Trainee Cognitive Behavioural Therapist

Kent And Medway Mental Health Nhs Trust; Maidstone; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

The Kent and Medway All Age Eating Disorders Service is offering a two-year CBT training post in partnership with University College London. The post-holder will train in CBT for adults with severe mental health difficulties and provide interventions within AAEDS while completing the UCL curriculum.

The role may be based at The Courtyard in Maidstone or George Turle House, Canterbury, with travel between sites. A driver would be preferred.

Qualifications

• A graduate-level qualification in one of the listed mental health professions (e.g., nursing, social work, counselling, occupational therapy, arts therapy, medicine, psychology).
• Demonstrable experience of working in mental health services.
• Experience of multi-agency working and liaising across internal & external agencies.
• Experience of delivering evidence-based interventions.

Responsibilities

• Attend 2-year CBT training with University College London (UCL) and work within AAEDS for the remaining days.
• Provide interventions for adults with eating disorders as part of the training.
• Attend all taught and self-study days required by the CBT curriculum and integrate training into practice.

Skills

Mental health

Social work

Counselling

Occupational therapy

Psychology

Psychiatry

Psychological therapy

Education

Graduate-level qualification in listed mental health profession

Job description

Job summary

The Kent and Medway All Age Eating Disorder Service (AAEDS) is a specialist community service offering NICE-concordant treatment for children (from the age of 8 and above), young people and adults with a diagnosed eating disorder.

With the support of NHS England, we are excited to be offering new training opportunities in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for adults experiencing severe and enduring mental health difficulties. This training is aimed at assessment and treatment for adults only.

This is a training role that will offer 2 years of training in CBT with University College London (UCL). The post-holder will work within the Kent & Medway All-Age Eating Disorders Service providing interventions to adults whilst undertaking a programme of training.

The post-holder will attend all taught and self-study days required by UCL, as specified within the CBT curriculum and will work in the AAEDS for the remaining days of the week using their newly developed skills.

This post can be based at either The Courtyard in Maidstone or George Turle House in Canterbury. Because there will be travel across trust sites in good time where required, a driver would be preferred.

Main duties of the job

The first year will be focused on depression and anxiety disorders, and in the second year of training, candidates will specialise in working with people presenting with an eating disorder. The training will equip the post-holder to provide interventions for adults with eating disorders.

You will attend all taught and self-study days required by UCL, as specified within the CBT curriculum and will work in the AAEDS for the remaining days of the week using their newly developed skills.

You must be able to attend 70-80 days training at University College London over a 2-year course. This will include a day per week, and intensive teaching blocks as determined by the university. You must be able to complete all the academic components of the course and have the ability to integrate training into practice under supervision.

The post will be suitable for candidates who already have a core professional training in a relevant profession such as Practitioner Psychologist, Social Worker, Occupational Therapist, Psychotherapist or Mental Health Nurse.

People without a core profession but with extensive mental health experience will also be eligible to apply provided they can meet the requirements of the BABCP Knowledge, Skills & Attitudes portfolio (KSA Guidelines: babcp.com). These candidates would need to demonstrate that they would be in a position to meet the KSA by the end of the first year of training.

About us

We are Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust. We care for the mental health and wellbeing of people across Kent and Medway and are rated 'Good' by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Our teams support children, young people and adults with a wide range of mental health needs. We also provide specialist services, including all-age eating disorder services and neurodevelopmental assessments for children and young people, such as autism and ADHD.

Because we work across the whole county and across hospital and community settings, we can make care more joined up and easier to access for the people we serve.

Our vision is simple: we are here to help communities not just live with mental illness, but live well. It's why we're passionate about working with communities to make mental health care better for everyone. Everything we do is guided by our values: caring, inclusive, curious and confident.

Join us if you share our passion for better mental health care and want to be part of a team that's working well together.

Job responsibilities

Please see the attached job description for the main duties and responsibilities expected for this role.

Person Specification

Training, Qualifications and Registration

Essential

• A recorded/registered qualification in one of the following at graduate level in mental health or learning disability nursing, social work, counselling (accredited level), occupational therapy, arts therapy, medicine (psychiatry / general practice), psychological therapy (UKCP registered), Psychology (clinical, counselling, forensic or health).
• Demonstrable experience of working in mental health services.
• Experience of multi-agency working and liaising across internal & external agencies.
• Worked in a service where agreed targets are in place demonstrating clinical outcomes.
• Experience of delivering evidence-based interventions.

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

• To clearly demonstrate how you will manage the significant demands of the course whilst working in service.
• Ability to manage own caseload, time and diary.
• Capability to complete academic work at postgraduate diploma level.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Details

Date posted: 10 September 2026

Pay scheme: Agenda for change

Band: Band 6

Salary: £39,959 to £48,117 a year per annum

Contract: Fixed term

Duration: 2 years

Working pattern: Full-time

Reference number: 380-CED065

Job locations: The Courtyard/George Turle House, Pudding Lane, Maidstone/Canterbury, ME14 1PA, United Kingdom