Trainee Psychological Therapist

Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust provides child and adult mental health services, learning disability, wellbeing, older people's and eating disorder services across Norfolk and Suffolk.

At any one time, around 23,000 people in Norfolk and Suffolk are receiving care and attention from the Trust. We believe in whole life care - seeing people in the context of their whole lives, understanding the importance of good physical health, friends, family, spirituality, culture, home, work, education and a sense of purpose and achievement to experience good mental health.

Nearly 3,200 full and part-time practitioners care for our service users in hospitals, in the community and in their own homes, whilst an additional 900+ staff provide non-clinical support, including cleaning, delivering supplies, ward administration, information technology, human resources and financial services.

We are committed to delivering quality driven mental health services. Every individual makes a valuable contribution. We are proud of our staff who have been commended for the care they provide. Do you value working positively, respectfully and together? If so, we’d love you to join us

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JOB DESCRIPTION/PERSON SPECIFICATION

YOUR APPLICATION

**Job overview**:
This is a ground-breaking opportunity to train to be a CBT therapist with older adults, with a focus on psychosis and bipolar. Do you have a core mental health practitioner qualification? Can you demonstrate a passion and commitment to working with and alongside, and advocating for, older people? Then this is the post for you. You will be based with the Older Adults Community Team at at Walker Close in Ipswich, working the Coastal area. There will be opportunities to work with people in the other teams (Ipswich and Stowmarket).

The service provides support to individuals who are struggling to thrive due to a mental health difficulty and/or a dementia. The MDT strives to understand the person within the context of their informal / formal support networks and psychological interventions are tailored accordingly.

This is a wonderful opportunity to join the service at an exciting time of service transformation. Psychology and therapies is well integrated, respected and valued and this post provides the opportunity to develop direct clinical skills alongside consultation and MDT working.

The service is working towards Royal College of Psychiatrists Accreditation and we are proud of our commitment to delivering the highest quality of care to our service users and carers.

**Main duties of the job**:
This is a training post at band 6 while you undertake the CBT (psychosis and bipolar) diploma with UCL in the first 2 years and then once qualified you will work as a band 7 CBT therapist within the service. As an integral part of the MDT, you will offer formulation, consultation, supervision and training, as well as direct work with older people with a range of mental health difficulties and dementia, and their families and carers.

You will undertake CBT assessment, formulation and intervention.

There is a team of friendly and supportive psychologists and arts / psychological therapists working with older people in East Suffolk, including an 8b Psychologist in the Memory Assessment Service, a CAT therapist, an Art Therapist, a newly qualified Clinical Psychologist in the acute service and 3 Clinical Associate Psychologists, as well as trainee Clinical Psychologists on placement.

**Working for our organisation**:
**Detailed job description and main responsibilities**:
To accept referrals via agreed protocols within the service.

To assess service users for suitability for CBT. Where the problems appear to be too complex or severe to be appropriate for a trainee therapist, to refer to manager / supervisor for advice on how to manage the case.

To make decisions on suitability of new referrals, adhering to the service referral protocols and refer on to the relevant service or back to the referral agent where appropriate.

To formulate, implement and evaluate therapy programmes for service users.

To educate and involve family members and others in treatment as necessary, conveying CBT formulations with sensitivity in easily understood language.

**Person specification**:
**Qualifications**:
**Essential criteria**:

- 2.2 in a UK undergraduate degree (or equivalent overseas qualification). Other academic qualifications of an equivalent standard can be taken into account.
- A core mental health practitioner qualification or KSA route.
- Post qualification experience of working with people with serious mental health problems.

**Experience**:
**Essential criteria**:

- Significant experience of working in mental health services.
- Ability to meet agreed/specified service targets.

**Other**:
**Essential criteria**:

- Demonstrates an understanding of a range of mental health difficulties and how they may present in Secondary Care.

**Skills**:
**Essential criteria**:

- Abilit