Counsellor, Mental Health, Healthcare

Job Overview

Milton Keynes Talking Therapies is seeking to recruit a Counsellor or Psychotherapist to provide a specialist Primary Care counselling or psychological therapy service to an agreed client group with common mental health problems.

Applicants must be accredited with a recognised professional body (i.e. BACP, BPC, UKCP, NCS, COSCA, UKAHPP), and have substantial post‑qualification experience of generic counselling (a minimum of 450 hours client contact).

To apply for this post, applicants must also be trained or willing to be trained in one or more of the non‑CBT IAPT recognised modalities:

• Counselling for Depression (CfD)
• Interpersonal Therapy (IPT)
• Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy (DIT)

• Provide a specialist Primary Care counselling or psychological therapy service to an agreed client group with common mental health problems referred to the Milton Keynes Talking Therapies Service
• Participate as a member of the Milton Keynes Talking Therapies Service and attend all relevant meetings and mandatory and Trust training.
• Work to a pattern of clinical hours and in localities that support the needs of the service and local population
• Work as part of Milton Keynes Talking Therapies Service to provide a clear and accessible patient pathway for primary care patients moving between CBT and non‑CBT treatments, and between high and low intensity intervention
• Provide a consultation service to GPs and other health and mental health professionals, providing information about liaison with local mental health services, suitability for psychological therapies, signposting, alternative treatment options and patient management of risk.
• Consult with other NHS services, voluntary organisations and other agencies around patient care and act as a resource for information and contact within NHS and non‑NHS organisations.
• Work autonomously within professional guidelines and exercise responsibility for the systematic governance of clinical practice.

We’re passionate about delivering first‑class patient‑centred, safe and effective care, whether it is in a hospital setting, in a community clinic or in the patient’s own home. Patients are at the heart of everything we do.

Providing top quality care depends on our ability to employ the best people. We’re always looking to recruit outstanding people who will go the extra mile to support our patients, colleagues, teams and the Trust. With every new employee we’re hoping to find our future leaders and we’ll support our staff by providing opportunities to develop your career.

With a diverse culture and equally diverse range of opportunities across mental health, community services, addictions, eating disorders, learning disabilities and more – whatever stage of your career you’re at, there’s always a place for you at CNWL.

• Participate in discussions on the development of a high quality, responsive and accessible primary care counselling service, including alerting the senior locality counsellor to issues and needs arising around organisational matters and from working within diverse locations within primary care.
• Participate in service planning working groups as delegated by the senior locality Counsellor
• Implement policies and propose changes to working practices or procedures for psychological therapies in Primary Care.
• Provide a systematic time‑limited assessment and counselling / psychological therapy service to people with defined common mental health difficulties within the Primary Care setting.
• Exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of patients whose problems are managed by psychologically based care plans.
• Provide consultation to referring GPs and the primary and community care teams about psychological therapy aspects of patient care and a range of mental health issues; attend primary care meetings where appropriate.
• When necessary, arrange onward referral of patients to other NHS and non‑NHS teams and organisations in consultation with the referring GP.
• Work as part of local mental and physical health services to provide a clear…