Job summary
- Main area
- MH Support Team - Reading / Wokinghan
- Grade
- Band 7
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 371-CFS572
- Employer
- Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- MH Support Team - Reading and Wokingham
- Town
- Reading
- Salary
- £50,008 - £56,908 per annum ( Incl of HCAS)
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 18/09/2025 23:59
- Interview date
- 25/09/2025
Employer heading
Psychological Therapist – Cognitive Behavioural Therapist (CBT)
Band 7
Job overview
Mental Health Support Teams (MHST) are part of a project funded by NHS England, Health Education England and partners with the aim of improving the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people in the community in response to the government’s Green Paper for Young People’s Mental Health.
This is an exciting time of growth and change within CAMH services as we are working collaboratively with children and young people (CYP), and partners to deliver the government’s programme for mental health support to be available in schools.
To support the development of our newly established Mental Help Support Teams in West Berkshire, we are looking to recruit a Psychological Therapist to deliver interventions in CBT.
Base location : Erlegh House, Uni of Reading , Reading OR Wokingham Hospital
Main duties of the job
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Specialised Assessments: Conduct evidence-based CBT psychological therapy assessments and develop a clear and detailed formulation of the service user’s presenting difficulties on which to base treatment decisions.
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Treatment Planning: In collaboration with service users, develop and implement personalised specialist CBT treatment plans, adapting therapeutic interventions based on evolving needs to support their recovery and improve quality of life.
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Individual and Group Therapy: Provide individual and group CBT therapy sessions, tailoring interventions to address a range of mental health concerns and cognitive, emotional, and behavioural challenges and differences.
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Collaboration: Collaborate with team clinicians and multi-agency, multidisciplinary representatives to provide comprehensive care and treatment planning and ensure the delivery of integrated and holistic client care.
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Supervision and Training: In line with experience and role development plans, offer support and provide CBT supervision and mentorship to junior clinicians and trainees, contributing to their professional development and enhancing the treatment they offer.
- Research and Audit: Support and engage in research activities, contributing to the evidence base for practice and participate in quality improvement initiatives to enhance the overall effectiveness of clinical services.
Working for our organisation
Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist mental health and community health services trust. Rated ‘outstanding’ by the CQC, we’re committed to providing the best possible care to people across Berkshire. As an employer, we’re committed to offering an inclusive and compassionate environment where our people share in a sense of belonging and are supported to flourish.
Our values at Berkshire Healthcare are:
- Caring for and about you is our top priority
- Committed to providing good quality, safe services
- Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions
Your wellbeing is important to us. Some of the benefits of working for us include:
- Flexible working options to support work-life balance
- 27 days’ annual leave rising with service + opportunity to buy and sell
- Generous NHS pension scheme
- Excellent learning and career development opportunities
- ‘Cycle to Work’ and car leasing scheme including electric vehicles
- Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services
- Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants
- Staff networks for race, diversity, disabilities, the environment and armed forces community to support equality
- Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave
- Free parking across Trust sites
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The “must haves” for this role:
-
Postgraduate Diploma qualification in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
-
To have undertaken a qualification in one
of the core mental health professions recognised by BABCP with associated professional registration including:
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Nursing qualification and registration as RMN or RNLD
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Social Worker
-
Occupational Therapy
-
Other mental health professional training that has been accepted by HCPC, BPS or BABCP - (please see BABCP BABCP | British Association for Behavioural & Cognitive Psychotherapies > Accreditation > Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist Accreditation > Core Professions > Core Professions list and criteria – for a list of core professions)
OR
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Evidence of having achieved and completed the Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes (KSA) KSA portfolio route to BABCP Accreditation
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Accreditation with the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy (BABCP)
Also - Evidence of specific training, experience and/or interest and knowledge relevant to service area, e.g. service users with significant and severe mental health difficulties/ children and adolescents
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Experience of delivering teaching and training to staff
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Experience of providing clinical supervision, mentoring or providing structured guidance to other staff
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Experience of service development and carrying out clinical audit, supporting research and applying the findings
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Ability to complete clear and detailed CBT assessments and collaboratively derived formulations of a service users’ presentation using standardised measures and deliver a treatment plan, modifying the treatment plan as needed.
