Trainee PWP

NHS; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

The Living Well Consortium, working within NHS Talking Therapies in Birmingham, invites applications for Trainee Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners. The one-year traineeship includes university-led teaching, allocated study time, and placement within a Living Well Consortium Service Provider.

The programme starts February 2027. Trainees will deliver high-volume, low-intensity CBT-based interventions for clients with mild to moderate anxiety and depression and will become fully qualified PWPs

Qualifications

• Candidates should have a Level 5 qualification or equivalent, or an undergraduate degree in psychology or related field.
• Experience in supporting people with psychological or social problems is desirable.
• Strong IT skills with Microsoft Office and general IT literacy are required.

Responsibilities

• Attend course training on scheduled days.
• Accept referrals and develop care packages.
• Assess and support people with common mental health problems in self-management of recovery.
• Conduct patient-centred interviews to identify change goals and assess risk.
• Decide on suitability of referrals and step up to higher intensity therapy when needed.
• Provide information and support for high-volume, low-intensity treatments, including guided self-help or digital resources.
• Involve families and support networks where appropriate.
• Maintain case notes and data in line with protocols.
• Work with the team to ensure stepped care and appropriate referrals.
• Prepare and present clinical information for supervision and governance.

Skills

Empathy

Non-judgemental

Excellent communication

Time management

Self-motivation

Education

Level 5 qualification or equivalent

Undergraduate degree in Psychology

Tools

Microsoft Office

IT literacy

Job description

Living Well Consortium (LWC), a partnership of member organisations in Birmingham and Solihull, is recruiting for Trainee Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners (PWPs) to work within their NHS Talking Therapies (previously IAPT) service. The Traineeship involves one day per week in teaching led by Newman University, allocated study time, and time spent on placement within a Living Well Consortium Service Provider. The Traineeship will start in February 2027.

LWC is a network of third sector mental health organisations working collectively to support the mental health and wellbeing of people across Birmingham and Solihull. The organisation has secured contracts to deliver psychological support to people across this area through the NHS Talking Therapies (NHS TT) programme.

Trainee PWPs provide low intensity interventions through a range of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) based self-management techniques. They support clients with mild to moderate anxiety and depression.

The Traineeship is one year long, and, at the end of the programme, successful candidates will be fully qualified PWPs.

Successful candidates will be employed with a Living Well Consortium Service Provider.

Main duties of the job

Work within the NHS Talking Therapies service providing high volume low intensity interventions, which will be a range of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) based self-management interventions to support clients with mild to moderate anxiety and depression.

About us

The Living Well Consortium is a network of over 40 third sector organisations working to improve the mental health and wider wellbeing of the local people, especially those who are most in need. We offer high quality, responsive, specialist services and initiatives including one-to-one counselling services, culturally sensitive support, guided self-help, relaxation techniques, telephone counselling, and other accredited talking therapies.

We have been successful in securing contracts with NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board to develop and deliver new approaches to psychological support to people in the community in Birmingham and Solihull, under the NHS Talking Therapies (IAPT) programme.

We aim to position the Consortium to be able to take a leading role in the design and delivery of mental health and wellbeing services across the region and wider areas of the West Midlands, and to enable voluntary sector organisations to work together to respond to the current funding challenges in the health and charitable sectors.

Job responsibilities

Attend course training on scheduled days.

Accept referrals via agreed protocols and develop care packages.

Assess and supports people with a common mental health problem in the self-management of their recovery.

Undertake patient-centred interviews, to identify areas where the person wishes to see change and/or recovery and make an accurate assessment of risk to self and others.

Make decisions on suitability of new referrals, adhering to the departments referral protocols, refer unsuitable clients on to the relevant service or back to the referral source as necessary or step-up the persons treatment to high intensity psychological therapy.

Provide a range of information and support for evidence based high-volume low-intensity psychological treatments. This may include guided self-help computerised CBT or information about pharmacological treatments. This work may be face-to-face, telephone, digital or via other media.

Involve other stakeholders including family members and support networks in treatment as necessary.

Adhere to an agreed activity contract relating to the overall number of client contacts offered, and clinical sessions carried out per week in order to minimise waiting times and ensure treatment delivery remains accessible and convenient.

Attend multi-disciplinary meetings relating to referrals or clients in treatment, where appropriate.

Complete all requirements relating to data collection within the service.

Keep coherent records of all clinical activity in line with service protocols and use these records and clinical outcome data in clinical decision-making.

Work closely with other members of the team ensuring appropriate step-up and step-down arrangements are in place to maintain a stepped care approach.

Assess and integrate issues surrounding work and employment into the overall therapy process.

Operate at all times from an inclusive values base, which promotes recovery and recognises and respects diversity.

Prepare and present clinical information for all patients on their caseload to clinical case management supervisors on an agreed and scheduled basis, in order to ensure safe practice and the clinical governance obligations of the worker, supervisor and service are delivered.

Respond to and implement supervision suggestions in clinical practice.

Ensure the maintenance of standards of practice according to the employer and any regulating body and keep up to date on new recommendations/guidelines set by the department of health (e.g. NHS plan, National Service Framework, National Institute for Clinical Excellence and NHS Talking Therapies manual).

Ensure that client confidentiality is protected at all times.

Ensure clear objectives are identified discussed and reviewed with senior therapists, on a regular basis, as part of continuing professional development.

Any other duties commensurate with the role.

Knowledge and Skills

• A non-judgemental and empathetic approach.
• Passionate, committed and self-motivated.
• Excellent IT proficiency including full competence using Microsoft Office Suite, e.g., Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Outlook.
• High level of integrity and understanding of confidentiality, GDPR and always maintains discretion.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Confident communicator at all levels.
• Effective time management and workload management.
• Empathy with the aims and values of the organisation.
• Commitment to continuous improvement including own professional development.
• Willingness to be flexible and dynamic as organisation needs change.

Commitment to the principles of Equal Opportunities.

Qualifications

• Candidates should have evidence of recent study at level 5 or equivalent, or a relevant undergraduate degree/equivalent level 6 qualification, such as a psychology degree.
• Evidence of experience in an employed or formal volunteer role supporting people with psychological, interpersonal, or social problems is desirable.

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.