TalkingSpace Plus Apprentice

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Would you like to help people manage their mental health with tried and tested psychological interventions?

Perhaps your lived experience of mental health problems is putting you in a unique position to support others going through similar challenges.

Are you looking for a career change and are enthusiastic about caring and supporting people?

Mental health difficulties are common, but even more so with the changes the world has experienced since COVID-19. The Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) Services, Healthy Minds Bucks and TalkingSpace Plus Oxon, are expanding. We have opportunities for Trainee Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners to join both of our teams.  

We’re looking for people who are compassionate, work well in a team, are enthusiastic, highly motivated and have excellent written and verbal communication skills. Experience of working in a mental health setting would be beneficial. However, you may instead have relevant life experience or transferable skills that would enable you to effectively support people with mental health challenges. If you think you have these qualities, we look forward to hearing from you.  

The PWP apprenticeship programme is a 12-month course, delivered by Oxford Health Apprenticeship & Development Centre; the next programme is due to start in mid-March 2021. The programme combines both academic and work-based learning through close collaboration between Oxford Health and the education providers.

You will be trained to deliver effective, evidence-based psychological therapies either by telephone, online via a digital platform or in person (post covid-19 restrictions), either on a one to one basis or in groups.

On successful completion of the programme, you will be equipped with the knowledge, understanding, skills, attitudes and behaviours relevant to employment as a qualified Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner within an IAPT service.  You will progress from a Trainee PWP contract to a permanent, qualified PWP contract.

Both services have multiple opportunities and will be advertising on NHS Jobs separately. Please see the table below to find out more about each service and how to apply.

Buckinghamshire IAPT Service (Healthy Minds Bucks)Oxfordshire IAPT Service (TalkingSpace Plus)
To find out more about our serviceExplore the Healthy Minds website Please click on this link to hear our current trainees and qualified PWPs talking about their experiences, bringing the role of the PWP to life. Included are some handy tips on how to make your application stand out!Explore the TalkingSpace Plus (TSP) website Explore the Oxfordshire Mind website https://www.oxfordshiremind.org.uk/our-jobs/
LocationsOur main bases are located centrally in High Wycombe in the south and Aylesbury in the north of the county,and we run clinics from a variety of community & NHS venues across Buckinghamshire. There are currently vacancies for trainee PWPs in both High Wycombe and Aylesbury.TSP have two bases, Abell House, which holds our north and south locality teams and Manzil Way, where our city team are located. We run clinics from a variety of community & NHS venues across Oxfordshire.
Sign up to one of our recruitment live eventsEmail the Healthy Minds team for further information and an invite to one of these virtual live events @17:30 on: Friday 27th November 2020 Wednesday 2nd December 2020Email the TSP team for further information and an invite to one of these virtual live events: Saturday 28th November 2020 at 10am Thursday 3rd December 2020 at 17.30pm

Applications open here and on NHS Jobs on the 30th November – 13th December 2020 (vacancy may close earlier if we receive a high volume of applications). Interviews will be held virtually w/c 4th January 2021.