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Ability to manage difficult situations with service users that have complex presentations and/or challenging behaviours and to manage a demanding and complex caseload.
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Advanced IT skills and the ability to navigate various systems and software packages (such as RiO, Outlook, databases, MS office/Teams, One Consultation and the internet).
For further information about this new and exciting role, please see attached job description and person specification.
We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point-by-point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted.
We’re committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our accreditations: Race Equality Matters Silver Trailblazer, Neurodiversity in Business Corporate Member, Disability Confident Leader, Carer Confident Level 2, and the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed.
We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please don’t hesitate to call: Jo Cocksey, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, 07866 787757 or email [email protected], or email Amanda Mavunga, Clinical Psychologist at: [email protected] who’ll be delighted to help.
Please note, if we receive a high number of applications, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible.
Person specification
Education/Qualifications/Training
Essential criteria
- Postgraduate Diploma qualification in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
- To have undertaken a qualification in one of the core mental health professions recognised by BABCP with associated professional registration including: - Nursing qualification and registration as RMN or RNLD - Social Worker - Occupational Therapy - Other mental health professional training that has been accepted by HCPC, BPS or BABCP
- OR Evidence of having achieved and completed the Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes (KSA) KSA portfolio route to BABCP Accreditation Accreditation with the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy (BABCP)
Continuous Professional Development
Essential criteria
- Commitment to ongoing professional development as recommended by the BABCP and staying up to date with advancements in CBT related therapies
- Evidence of specific training, experience and/or interest and knowledge relevant to service area, e.g. service users with significant and severe mental health difficulties/ children and adolescents
Desirable criteria
- Evidence of post qualification training in clinical supervision
Previous Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience in completing CBT assessments, formulations and interventions in a specialist healthcare or secondary care community mental health setting
- Experience of providing CBT (assessment, formulation, and treatment) with services users (and their carers/families) presenting with the full range of clinical severity across the range of settings, maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse
- Experience of dealing with highly distressing or emotional circumstances, such as serious mental illness, child and sexual abuse, exploitation, and complex family dynamics
- Experience of autonomously managing a caseload in a community mental health setting.
- Experiencing of working with complex situations concerning safeguarding and risk management
- Experience of working effectively in a multi-disciplinary team and multi-agency environment
- Experience of delivering group interventions
- Experience of working with, and addressing issues of diversity, including experience of working with diversity, multiculturalism, and equality of access to service.
Desirable criteria
- Experience of delivering teaching and training to staff
- Experience of providing clinical supervision, mentoring or providing structured guidance to other staff
- Experience of service development and carrying out clinical audit, supporting research and applying the findings
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
Essential criteria
- Demonstrable knowledge of CBT theory, principles, and techniques as well as evidence-based practice, relevant to the service area
- Ability to complete clear and detailed CBT assessments and collaboratively derived formulations of a service users’ presentation using standardised measures and deliver a treatment plan, modifying the treatment plan as needed.
- Knowledge and understanding of service evaluation, audit and research and completing this in the NHS.
- Awareness of other therapeutic modalities and their integration with CBT for comprehensive treatment planning
- Skills in delivering individual and group therapy sessions using CBT techniques to address diverse mental health needs
- Ability to manage difficult situations with service users that have complex presentations and/or challenging behaviours and to manage a demanding and complex caseload.
- Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, technical and/or sensitive information to service users, their carers/families and other professional colleagues, both within and outside the NHS
- Well-developed interpersonal skills, with the ability to support, influence and engage with clinicians, stakeholders and service users to create change and improvement
- The ability and skills to act as an advocate for the service, to engage and foster good professional relationships with all health professionals in promoting the good integration of this service with the wider health care system.
- Advanced IT skills and the ability to navigate various systems and software packages (such as RiO, Outlook, databases, MS office/Teams, One Consultation and the internet).
Additional Requirements
Essential criteria
- Able to work flexibly around working patterns as required, and ability to travel independently between locations in Berkshire to fulfil the requirements and duties of the position
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
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.
Application numbers
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Jo Cocksey
- Job title
- Consultant Clinical Psychologist
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 07866787757
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