Undertaking assessments and brief interventions based on cognitive behavioural therapy principles with people with mild to moderate anxiety disorders and depression.
Occupational Profile
This occupation is found in the public sector within the NHS England Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) initiative, which is a world leading programme in psychological healthcare. This is an exciting role where practitioners make a difference to people’s lives. Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners (PWP) deliver the service from different venues for example GP surgeries, community healthcare settings and other community based venues, such as job centres.
The broad purpose of the occupation is for PWPs to interact with adult patients in primary care, across a number of different services and variety of environments including being able to practice in diverse cultures. PWPs offer assessments for mild to severe common mental health problems, undertaking assessment of risk and making of safeguarding referrals. They offer evidence based interventions to patients with mild to moderate anxiety and depression as well as other common mental health problems determined by National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)*1, the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT)*2 manual. PWPs operate within a stepped care service delivery model which operates on the principle of offering the least intrusive effective psychological treatment in the first instance, patients can then be ‘stepped up’ to a more intensive treatment if required. The treatment aids clinical improvement and social inclusion, such as a return to work, meaningful activity or physical wellbeing and is delivered through a variety of methods including individual work courses and group work, which can be via face-to-face, telephone, email or other contact methods including digital platforms.They work alongside existing psychological practitioners such as High Intensity Improving Access to Psychological Therapies Cognitive Behaviour Therapy practitioners. PWPs undertake assessments mainly for moderate anxiety and depression protocols with referral to senior professionals for complex problems.
*1 https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance
*2 https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/the-iapt-manual.pdf
In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with a wider psychological therapies team which may include other health professionals such as psychologists, therapists, counsellors, employment specialists, community nurses and administrative staff. They will liaise across a number of different services including general practitioners (GPs), community physical health teams and charitable organisations that provide related support services, for example the mental health charity, Mind. An employee in this occupation will be responsible and accountable for safe, compassionate, patient-centred evidence based care. PWPs are autonomous practitioners who work within their scope of practice.
A PWP is responsible for managing a high volume caseload of people with common mental health problems efficiently and safely utilising clinical skills and case management weekly supervision and other forms of supervision identified as appropriate, e.g. line management. PWPs take responsibility for their own learning and development using reflection and feedback to analyse their own capabilities, appraise alternatives and plan and implement actions.
Summary of Standard
Full Standard
