Job summary
- Main area
- CBT Therapist
- Grade
- Band 6
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 246-WSN7204409
- Employer
- Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Hellesdon Hospital
- Town
- Norwich
- Salary
- £38,682 - £46,580 gross per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 26/06/2025 23:59
Employer heading

Trainee CBT Therapist
Band 6
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.
We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and want to reflect the diversity of our local communities within our teams. We welcome applications from all talented individuals with the relevant qualifications, skills, knowledge and experience
YOUR APPLICATION
We can provide all our job application materials in alternative formats so that these are accessible to everyone. Should you require any documents within this job pack in an alternative format, please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected].
PLEASE NOTE: If you use a hotmail, msn or yahoo e-mail account, you will need to check your "junk" mail regularly as these email providers will divert any communication from this Trust/NHS JOBS straight into your " junk" inbox.
Please note, NSFT uses tools to screen any applications generated by Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Job overview
NHS Talking Therapies Trainee Cognitive Behavioural Therapist
Do you want to feel valued with the opportunity to develop within a service where you are respected as an individual?
This position offers you a chance to make a positive difference to people’s lives. You will study CBT at Masters level, putting your learning into practice working with patients experiencing common mental health difficulties such as anxiety and depression. Your work will be fully supported by a comprehensive programme of clinical supervision. You will also have support from a regular buddy group with recently qualified therapists.
This Band 6 post moves to Band 7 upon successful completion of training and BABCP Accreditation.
Joining us means you become part of an established NHS Talking Therapies service that is benchmarked nationally as a service with excellent outcomes for our communities. You will provide a range of NICE compliant CBT treatments, alongside PWP’s, MHP’s, Counsellors, Employment Advisors and our newly developed Access & Inclusion Team. Our partner Norfolk and Waveney Mind delivers a bio-psychosocial model that complements NW Talking Therapies, this includes PWS’s and community development coordinators.
Main duties of the job
The position includes undertaking the PG Diploma in High Intensity CBT at the University of East Anglia, over one academic year. Three days per week will be spent in service gaining invaluable experience assessing and working with people from the local community, with two days studying with the University. Both training and clinical work is likely to be a combination of remote and in person.
The course requires self-directed study and so the ability to integrate study with clinical practice is important. We work closely with the University to ensure a joined-up approach to training. Taking up this post requires you to sign a learning agreement with NHS Talking Therapies.
You will provide CBT to people with common mental health problems including anxiety, depression and PTSD and once qualified you will be expected to provide 20 attended clinical contacts per week, in line with the national requirement for all NHS Talking Therapies services.
NHS Talking Therapies has Key Performance Indicators which all clinicians are expected to achieve, with support from your Supervisor and Clinical Team Leader.
Working for our organisation
NHS Talking Therapies is commissioned from age 16 upwards, for people who want help with common mental health problems of anxiety and low mood. The service is delivered via a partnership between Norfolk & Suffolk Foundation Trust (NSFT), NWMind and Relate. The service is commissioned to deliver from 8:00am – 8:00pm Monday to Friday and 8:00am – 2:00pm on Saturdays. You will be expected to work within these hours across the week. Currently our Saturday service is delivered by external partners, however this is under review.
You will join a service that supports everyone in their roles and in line with Trust values: We are a Team: We build strong relationships within and across teams and work closely with service users, carers and families. We are Accountable: We are answerable for our actions, behaviour and performance and take pride in our work. We Learn and Improve: We take every opportunity to learn and improve and provide feedback which is helpful, sincere and genuine. We are Kind: We act with kindness, and we treat everyone with respect and dignity.
Working for us means you can enjoy being based in the beautiful county of Norfolk with the historic city of Norwich, the Norfolk Broads and stunning coastline.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
CBT trainee jobs are open to people who have the relevant qualifications, please only apply if you meet the minimum requirements. If you are unsure if you meet these please get in contact with us.
Entry requirements:
- Entry to CBT training requires a BABCP recognised core profession or the applicant to prepare a Knowledge, Skills, Attitude (KSA) entry route portfolio prior to interview. You should then bring it to your interview. This will be scrutinised by one of the course KSA assessors, who may ask you further questions about your portfolio at interview, and if you are successful they will give you feedback on which areas require further work to be completed during training. You will submit your portfolio again at the beginning of the course to be marked after undertaking the required actions. Further information about the KSA entry route can be found on the accreditation pages of the BABCP.com website by searching for Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes.
