from you.
Click here to find out more about what it's like to work for Buckinghamshire Talking Therapies.
Benefits of working for Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust include:
Excellent opportunities for career progression
27 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, with an increase to 33 days with continuous service
NHS Discount across a wide range of shops, restaurants and retailers
Staff accommodation
Competitive pension scheme
Lease car scheme
Cycle to work scheme
In return, we offer you a thorough training in CBT based at the University of Reading (UoR), clinical experience through Bucks Talking Therapies, and a supportive supervisor team, at both University and on placement, throughout your training.
The training programme is scheduled to start in March 2025 and ideally people will start work with the service in early February to complete induction and other duties. Applicants must be able and willing to travel to Reading regularly for their training year (university supervision is blended and teaching is held in person).
You will attend the UoR Post Graduate Diploma in Evidence Based Psychological Treatments for two days a week from March 2025. You will receive clinical supervision (CBT) from the UoR and Bucks Talking Therapies BABCP accredited clinicians, as well as managerial supervision in service.
**Please note**: for those applicants who already hold a psychological therapist qualification (e.g. clinical, counselling or health psychologists or core profession) these posts will be a Band 7 during and post training. Please mention this during your interview if you think you may be eligible to be paid at Band 7 during training. For all other applicants, the post will be a Band 6 during training, moving to a Band 7 once the training course has been passed and competencies have been achieved.
Following completion of the course, moving to a qualified Band 7 post will be contingent on meeting a number of strict criteria related to the roles and performance of a HI therapist. These will be regularly assessed over the first 6 months post qualification and all these need to be fulfilled to meet the full requirements of a HI therapist.
Please also be aware, if you have completed previous Health Education England funded training (e.g. PWP training), you cannot attend High Intensity training until 2 full years after your previous training’s exam boards - we will require proof of this time period prior to interview if you completed any NHS England funded psychological therapies training before 23rd February 2023. The completion date will usually be the date of your qualifications certificate. If you are uncertain, please contact your awarding institution. As the training course will begin on 24 th February 2025, any NHS E (formally Health E