Trainee High Intensity Therapist - Calderdale

Are you an experienced mental health professional or social care worker with a recognised professional qualification working in a mental health setting? Do you meet the KSA requirements as set out by the BABCP? Have you considered training in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and getting paid to do it?

If so, our Trainee High Intensity Therapist programme could be the role for you!

Getting to know Us:

Hello! We are Vita Health Group – we are one of the lead providers of Talking Therapies services within the North East, Midlands, South East and South West. We are super proud of the work we do at Step 3 and see the life-changing impact of our practice every single day!

We really do practice what we preach here at Vita, with a company-wide focus on staff wellbeing, a flexible and creative approach to work and a real culture of openness and support. We love to see our colleagues thrive and achieve their personal goals, so we place a real emphasis on quality supervision, rich CPD and encouraging our CBT Therapists to embrace specialist training and leadership opportunities.

The Role:

We are looking for aspiring Cognitive Behavioural Therapists to join our Calderdale Talking Therapies service as Trainee High Intensity Therapists (HITs) in the March 2025 cohort at the University of Sheffield. The course you will undertake is the one-year, full-time, Postgraduate Diploma in High Intensity Psychological Interventions (HIPI).

This is a permanent position (based on successful completion of the training course) with a start date of March 2025.

A typical working week includes 3 days of clinical practice with the service and 2 days attending university. University days will be face-to-face teaching so you must be able to attend Sheffield University. You will be able to complete the in person client work in your current service area.

Course information can be found here:

https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/clinicalpsychology/programmes/nhs-talking-therapies-anxiety-and-depression/hipi

You will provide High Intensity CBT interventions recommended by NICE to clients with moderate to severe common mental health disorders and will receive weekly supervision provided by both the university and the workplace.

Getting to know You:

The Trainee position is aimed at mental health professionals who have some experience in CBT and who continue to work in a mental health environment.

Applications are invited from qualified Clinical or Counselling Psychological Therapists, Mental Health Nurses, Psychotherapists, Counsellors, Occupational Therapists, Social Workers and PWPs (with two years post qualification experience).

Applicants without a recognised and accredited core mental health professional training (such as Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners or Psychotherapists and Counsellors without UKCP or BACP accreditation) are eligible to apply but must have a completed KSA at interview.

For more information about Core Professions:

https://www.babcp.com/Core-Professions

For more information about the KSA requirements:

https://www.babcp.com/Knowledge-Skills-Attitudes

Essential Requirements:

• Core Professional training or qualification, or able to demonstrate at interview that you meet the KSA requirements set by the BABCP.
• Undergraduate degree or equivalent in a discipline connected to mental health (or ability to study at third year undergraduate degree level).
• Membership of the BABCP (from the time that the course commences).
• Availability to attend university as required – teaching will be conducted face to face.
• Experience of working in mental health services, including risk management.
• Willingness to travel, which may include overnight stays on occasion, as and when required.

Desirable Requirements:

• Evidence of foundation level or sustained CPD in CBT.
• Evidence of supervised CBT practice.
• Experience of working in Primary Care/Talking Therapies services.
• Worked in a service where agreed targets are in place demonstrating clinical outcomes.

Other Requirements:

• Shortlisted applicants must be available to attend interviews held in mid January. All interviews will be held remotely via Microsoft Teams.
• Applicants must be available to commence the role in March 2025. All essential equipment will be provided.
• A Disclosure and Barring check (DBS, formerly CRB) will be required by the service for appointment to post.
• Applicants who have completed an NHS or HEE funded psychological professions training programme within the last two years are not eligible to apply.
• Only those with the right to work in the UK without restriction and eligible for Home Fee status can be recruited. These rules are set by the UK government and cannot be changed by individual universities or the NHS.

Why Vita Health Group?

Vita Health Group celebrates life. Improving lives physically and mentally drives everything we do. Now part of Spire Healthcare Group plc we have been providing physical and mental health services for over 30 years. We work in partnership with the NHS, are engaged by insurers and some of the UK’s largest corporate companies to support their workforce and provide a full range of physiotherapy services to private customers.

To achieve our mission of Making People Better, we recognise the importance of investing in our staff. We are an award-winning employer recently recognised nationally as “Best Company to Work for” at the Health and Wellbeing Awards 2024.

This is also recognised by current employees – our most recent Employee Survey results showed the top 5 reasons to work here as being:

• Supportive team and management
• Positive work environment
• Wellbeing and mental health support
• Trust and respect
• Autonomy and flexibility

We are keen to progress your skills and enable career development and provide regular Continued Professional Development opportunities including secondments, management training, a mentoring scheme, apprenticeships and regular events and webinars across a range of clinical disciplines. In addition to a competitive salary, we also offer the opportunity of a flexible work life balance and a comprehensive benefits package which you can view here: https://www.vitahealthgroup.co.uk/join-us/careers

Vita Health Group is proud to be an equal opportunities employer and is seeking to improve the diversity of its workforce. We are committed to Equality, Diversity & Inclusion best practice and positively encourage applications from candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion/belief, marital status, or pregnancy/maternity. For further information on our EDI commitments please view here: Vita Health Groups commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

We are committed to being equitable and supporting the wellbeing of all employees.

• We are a Mindful Employer
• Our status as a Disability Confident Leader dedicated to ensuring that all candidates are treated fairly throughout the recruitment process. All disabled candidates that meet the minimum essential criteria will be invited to interview.
• Our Ethnicity Matters Scheme where all applicants for senior roles (£40,000+) from a minority ethnic group that meet the essential criteria will be invited for interview.
• Our Gender Matters Scheme where all women applicants for senior roles (£60,000+) that meet the essential criteria will be invited to interview.
• Our sign up to the Armed Forces Covenant.
• Our status as a Menopause Friendly Committed employer.
• Our sign up to the Employer with Heart Charter.
• Our commitment to meet the standards outlined in the NHS Equality Delivery System (EDS). Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) and Workforce Disability Equality Standard (WDES).
• Access to health and wellbeing services for colleagues including Mental Health Advocates and an Employee Assistance Programme.
• An embedded “speaking up” culture facilitated by Freedom to Speak Up Guardians.
• Treating transgender individuals with dignity and recognising the potential complications that may arise when taking references. We encourage applicants to contact HR at hr@vhg.co.uk to discuss or amend how we manage reference requests.

Should you wish to discuss any adjustment or assistance you need in the application or interview process please contact recruitment@vhg.co.uk and we will facilitate.

Please note, all applicants must be legally entitled to accept and perform work in the UK and all positions are subject to a DBS check.

Any data which you share with us throughout the hiring process will be stored securely within the UK and is accessible only by staff who require it. Should your application be unsuccessful, your data will be securely destroyed after 6 months.

Vita Health Group reserves the right to close this job when sufficient applications have been received.