Band 7 High Intensity Counsellor

Job summary

Our Service seeks High Intensity IAPT Counsellors (Band 7) with a particular interest, experience and firm commitment to working at pace to deliver effective brief treatments. The service works across diverse patient groups presenting with a wide range of psychological difficulties.

Applicants are likely to have at least two years recent experience of working with adults in an IAPT Service, and to be qualified and experienced in at least one IAPT approved modality. A supervision qualification is desirable.

The posts can be recruited to at two bandings, dependent on experience and qualifications:

Band 7: We seek experienced clinicians who have an interest in applying clinical practice in a variety of other ways to develop the service performance and clinical outcomes.

The post offers a range of developmental opportunities including Screening, Supervision, lead areas, waiting list/pathway management, audit & research. Experience is highly desirable, however training can be provided.

Band 6: Where Band 7 criteria have not yet been fully met, it may possible to consider suitable candidates to join the service at Band 6. The retention of the post will be conditional on achieving qualification in an additional IAPT modality within an agreed time-frame.

You should be an Accredited or Registered Counsellor or Psychotherapist with the BACP, UKCP, BPC or an equivalent professional body. PLEASE ENTER YOUR ACCREDITATION/REGISTRATION STATUS IN YOUR APPLICATION.

Main duties of the job

Band 7 Counsellor posts include a range of Service related duties alongside provision of clinical sessions. Duties may include Screening, Triage supervision, clinical supervision, championing lead areas, wait list and pathway management and audit & research. Experience in these areas is highly desirable, however training can be provided.

The successful applicant may have contact with patients or service users. As an NHS Trust we strongly encourage and support vaccination as this remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course patients and service users when working on our healthcare settings.

About us

The Counselling Team is a friendly, highly experienced and supportive team of clinicians. The post holder will receive regular supervision and support from the senior management team, as well as benefit from support and guidance from colleagues, regular reflective practice, and highly specialist CPD. Clinicians work collaboratively across the wider Service which has close links with our Community Mental Health Hub and local organisations and charities.

Our Counselling team provides assessment and treatments in brief counselling and IAPT modalities: DIT, IPT, PCE CfD and CTfD. The team is substantially psychodynamic or integrative in approach.

The Service is open Monday - Thursday to and Friday - Posts are offered with a minimum of 3 days ( per week, one day of which must be a Thursday and one evening shift to 8pm is required . The Service offers telephone, video and face-to-face sessions dependent on patient need. Clinicians currently work with a balance of office and home-based practice (subject to review).

CLW Psychological Therapies works across two main Hubs at St Charles Centre for Health & Wellbeing in the north of the borough and Gertrude Street in the south. The Service forms part of Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Overview of Main Responsibilities

CLINICAL

Provide specialist psychotherapeutic assessment of patients referred to the CNWL Talking Therapies IAPT Service for High Intensity Counselling, based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex psychological data from a variety of quantitative and qualitative sources including self-report measures, rating scales, assessing for suitability of the treatment. Ensure the outcome of assessment is communicated to the referring agent and other professionals involved. Determine suitability of the approach and refer on unsuitable individuals to appropriate agencies and/or provide advice, including psycho-education, as appropriate. Formulate and implement plans for the specialist psychotherapeutic treatment and/or management of patients' mental health problems, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of those problems derived from a broad theoretical knowledge of counselling, and employing methods based upon evidence of proven efficacy within modality. It is expected that the postholder will treat patients across the range of severity. Be responsible for implementing a range of specialist High Intensity Counselling, and other IAPT modalities interventions for individual patients, couples and groups, adjusting and refining psychotherapeutic formulations as practice and experience demand, and drawing upon different explanatory models and objective IAPT modality framework/s to maintain a clinical individualized focus whilst maintaining ethical and legal standards. Comply with caseload and set activity requirements which include number of contacts and recovery rates, for a High Intensity post as per IAPT national guidelines and local IAPT implementation board. Regular and prompt entry of clinical data relating to patients on caseload and make it available for supervision and for the patient as required. Regularly monitor and evaluate therapy programmes and progress, using objective measures where appropriate, and communicate this to referring agent and other professionals involved as appropriate. Evaluate and make decisions about treatment options taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical, developmental and cultural processes and systems, which have shaped the individual. Include family members and others involved in clients problems in therapy programmes, where and if necessary. Assess and deliver therapy programmes in the community or GP Surgery and other settings within the service, as necessary. Discharge patients as appropriate and arrange follow-up as appropriate on completion of therapy. Ensure outcome and follow-up of treatment is communicated to the referring agent and other professional involved as appropriate. Exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment,treatment, discharge and onward referral of patients whose problems are managed by psychotherapeutic interventions. Assess and manage clinical risk to self and others. Involve other agencies as appropriate. Adhere to relevant professional codes of conduct, policy and guidance of Accreditation requirements for individual registrants on the Professional Standards Authority register of Accredited Counsellors including UKCP, BACP, BPC etc. Maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping including electronic data-entry and recording, report writing for the purposes of personally generated clinical, audit, teaching and research information. Exercise responsibility for professional self-governance in accordance with the HCPC, BPC and BACP and other relevant professional codes of practice and conduct and Trust policies and procedures. Develop and maintain knowledge of local resources and relationships with relevant statutory, voluntary and community groups and organisations. Develop and propose innovative responses to identified needs of the diverse and multi- cultural community the service serves in collaboration and consultation with colleagues from CNWL Talking Therapies IAPT Service and other relevant teams and agencies. Person Specification

