Team Co-ordinator for Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners

South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust has a rich history, well-established community links and an international reputation. We provide a full range of local mental health services to the Kingston, Merton, Richmond, Sutton and Wandsworth London boroughs, as well as specialist forensic mental health services, including specialised services such as national deaf adults and CAMHS inpatients and OCD.

We are committed to providing high quality integrated health and social care for local people with mental health problems in South West London and more specialist mental health services for people throughout the UK. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as ‘good’ however we aim to be ‘outstanding’.

Our Values

We take pride in providing specialist care to our service users where our Trust values; being consistent, compassionate, collaborative, respectful and open is at the heart of everything we do. Our mission is "making life better together".

When you join us, you’ll be part of something special – an innovative and rapidly growing organisation that is helping to redefine the Mental Health, education and social care landscape in the UK.

As a Trust, we are happy to talk flexible working.

Job overview

We are looking for a qualified Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner with substantial experience in delivering low intensity CBT assessments and interventions in talking therapies to join our committed and hard working team of clinicians as Step 2 Team Co-ordinator.

The service is professionally led by a Consultant Clinical Psychologist and operationally managed by the Merton talking therapies service manager. The clinical team includes Clinical/ Counselling Psychologists, CBT Therapists, High Intensity Trainees, and Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners.

You will work clinically within primary care settings and be required to work flexible hours in line with the ‘Improving Access’ agenda. The service operates from 8am to 8pm Monday to Thursday and 8am-5pm on Fridays, and the postholder will be required to work at least one evening per week between Monday-Thursday.

Do you have a post graduate low intensity PWP qualification? IF YOU DO NOT HAVE THIS QUALIFICATION YOU WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS POST.

Main duties of the job

You will work closely with the Step 2 Lead and the Clinical Leads to ensure the Step 2 assessments and interventions delivered in Merton Talking Therapies are of the highest standard and help the service to meet the nationally agreed access and recovery targets.

You will participate in staff recruitment and also assist in clinically related audits, project work, data collection, and teaching as required. You will receive regular clinical supervision from a Band 8a Clinical/Counselling Psychologist or CBT Therapist working within the service and have regular line management supervision with the Step 2 Lead.

Working for our organisation

We are Proud to Belong at South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust.

We have expert services, a rich history and a clear commitment to providing the best quality care for those with mental ill-health. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as ‘good’ - we aspire to be ‘outstanding’.

More developments are planned across our sites and services.

We are inclusive and diverse and strive to be actively anti racist. We want to attract people from all backgrounds and experiences to enrich the work we do together. We are proud to co-produce and involve our local communities in all that we do.

We offer flexible working, career development and a variety of benefits to enable a positive, welcoming environment in which our people and their careers can thrive.

Come and join our inclusive teams and help our patients on their recovery journey.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

1. To work to a job plan with weekly clinical contact targets
2. To assist qualified applied psychologists in the implementation of the stepped care model of delivery of psychological interventions to patients within a primary care setting in line with NICE guidance.
3. To assist with the provision of information and self-help material for service users as part of a library based self-help resources, including implementing computerised and guided CBT and co-facilitating reading groups under the Books on Prescription scheme under the supervision of a qualified professional psychologist.
4. To undertake protocol based psychological assessments of patients applying psychological, including self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with patients and others involved in the client’s care.
5. To assist in the formulation and delivery of care plans involving psychological interventions for mild to moderate mental health problems, under the clinical supervision of qualified professional psychologists, in community and primary care settings.
6. To assist in the coordination and running of therapeutic and groups.

