Job summary
- Main area
- Trainee High Intensity Counsellor
- Grade
- Band 6
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Part time - 30 hours per week
- Job ref
- 263-CCG25-207-JW
- Employer
- Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Portland Square
- Town
- Workington
- Salary
- £37,338 - £44,962 pro rata per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 17/06/2025 23:59
Employer heading
Trainee High Intensity Counsellor
Band 6
Hello!
We are so delighted you are considering coming to work with us at Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (CNTW).
We know the power of looking into an organisation, one you might want to work in, or one where you are going to get help, and being able to say, ‘I’ve seen somewhere I can fit in and be myself.’ We’re on a journey to make the Trust an inclusive employer, representative of the community we serve and we want more of our community to consider applying for jobs with us.
Opportunities for you
Spanning east to west coasts from Northumberland to Cumbria and from the Scottish Borders down to Middlesbrough we’ve got exciting new opportunities available at every level and in every area.
We offer flexible working, helping work fit around family and caring responsibilities, or training and development needs and there’s lots on offer in the way of benefits, such as, lease cars, childcare schemes, staff discounts, season tickets for travel and a cycle to work scheme. All this in a vibrant workplace supported by the following staff networks.
- Cultural diversity staff network
- Disabled staff network
- LGBT+ staff network
We also have a number of staff support groups which are open to any staff to attend. These Include:
- Armed Forces and Veterans Staff Association
- Mind, Health and Wellbeing Community
- Menopause toolkit and cafes and staff carer support group
We offer fantastic personal development opportunities through our Collective Leadership Programme and other Organisational Development initiatives. Whatever you are looking for, you will be joining a supportive, friendly team, offering varied and interesting roles, with opportunities for career progression.
Always improving
CNTW is regulated by the national healthcare regulator, the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Our last two inspections have rated us as an outstanding organisation. We’re always seeking to improve as an organisation. Do you want to be part of that?
Please note that it is a requirement of this Trust that all external applicants pay for their own DBS certification if a DBS check is required for the post. The method of payment is a salary deduction from your first monthly pay
Job overview
As part of CNTW North Cumbria Talking Therapies provide a range of evidenced based psychological interventions for people presenting with common mental health problems such as depression and a range of anxiety disorders. The service delivers interventions within a stepped model of care and our team includes a wide range of professionals, including Counsellors, High Intensity CBT Therapists, Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners and Employment Advisors.
We are a growing service based in North Cumbria and are continually looking for ways to improve and develop our offerings to clients. We operate 8am-8pm weekdays with some weekend work when required. We are a diverse team with practitioners from a range of backgrounds including medical, mental health, social services and psychology, to name a few.
As a service we are committed to ongoing action to embrace diversity and working to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for all staff and patients. We welcome applicants from candidates regardless of sex, gender identity, age, sexual orientation, ethnicity, disability or religion. We are keen to receive applications from bilingual and multilingual speakers.
Clients can self-refer or be referred by various health care professionals. As a service we are currently offering a combination of Face to Face and remote working (telephone/video) either from one of our bases or working from home. This offers an opportunity for improved work/life balance.
Main duties of the job
To provide high quality, short term, evidence-based counselling to people with common mental health concerns accessing our service, whilst undertaking additional modality training specifically Person Centred Experiential Counselling for Depression (PCE CfD). To attend and fulfil the requirements of the training including supervision from educational providers in relation to course work and achieving the PCE CfD as detailed in the person specification . Counselling is delivered both remotely and at a variety of locations.
Working for our organisation
We aim to attract and retain a diverse, talented and committed workforce, who are caring and compassionate, and therefore able to meet the demands of the modern NHS now and in the future. In return we can offer a dynamic working environment in which to build a career.
Benefits of joining our team:
To work as part of a locality team within North Cumbria Talking Therapies for Anxiety and Depression.
To provide high quality evidence-based therapy to people with common mental health problems, self-referred or referred by GP’s/other health care professionals).
To work as part of the existing Mental Health service structure across the Trust. Establishing and maintaining appropriate links with both Primary and Secondary care elements of the service.
Working 22.5 hours per week, arranged flexibly within service hours where service permits. We would consider suggestions of any reasonable working plan to balance service needs and personal preferences.
· Staff benefits include:
Pension, discounts and staff support services.
· Flexible working opportunities
· Generous maternity, paternity and adoption leave for eligible staff
· Annual leave entitlements.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The role will involve
· delivering brief psychological interventions at both step 2 and at step 3. You will be seeing clients who are struggling with mild to moderate Depression (Step 3), mild to moderate eating disorders (all at step 2) and will be expected to offer appropriate interventions in line with current NICE guidelines.
· To meet agreed clinical activity targets
· To liaise with other professionals as appropriate
· To undertake regular clinical supervision to ensure professional development and safe practises
The successful applicant will be a qualified and experienced counsellor, who is accredited. They will also be expected undertake the Person-Centred Experiential Counselling for Depression (PCECfD) qualification training.
You will need excellent communication skills and will need to be comfortable working both alone and as part of the wider team.
A qualification and experience in supervising would be desirable.
Please find attached job description for full details.
Advertising date : 3rd June 2025
Closing date : 17th June 2025
We welcome your application.
Person specification
Education and Qualifications
Essential criteria
- One or more NHS Talking Therapies specified counselling or psychotherapy accreditations (as detailed in the NHS Talking Therapies Manual): British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) Accredited; United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) Registered as a Psychotherapist or Psychotherapeutic Counsellor; Association of Christian Counsellors Accreditation; National Counselling Society Accredited Professional registrants, British Psychoanalytic Council Registered.
- A minimum two-year post-graduate (or equivalent) qualification in Psychotherapeutic Counselling, Psychotherapy, Counselling, or Counselling Psychology, comprising no less than 450 hours programme contact AND no less than 450 hours supervised counselling or psychotherapy practice (including hours gained after core training).
- Willingness to work towards completion of Patient Centred Experiential Counselling for Depression – (PCECfD) as specified by the NHS Talking Therapies Manual.
Desirable criteria
- A Bachelor’s degree and/or professional training in a health practitioner field (e.g. nursing, occupational therapy)
- Evidence of post qualification training in clinical supervision
Knowledge and Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients within an NHS Talking Therapies service.
- Experience of working therapeutically with people suffering common mental health problems.
- Experience of assessment processes.
- Experience of identifying and managing Safeguarding concerns and clinical risk.
- Experience delivering counselling face to face via video call or via the telephone.
Desirable criteria
- Understanding of psychological measures such as PHQ9, GAD7, ED15 etc.
- Experience of working in an NHS Talking Therapies service for anxiety and depression and/or brief therapy
- Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision
- Experience of delivering Counselling with interpreters.
Skills and Competencies
Essential criteria
- Ability to work with a high degree of autonomy and as part of a team.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
- To work effectively in delivering time limited therapy.
- Ability to recognise and understand the roles and value of the full range of evidence-based therapies.
- Good time management skills and ability to work to performance-managed targets.
- Attend specific PCE CfD training.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
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
- Vicky Rooney
- Job title
- Team Leader
- Email address
- [email protected]
List jobs with Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust in Allied Health Professions or all sectors