Trainee High Intensity Counsellor

NHS; Workington; Hybrid; GBP 37,000 - 45,000; Part time

Job summary

Join the NHS as a qualified Counsellor in North Cumbria, providing vital psychological interventions for clients with mental health challenges. In this part-time role (22.5 hours), you will work within a diverse team, delivering evidence-based therapies aligned with NICE guidelines. Enjoy flexible working conditions and a commitment to ongoing professional development as you help clients on their journey to recovery.

Benefits

Pension

Flexible working opportunities

Generous maternity, paternity, and adoption leave

Annual leave entitlements

Staff support services

Qualifications

• Accredited counsellor with NHS Talking Therapies qualification.
• Experience in delivering psychological interventions.
• Willingness to complete PCE CfD training.

Responsibilities

• Deliver brief psychological interventions for clients with common mental health concerns.
• Meet clinical activity targets and provide high-quality therapy.
• Liaise with health care professionals and undertake clinical supervision.

Skills

Counselling

Psychotherapy

Communication

Interpersonal Skills

Time Management

Education

Minimum two-year post-graduate qualification in Psychotherapeutic Counselling

NHS Talking Therapies specified counselling or psychotherapy accreditation

Job description

Job summary

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.

About us

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.

Details Date posted

03 June 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£37,338 to £44,962 a year pro rata per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

263-CCG25-207-JW

Job locations

Portland Square

Carlisle

Workington

CA1 1PT

Job description Job 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.

Job description Job 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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.

Person Specification Education and Qualifications Essential

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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.

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).

Additional information 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).

Employer details Employer name

Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and wear (CNTW) NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Portland Square

Carlisle

Workington

CA1 1PT

Employer's website

https://www.cntw.nhs.uk/careers/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details Employer name

Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and wear (CNTW) NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Portland Square

Carlisle

Workington

CA1 1PT

Employer's website

https://www.cntw.nhs.uk/careers/ (Opens in a new tab)