1. To provide professional and clinical supervision as required to the Step 2 staff
2. To contribute to the development and implementation of group low intensity programmes for people with anxiety and/or depression.
3. To receive regular clinical and professional supervision at least monthly from a more senior psychologist/CBT therapist according to Trust guidelines.
4. To take part in regular internal continuing professional development events and participate in external CPD which is linked to appraisal goals.
5. To contribute to the induction, teaching and training of the step 2 team.
6. In common with all applied psychologists, to receive regular clinical supervision in accordance with professional practice guidelines and IAPTs clinical governance guidelines.
7. To develop skills and competencies that assist in the delivery of current duties.
8. To support the Step 2 workers in the regular and systematic entry of clinical data on IAPTus according to IAPTs protocols and to highlight areas of difficulty to the triage lead as soon as they arise.
9. To contribute to the training and support of others, including community pharmacists, librarians, college tutors and workers in the non-statutory sector enabling them to provide effective mental health care.
10. To inform primary care practitioners and users about local statutory and voluntary services to whom people can be “signposted”.

1. To provide professional Line management supervision as required to the Step 2 staff
2. To manage and support Step 2 staff including ensuring that staff are working to their individual capacity plan.
3. To supervise the workload of Step 2 staff, within the framework of the Talking Therapies service policies and procedures, and ensure that all clinicians supervised work towards their identified capacity..
4. To participate as appropriate in staff recruitment, both in the short-listing process and as a member of interview panels for step 2 staff.
5. To take the lead in managing the delivery of the triage system for entry to the service in line with agreed protocols and to highlight issues relating to waiting times and access to the Step 2 Lead, Service Manager and Clinical Leads.
6. To assist in the design and implementation of service development projects within the service as required.
7. To attend meetings in which service developments are planned and discussed.
8. To support the Step 2 lead in the management of complaints.

Person specification

Training & Qualification

• Qualification from PWP Training Course (Post Graduate Certificate or Level 3 undergraduate course)
• 12 months post qualification relevant Primary Care experiences and competences as required

• Training in nursing, social work, occupational therapy, counselling or within a psychological therapy
• Psychology or other health related postgraduate degree

Experience

• Evidence of working with people who have experienced a common mental health problem
• Experience of working as a PWP/graduate mental health worker in a stepped care/IAPT service
• Experience in the use/application of self help material for common mental health problems
• Considerable experience in delivering Low Intensity CBT interventions both group and individual
• Experience of working in a service where agreed targets in place demonstrating clinical outcomes

• Previous experience of clinical research/audit in the NHS
• Experience of self-management programmes/working with long term physical health conditions

Knowledge & Skills

• Demonstrates an understanding of anxiety and depression and how it may present in Primary Care
• Ability to evaluate and put in place the effect of training
• High-level communication skills (written and verbal) including an ability to communicate and work in settings in which the atmosphere may be highly emotive
• Ability to communicate sensitive information to patients, carers and colleagues in a way that is respectful and client centred, face to face and over the telephone
• An understanding of psychological therapy applied to common mental health problems and an adequate theoretical knowledge of CBT

• Demonstrates a knowledge of the issues surrounding work and the impact it can have on mental health
• Knowledge of medication used in anxiety and depression and other common mental health problems
• Demonstrates an understanding for the need to use evidence based psychological therapies and how it relates to this post

We are Members of Stonewall Diversity Champions and Employers Network for Equality and Inclusion.

As part of the Trust's commitment to Equalities and Diversity, the Trust supports the establishment of Staff Networks groups to promote diversity in the workplace:

• BME (Evolve) Staff Network
• Christian Staff Network
• DiverseAbility
• Deaf Staff Network
• Mental Health Staff Forum
• Women's Staff Network
• LGBTQIA+

We are committed to supporting the Armed Forces Community and has signed the Armed Forces Covenant.

We provide reasonable adjustments to the interview process for any candidates with a disability.

Please note:

• That the closing date listed is a guide only and that the vacancy may close earlier should sufficient number of applicants have been received
• That once you have submitted your application you agree to your application being transferred to a 3^rd party e-recruitment system
• That should you not have heard from us within three weeks from the closing date your application has not successful
• That priority consideration for applications may be given to at-risk NHS employees
• That should you be successful and appointed, you authorise South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust to confirm your previous NHS service via an Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) process
• That your employment is offered subject to successful completion of a Probationary Period depending on your Band (except medical roles)
• That we are a smoke-free Trust