The Role: What you will do?
- We have the opportunity to recruit a small number of enthusiastic and committed Apprentice Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners (Apprentice PWPs) to join our expanding NHS Talking Therapies Service in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire (BNSSG).
- The Apprentice PWP role is a new and developing route to train to work as a PWP, offering an opportunity for applicants without degree qualifications and with other relevant professional and work experience. Applicants from a range of different backgrounds are encouraged to apply; support workers, care workers, triage assessors or admin roles, and applicants who have experienced and overcome common mental health problems with career aspirations in mental health.
- In this role, you will be working as a Trainee PWP providing assessments and low Intensity interventions whilst undertaking the Psychological Therapies Practice (Low Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) apprentice training (Level 6) delivered by the University of Staffordshire. This training will equip you to provide Step 2 Low Intensity interventions to clients with a range of common mental health problems for which CBT interventions are demonstrated to be clinically effective, including anxiety and depression.
- You will be joining a motivated workforce and will be supported in the completion of both your academic study and clinical delivery by skilled and experienced supervisors.
- The role typically comprises 3-4 days per week undertaking clinical practice with the service (BNSSG) and 1 day per week attending university (Staffordshire) and some allocated study days.
- This role will be offered on a permanent contract. Training will last for approximately 12 months with an additional 3 month period to complete End Point Assessments (EPAs) conducted by a third party to assess core practical competencies. Successful completion of all of these elements will enable you to work as a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP).
Please note that candidates who already possess a Psychology Undergraduate Degree will not eligible for the Apprenticeship training. We would encourage such candidates to apply for the Postgraduate Trainee PWP role that is also currently out for advert.
Skills and Experience:
Essential:
- GCSE Grade C or above in Maths and English.
- A British Sign Language (BSL) qualification is an alternative to the English qualification for those whose primary language is BSL.
- One year’s working experience in settings with high exposure to people with mental health difficulties which can include voluntary work.
- Willingness to travel to Staffordshire University once a week and to one of the offices within BNSSG 2 days per week.
- Please note applicants must be available to attend Teams interviews during the week commencing the 5th of June 2022 and be available to attend all university days starting from the 9th of October 2022.
- Applicants must submit a personal statement of the reasons why they are applying for the role and a summary of their relevant experience in order to be shortlisted.
Other requirements:
- Applicants who have completed an NHS-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.
Vita Health Group celebrates life. Improving lives physically and mentally drives everything we do.
We are physical and mental health specialists with over 30 years of experience. 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. 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/
To progress your skills and enable career development we provide Continued Professional Development opportunities including secondments, management training, a mentoring scheme and regular events and webinars across a range of clinical disciplines.
Vita Health Group is proud to be an equal opportunities employer. 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. To support this we have a dedicated team of EDI specialists and run a range of active in-house diversity networks.
We are actively seeking to increase the diversity of our workforce, to ensure we are representative of the communities we serve at all levels. We therefore welcome applications from candidates with a wide range of lived experience.
We are committed to equitably support the wellbeing of all employees as demonstrated by:
- Our association with the MINDFUL EMPLOYER Charter for Employers who are Positive About Mental Health.
- Our status as a Disability Confident Employer 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 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).
- The provision of access to health and wellbeing services for colleagues which includes a team of trained Mental Health Advocates and an Employee Assistance Programme.
- An embedded “speaking up” culture facilitated by Freedom to Speak Up Guardians.
Should you wish to discuss any adjustment or assistance you might need in the application or interview process please contact recruitment@vhg.co.uk and we will arrange.
VHG is committed to supporting transgender individuals with dignity and recognises 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.
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.