- Applications from some core professions from a physical health background with experience of working with mental health conditions can also be considered. Please check the BABCP website for details.
- PWPs should have a minimum of two years post qualification experience in line with national NHS Talking Therapies guidelines (as defined by the time between their PWP exam board and the start date of the course (22nd September 2025).
- All other KSA candidates must have at least 4 years of relevant mental health related work experience, as well as a range of formal and informal training to have met the KSA standards.
- All candidates should have a undergraduate degree or equivalent (exceptional circumstances for core profession candidates may be considered on a case by case basis).
- If you are invited to an interview, you must bring your documents and any academic qualifications, certificates and evidence you hold (as applicable) for them to scanned on the day. Offers cannot be made without this information.
- For more information regarding British Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP) recognised Core professions, please visit the BABCP website and search for “Core Professions”.
If you do not have a Core Profession, you will need to complete a portfolio of evidence to demonstrate that you have equivalent training and experience. This is known as the Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes portfolio (KSA). If you are unsure whether your background, training and experience would allow you to apply for this post vis the KSA route, please visit the BABCP website and search for “KSA guidelines”.
Service vision
• Our vision for Norfolk and Waveney is to improve the lives of the 210,000 people who suffer with anxiety and depression, promoting sustained recovery and wellbeing in line with Talking Therapies Manual.
• Together with partners we will reduce the differentials in access, treatment and outcomes from Talking Therapies that those who experience inequalities face in our communities.
• Our approach brings together VCSE and statutory organisations at System, Place and community levels, aligning physical health and mental health pathways with networks of social and community support.
We want our communities and staff to recommend our organisation as a place where they would be happy for their friends and family to be treated. You can help us do this by bringing your skills, experience and commitment to Norfolk and Waveney NHS Talking Therapies. There is a strong emphasis on clinical leadership and the development of our staff is important to us. You will receive clinical and case management supervision within the service as well as in service training and CPD days that ensure your continued learning and development. We are a research-friendly service currently involved in several projects focusing on improving outcomes for our service users, and ways of improving the support offered to therapists to improve therapeutic skills. We are also passionate about technology, utilising virtual reality and other innovations where these aid therapy and improve the experience for our service users.
Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust is an equal opportunities employer, and our workforce is currently under-represented from people from Black and Minority Ethnic and disabled communities. We would welcome applications from people from these communities as we want our workforce to reflect the communities we serve.
Locations
All applicants need to be able to deliver therapy across Norfolk and Waveney. We support a hybrid model of working ie. face-to-face on site(s) and from home. The service is required to deliver face-to-face treatment to our communities within a 10-mile radius of their home or work, whichever is preferred. If you are successful in your application you will be aligned to our place based model, in line with service need and you must have the ability to travel independently as required across Norfolk and Waveney.
Our main locality hubs are based in Norwich, Dereham, Great Yarmouth, North Walsham and Heacham.
Training with the UEA will also be delivered via both face-to-face and remote teaching.
To find out more about this role and our NHS Talking Therapies Service visit our website by searching for www.nandwtalkingtherapies.org.uk and then clicking on the working for us section under Norfolk.
Applying and Interviews
Please find attached our Job Description and Person Specification. This is an exciting opportunity to progress and enhance your skills. The post is a Band 6 during training that moves to a Band 7 post upon successful completion of training and gaining BABCP Accreditation, we therefore are not expecting successful candidates to have all skills as outlined on the Job Description and Person Specification, but a commitment to achieving them. If you feel you have what it takes to make a difference in your local communities, click APPLY!
Shortlisted applicants will be contacted via email to arrange your interview these will be held in person in Norwich. These emails may go to your SPAM, so please keep checking all your emails if applying.
For further details / informal visits contact:
Name
Catherine Moore
Job title
Lead Therapist
Email address
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- 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
- Ability to manage own caseload and time
Desirable criteria
- Experience in a service where agreed targets in place demonstrating clinical outcomes
Skills
Essential criteria
- Ability to evaluate and put in place the effect of training
- Able to develop good therapeutic relationships with clients
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- 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 mental health problems
Other
Essential criteria
- Demonstrates an understanding of a range of mental health difficulties and how they may present in Secondary Care
- Demonstrates an understanding for the need to use evidence based psychological therapies and how it relates to this post
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.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Catherine Moore
- Job title
- Lead Therapist
- Email address
- [email protected]
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