Job summary
- Main area
- Mental Health
- Grade
- NHS AFC: Band 5
- Contract
- Permanent: This position progresses from B5 in yr1 to B6 in yrs 2&3 with B7 on successful qualification
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 354-PC-20699(F)
- Employer
- Sussex Partnership NHS FoundationTrust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- 177 Preston Road
- Town
- Brighton
- Salary
- £31,049 - £37,796 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 07/08/2025 23:59
Employer heading
NHS TT Psychotherapeutic Counsellor - Foundation Trainee
NHS AFC: Band 5
Come and join us
We're looking for people who share our values (compassion, accountability and optimism) to help us provide high quality care to the patients, carers, families and local communities we serve. We specialise in providing NHS mental health and learning disability services.
So what can we offer you in return?
We're an organisation which puts people first. We'll do everything possible to help you feel respected, valued and included. We'll help you learn, acquire new skills and gain further experience to support your career development. And we'll provide the opportunity for you to bring your fresh ideas to work about how we can do things differently and continue improving.
You will also be joining a health and care system committed to working together to do the best we can for the communities we serve. Above all, at Sussex Partnership you'll have the chance to make a difference to the lives of the patients, carers and families across our communities.
As a Trust we are committed in making a difference. Your development is important to us, so don't forget to ask us during interview what opportunities we can offer. We can offer fully funded lifelong learning opportunities such as an apprenticeship from GCSE to Masters level.
If you like the sound of that, then come and join our team.
Job overview
The Brighton & Hove Wellbeing Service offers a variety of support and NHS Talking Therapies for anxiety & depression to the community of Brighton and Hove.
The NHS TT Psychotherapeutic Counselling national curriculum provides a Foundation level & Postgraduate Diploma training in Psychotherapeutic Counselling, leading to a qualification to practise as a High Intensity Therapist in NHS TT services.
This position is for trainees undertaking the foundation stage of the training. Recruitment for the courses is aimed at graduates (and those who can demonstrate professional and academic equivalence).
On completion of foundation training, trainees will be eligible to apply to continue on to the Level 7 Postgraduate Diploma. This will lead to delivering one of the following NHS TT approved modalities, based on the specific training pathway that is undertaken within the national curriculum:
- Couple Therapy for Depression (CTfD)
- Brief Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy for Depression (DIT)
- Person-Centred Experiential - Counselling for Depression (PCE-CfD).
Trainees will receive:
- Full tuition fees across the 3-years of the programme
- Salary support to cover the salaries across the 3-years of the programme:
Year 1- Band 5
Year 2 & 3- Band 6
The post holder will attend all taught and self-study days required by the education provider, as specified within the agreed national curriculum and work in the service for the remaining days of the week using their newly developed skills.
Main duties of the job
- Following sign off as meeting a foundation standard of competence through simulation, trainees will assess & support service users with mild to moderate depression in NHS TT services in the self-management of their recovery using either a humanistic/ person-centred or psychoanalytic/ psychodynamic psychotherapeutic counselling approach, under close supervision and in line with the NHS TT Manual.
- Deliver time limited counselling interventions in accordance with the NHS TT Manual, the evidence base, service protocols.
- Adhere to an agreed level of activity 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.
- Keep coherent records of all clinical activity in line with service protocols and use these records and clinical outcome data in clinical decision making.
- Attend and fulfil all the requirements of the training element of the post including practical, academic and practice based assessments.
- Trainees will be required to complete a minimum of 50 hours of personal therapy over the three years, commencing in Year 1 prior to starting work with service users. Therapy undertaken prior to the commencement of training may not be counted towards this requirement. The therapy must be in the overarching theoretical orientation of the training (i.e. humanistic/person-centred or psychoanalytic/psychodynamic).
Working for our organisation
We provide mental health and learning disability care for children, young people and adults across Sussex and for children and young people in Hampshire.
Working in Sussex:
· Travel easily between coast and countryside, with a blend of picturesque villages and seaside towns
· Embrace the city life with great access to visit Brighton and London
· With easy access to Gatwick and Heathrow and excellent railway links across the UK there is plenty of opportunity for adventure
We’d love you to join our organisation that is rated ‘good’ overall and ‘outstanding’ for caring by the CQC. Our staff agree, with 82% of people in our recent staff survey telling us that they recognise that care for patients is our top priority.
Other staff survey results include:
· 70% highlighting flexible working opportunities as a key point for satisfaction at work
· 79% reporting feeling able to make suggestions to improve the work within their team
· 77% identifying the opportunities to show initiative in their roles
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please thoroughly read the below and the supporting documents to ensure you meet eligibility requirements and are able to evidence the essential criteria of the role.
All applicants must complete an application to the learning provider Metanoia in addition to submitting their application for this role to be eligible for shortlisting:
Please find below the link to Metanoia Institute webpage for the training:
and a direct link to the application form:
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Recognised degree at 2:2 or above in any relevant subject, or equivalent, or Demonstrates competency via a portfolio of evidence, which meets specified academic equivalence requirements
- Completed a Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills, (minimum of 10 days or 60 hours of face-to-face tuition at level 2 or level 3). Note: Online courses are not acceptable. L2 Award, Helping Skills and Introductory courses are not acceptable
- Upon successful qualification the postholder must be accredited with BABCP
Knowledge/Experience
Essential criteria
- Show a commitment to working with people with common mental health problems
- Demonstrable interpersonal skills and values consistent with providing hopeful, person-centred care within the NHS TT stepped model of care
- Evidence of working within a team environment
- Evidence of communicating with individuals from diverse backgrounds
- Demonstrates high standards in written communication
- Able to write clear reports and letters
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Daniel Bowler
- Job title
- NHS TT Clinical Lead
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 0300 002 0060
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