Job summary
- Main area
- Talking Therapies
- Grade
- Band 4
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Hybrid Office / Home Working)
- Job ref
- 267-BM7185520
- Employer
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Prospect House
- Town
- High Wycombe
- Salary
- £26,530 - £29,114 Per annum | Pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 05/06/2025 23:59
Employer heading
Trainee Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner - High Wycombe
Band 4
Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust has been rated as Good by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
We are a responsive and innovative Foundation Trust that places our values of Caring, Safe and Excellent at the heart of everything we do. We take great pride in our staff and believe that investing in you is key to us achieving our vision of outstanding care delivered by outstanding people.
We work with a wide range of partner organisations to deliver care and support to people in their own homes and from a number of hospitals and community bases. We focus on delivering care as close to home as possible for people of all ages across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Swindon, Wiltshire, Bath and North East Somerset.
We actively support anti-racism, equality, diversity, and inclusion so, if you’re excited about this job opportunity and you meet our Trust values, but feel unsure about applying, then please get in touch and we will be happy to have a conversation with you.
We are also committed to increasing diversity in the workforce, that is why we actively encourage applications from those groups of people who are currently under-represented, which include amongst others: people with disabilities; men from all socio-economic backgrounds; people from diverse ethnic backgrounds; and people from the LGBTQIA+ community.
Good luck and we hope to hear from you.
Job overview
Would you like to help people manage their mental health with tried and tested psychological interventions? Perhaps your lived experience of mental health problems is putting you in a unique position to support others going through similar challenges. Are you looking for a career change and are enthusiastic about caring and supporting people?
We are seeking people to join our Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP) apprenticeship in Buckinghamshire Talking Therapies.
You should be compassionate, work well in a team, enthusiastic, highly motivated and have excellent written and verbal communication skills. You have some experience in a mental health settings, have experienced or supported those with mental health challenges.
The PWP apprenticeship programme is approximately 15 months in duration, delivered by Oxford Health Apprenticeship & Development Centre, Learning & Development; the next programme is due to start September/October 2025. The programme combines both academic and work-based learning through close collaboration between employers and education providers. Successful applicants will need to commit to the academic requirements of the course and will be unable to participate in any other education courses alongside the PWP programme.
More in-depth information can be found on the ‘Find out more about our PWP apprenticeship programme’ pdf.
Main duties of the job
- During module 1 of the apprenticeship, your learning will be in person 3 days a week in Oxford for your Apprenticeship teaching days and 2 days in person at your allocated office base in Buckinghamshire.
- After module 1, the schedule changes to one day of protected learning and four days of in-service training.
- You will be trained to deliver evidence-based psychological therapies via telephone, online, digital platforms, or face-to-face, both individually and in groups.
- Day to day, you will receive weekly case management supervision, clinical skills supervision, and training, with clear progression routes and career development opportunities
Please note that the apprenticeship programme has strict attendance requirements. You must attend 100% of the programme in order to be able to successfully complete the programme. Therefore, annual leave cannot be taken on allocated programme days. The programme is expected to run from October 2025 to October 2026. You will need to ensure you can commit to the programme during this time. Exceptional circumstances will be accounted for and discussed on an individual basis.
Working for our organisation
Oxford Health is a great place to work and to be able to showcase the best of yourself when making an application please read the “candidate guide to making an application” and ensure your supporting statement is tailored to the role you are applying for and addresses any essential criteria.
As a Trust we provide physical, mental health and social care for people of all ages across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Swindon, Wiltshire, Bath and Northeast Somerset. Our services are delivered at community bases, hospitals, clinics and people’s homes, delivering care as close to home as possible. Our vision is that no matter who you are or where you are, you will tell us that you receive: “Outstanding care delivered by an outstanding team”
Our values are: “Caring, safe and excellent”
We offer a wide range of benefits designed to support your career and wellbeing. These include:
- Excellent opportunities for career progression
- Access to tailored individual and Trust wide learning and development
- 27 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days with continuous service
- NHS Discount across a wide range of shops, restaurants and retailers
- Competitive pension scheme
- Lease car scheme
- Cycle to work scheme
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Mental Health First Aiders
- Staff accommodation (please note waiting lists apply)
- Staff networking and support groups hosted by our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion team
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
At the top of your Supporting Statement, please indicate which of the following you have completed: English language requirement, UK GCSE English certificate, showing grades A*-C/9-4, Functional Skills English certificate - Level 2, Minimum Level 3 qualification studied in the UK/majority English speaking country.
