Job Description

Are you passionate about providing evidenced based psychological therapy to people struggling with a range of psychological difficulties including anxiety and depression, that is flexible and personalised to the service user? Do you want to develop personally and professionally?



This role is within the Haringey's Talking Therapies service where we offer high quality therapies, in an environment that is supportive for staff.



We have a diverse workforce, so we particularly welcome staff members who can speak and work in languages that reflect the diverse communities in Haringey.



We are mindful that working in a fast-paced service with people experiencing psychological distress can be challenging and we proactively support all our staff. We encourage flexible working and staff are encouraged to negotiate a working pattern that allows for a good work life balance.



This is a hybrid role (office/home working). Staff are required to work part of the week in any of the locations around Haringey with the opportunity to work part of the week at home according to Service needs.



This post is part of NHS funded three-year Talking Therapies High Intensity Psychotherapeutic Counselling training programme in Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy (DIT) delivered by Roehampton University. Trainees will be attending their university course alongside their duties within Islington NHS Talking therapies (TT).



Please see the and Person Specification for further details



This is a three-year NHS Talking Therapies training role working towards a qualification as a High Intensity Psychotherapeutic Counsellor. Year 1 is a Band 5 foundation course. If successful, the candidate progresses to a two-year fixed-term Band 6 position in High-Intensity Psychotherapeutic Counselling.



Training involves 3 days a week with Roehampton University and 2 days in service working with clients, initially offering high intensity psychodynamic counselling and later Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy (DIT). The course will be a mixture of in person training and online live input . As this is a Postgraduate level diploma, you will also be required to be able to study and write academic material at this level. Applicants must be prepared to study and write assignments outside of protected study time (such as on weekends and after work).



This role will be best suited for applicants that are able to balance a busy work and study schedule.



Successful applicants will need to be in a position to begin their training at the end of September 2025.



Whittington Health serves a richly diverse population and works hard to ensure that all our services are fair and equally accessible to everyone. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the way we look after our staff. We aim to employ a workforce which is as representative as possible of this population, so we are open to the value of differences in age, disability, gender, marital status, pregnancy and maternity, race, sexual orientation, and religion or belief. The Trust believes that as a public sector organisation we have an obligation to have recruitment, training, promotion and other formal employment policies and procedures that are sensitive to these differences. We think that by doing so, we are better able to treat our patients as well as being a better place to work.



This is a training role within the NHS Talking Therapies



NHS TTad service delivery is predicated on a stepped care model, delivering interventions recommended by NICE and set out in the NHS TTad Manual. NHS TTad Psychotherapeutic Counselling trainees will work in NHS commissioned NHS TTad services, complete the NHS TTad national curriculum for High Intensity Psychotherapeutic Counsellors and provide high intensity interventions in the service.



The NHS TTad national curriculum will provide a Foundation level, followed by a Postgraduate Diploma (Level 7) training in Psychotherapeutic Counselling, leading to a qualification to practise as a High Intensity Therapist for adults with depression. This position is for trainees undertaking the foundation stage of the training. Recruitment for the courses will be aimed at graduates (and those who can demonstrate professional and academic equivalence).



Trainees will be jointly recruited by NHS TTad services and training providers and will be employed within NHS TTad services. On completion of the foundation training, trainees will be eligible to apply to continue on to the Level 7 Postgraduate Diploma.



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



This is a training position, and this is a dual application process where you must be employed in a Recruit to Train funded job to also receive a place on the course, and vice-versa. If you are ineligible for the University Course, you will be unable to be offered the role. If you withdraw from an employment offer but you have accepted a university offer, you will be unable to join the course. Trainee selection processes including shortlisting and interviews will be carried out jointly by recruiting IAPT services and Roehampton University. Successful applicants will need to meet both the requirements of the employing services job description and person specification and Roehampton University's entry requirements.



Please note that when you apply to this role, your name will be shared with Roehampton University. The service will usually be the Course Teams main way of contacting you until you have been sent an Offer, and so the Course Team at Roehampton University may ask for information if it is missing but relevant to deciding eligibility.

Other information that might be shared includes:

Reason behind ineligibility for the course.