Education and qualifications

Essential

Qualification from a BACP/UKCP/BPC approved Diploma in Counselling or Psychotherapy Professional Accreditation on the Professional Standards Authority register of Accredited Counsellors (MBACP [Accred], UKCP, BPC, HCPC, or Other Practitioner qualification in an accredited IAPT modality OR [Band 6 Developmental Entry]: Readiness to train and obtain qualification in an accredited IAPT modality (DIT, IPT, PCE CfD, CTfD) Critical understanding of the relevance of studies of human development, psychopathology, psychology, social issues and evidence-based practice.

Desirable

Supervisor qualification from a substantial Counselling and/or IAPT modality supervision course Additional training in specialist areas eg LTC, Perinatal, group facilitation, clinical risk assessment Qualified/Registered Mental Health Professiona

Previous Experience

Essential

Experience of working as an Accredited High Intensity Counsellor with highly specialist post-qualification experience of assessment and brief counselling treatment of adult patients in a primary care mental health setting or similar, and presenting with problems that reflect a wide range of clinical severity. Experience of working in the NHS or an IAPT service or other primary care setting, providing specialist expertise in the field of brief Counselling interventions. Experience of assessing clinical risk in the context of common mental health problems.

Desirable

Specialist psychotherapeutic working experience. Experience of teaching, training and supervision, and providing specialist supervision Experience of the application of psychotherapy in difference cultural and diversity contexts Experience of managing an independent and specialist caseload. Research skills and knowledge and aptitude.

Skills and Knowledge

Essential

Competency in working within a recognised theoretical framework. Skills in psychological assessment for High Intensity Counselling and other treatments Ability to draw on an evidence base in the choice of clinical interventions. Well-developed skills in the effective communication of highly complex and/or clinically sensitive information to a wide variety of recipients in a range of settings within and outside the NHS, including the ability to produce comprehensive and coherent letters, reports and associated documentation. Knowledge of the psychotherapeutic role, ability to take clinical decisions about patient care, within professional expertise. Highly developed communication skills at overcoming barriers to understanding and acceptance. Skills in providing advice and consultation to other professional and nonprofessional groups. Ability to work independently and autonomously. To plan, organise and prioritise own work and patient caseload. Ability to treat people with respect and dignity at all times, adopting a culturally sensitive approach which considers the holistic needs of the person.

Desirable

Knowledge of more than one model of Counselling or High Intensity therapy and the ability to choose and apply different interventions Knowledge of the academic literature of the specialty. Experience in the theory and practice of assessment of specific groups ( complex needs, personality disorder, somatoform disorders, persons with additional disabilities etc). Knowledge of legislation in relation to the specialty and mental health generally. Working knowledge of the practices and approaches of other key disciplines, professions and agencies involved in the care and management network, including medical, employment, social, educational and criminal justice systems. Knowledge of issues around clinical and information governance. Ability to provide clinical interventions in mother tongue language/s other than English Experience of working in multidisciplinary settings.

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