Want to know what it’s like to work for Buckinghamshire Talking Therapies? Open the ‘What it’s like to work for Buckinghamshire Talking Therapies’ pdf to see what our team members have to say!
We are a nationally recognized, high-performing, and innovative Talking Therapies service. Visit our website Buckinghamshire Talking Therapies - Buckinghamshire to find out how we support over 12,000 adults to manage their common mental health difficulties.
Staff wellbeing is a top priority - We have a very active, award winning, in- service wellbeing team and take a pride in our supportive, collaborative, and productive culture.
The Trust hosts the Oxford Institute of Clinical Psychology Training and Research and the Oxford Cognitive Therapy Centre. Buckinghamshire Talking Therapies is actively involved in research, and the service benefits from being a member of the Oxford Academic Health Science Network – Anxiety and Depression Network led by Professor David Clark.
The Buckinghamshire Talking Therapies service follows a hybrid working pattern. Until successful completion of module 1 (approximately weeks 12-13), your learning will be in person 3 days a week in Oxford for your Apprenticeship teaching days and 2 days in person at your allocated office base in Buckinghamshire. Following this, the apprenticeship learning will be 1 day a week in person and then an office base for 3 days per week. At this stage, you will have the opportunity to work from home one day a week. Upon completion of the course, you will be entitled to the same hybrid working opportunities as the rest of the qualified staff.
Our two main bases are centrally located within Aylesbury and High Wycombe, and we use additional clinic space around the county. Ability and willingness to travel for work purposes is essential. There are currently vacancies for trainee PWPs in both High Wycombe and Aylesbury. If you wish to be considered for both locations, you only need to apply once but please make it clear in your personal statement that you wish to be considered for either base.
Apprenticeship Course Eligibility
To apply for this role you must ensure that you meet the requirements for the accompanying apprenticeship programme. You should view the attached eligibility checklist to confirm you are eligible for the programme.
Your eligibility will be checked during the shortlisting process. You will be asked to bring evidence of your qualifications and documents to the interview day on Tuesday 1st July.
In order to apply for the course, we need to ensure that you have met the criteria, please see attached link for information about right to work / remain in UK and residency status. Please can you read through this to ensure that you meet the criteria before applying for the post.
Please be aware as a part of our recruitment and onboarding there will be an eligibility screening process which will involve a form being sent to you for us to evaluate and ensure you meet the criteria for funding. If you have any questions regarding the funding criteria, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.
On successful completion of the programme, apprentices will be equipped with the knowledge, understanding, skills, attitudes, and behaviours relevant to employment as a qualified Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner within an Adult Talking Therapies service.
Upon qualification, PWPs will be expected to comply with the national requirement, for PWP registration with the British Psychological Society (BPS) or the British Association of Behavioural & Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP). Registration must be maintained annually, at the practitioner’s expense. Receipt of registration will enable you to progress from a Band 4 Trainee PWP contract to a permanent Band 5 Qualified PWP contract.
If shortlisted, we are hoping to have in-person interviews on the Tuesday 1st July 2025, date and location to be confirmed.
Person specification
Qualfication/Skills/Experience
Essential criteria
- Level 5 qualification OR equivalent experience
- GCSE Maths & English Grade C or above
Experience
Essential criteria
- Evidence of clinical experience of working with people directly who have experienced a mental health problem such as depression or anxiety disorders for example Health Care Assistant in clinical setting, assistant psychologist, OT Assistant, volunteer with mental health charities etc. OR Evidence of transferable skills through employment or life experience, and how you could apply this to supporting people with mental health problems.
Desirable criteria
- Experience of working in a health or social care setting. This could be in an adminstration or clerical role.
Availability
Essential criteria
- Not undertaking any other training and available to attend training combined with clinical work
Skills
Essential criteria
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Demonstrates the ability to be self-reflective with examples in a professional or personal context.
Desirable criteria
- Fluent in languages other than English
Question Response
Essential criteria
- Response to ‘Briefly share an example from your life where you have influenced a community you felt part of in a way that has positively impacted upon the wellbeing of those it includes.’
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
- Buckinghamshire Talking Therapies
- Job title
- Buckinghamshire Talking Therapies
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01865 901600
- Additional information
At Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust we want to employ people not just with experience, but with the aptitude and motivation to succeed and whose values resonate with our own.
Therefore, if you don’t meet all the requirements of the role and are unsure about applying but are excited about the opportunity, please do get in touch. We will be happy to discuss the requirements in more detail ahead of making a written application.
Bucks Talking Therapies Recruitment Newsletter
Buckinghamshire Talking Therapies Website
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