Queries regarding application (such as if you claim to have a professional registration without submitting certificates, the course may ask service to pursue more information)



Name change if you may have registered with a different name than HEI was given, they will confirm with service to ensure that they are reviewing the correct candidate.



If you apply to this job, you are giving permission for information to be shared between the Course Team at Roehampton University and the Recruitment team at the Service. The only information that is shared will be relevant to establishing eligibility for the job/course. No irrelevant information will be disclosed or discussed in relation to your application.

Clinical:

1.1 To accept referrals via agreed pathways and protocols within the service.



1.2 Following sign off as meeting a foundation standard of competence through simulation, trainees will assess and support service users with mild to moderate depression in NHS TTad services in the self-management of their recovery using either a humanistic/ person-centred or psychoanalytic/ psychodynamic psychotherapeutic counselling approach, under close supervision



1.3 Undertakes patient-centred interviews which identifies areas where the person wishes to see change and or recovery and makes an accurate assessment of risk to self and others.



1.4 Make decisions on suitability of new referrals, adhering to the service's referral protocols, refers unsuitable clients on to the relevant part of the service or back to the referral agent as necessary or steps-down the person's treatment to low intensity intervention.



1.5 Following assessment, identify and negotiate the focus and contract for time limited counselling as per service contract and protocols.



1.6 Deliver time limited counselling interventions in accordance with the N HS TTad Manual, the evidence base, service protocols. This work may be in person, via video consultation or telephone.



1.7 Adhere to an agreed level of activity relating to the 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.



1.8 Complete all requirements relating to data collection within the service utilising electronic record and data collection systems as required.



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



1.10 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 within the NHS TTad Service.



1.11 Attend multi-disciplinary meetings relating to referrals or clients in treatment



1.12 To agree confidentiality boundaries with patients (working within professional codes of ethics and those of the employer).



1.13 To undertake risk assessments and take the appropriate action (possibly breaching patient confidentiality in the interests of the client or as dictated by legislation and service policy).



1.14 To have a caseload of individual clients with sessions offered in person or via video



1.15 Educate and involve family members and others in treatment as necessary.



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



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



Training and Supervision



2.1. Attend and fulfil all the requirements of the training element of the post including practical, academic and practice-based assessments.



2.2. Apply learning from the training programme in practice



2.3. Receive supervision from educational providers in relation to course work to meet the required standards.



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



2.5. Respond to and implement supervision suggestions by supervisors in clinical practice.



2.6. Engage in and respond to clinical skills development supervision to improve competences and clinical practice.



2.7 Attend organisational mandatory training as required by the employer, relevant to your role.



2.8 Undertake training and continued professional development as appropriate to the role.



2.9 Trainees will be required to complete a minimum of 50 hours of personal therapy over the three years , commencing in Year 1 prior to starting work with service users. Therapy undertaken prior to the commencement of training may not be counted towards this requirement. The therapy must be in the overarching theoretical orientation of the training (i.e. psychoanalytic/psychodynamic).



Professional



3.1. Ensure the maintenance of standards of practice according to the N HS TTad manual, the employer and any regulating bodies, and keep up to date on policy/guidelines set by the department of health (e.g. NHS Long Term Plan, National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidelines).



3.2. To liaise with other NHS professionals and colleagues working in psychological therapies, primary care, secondary care, statutory and non-statutory agencies to ensure that appropriate referrals are made in agreement with the patient, in order to build good collegiate relationships which supports appropriate psychological interventions.



3.3 Ensure that client confidentiality is protected at all times, within the limits required by policy.



3.4. Be aware of, and keep up to date with advances in the treatment for common mental health problems.



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



3.6. Participate in individual performance review and respond to agreed objectives.



3.7. Keep up to date all records in relation to Continuous Professional Development and ensure a personal development plan maintains up to date specialist knowledge of latest theoretical and service delivery models/developments.



3.8. Attend relevant conferences / workshops in line with identified professional objectives.



General



4.1. To contribute to the development of best practice within the service, aligned to the NHS TTad Manual.



4.2. To maintain up-to-date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and procedures in relation to Mental Health and Primary Care Services.



4.3. All employees have a duty and responsibility for their own health and safety and the health of safety of colleagues, patients and the general public.



Please see the and Person Specification for further details