Oxford Health NHS Trust
Trainee Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner
The closing date is 26 November 2026

Job summary
Looking to develop a career in a rewarding, vital service in mental health?

Do you have excellent communication skills and either a Psychology degree or experience working in mental health?

NHS Oxfordshire Talking Therapies are offering a rewarding career opportunity to join our friendly and innovative team. We always invest in our staff to develop their knowledge and skills in order to provide excellent care to our service users.

If you are someone compassionate, enthusiastic and reflective with a desire to help people, our Trainee Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP) apprenticeship could be the role for you!

NHS Oxfordshire Talking Therapies provides evidence-based psychological therapies over the telephone, online or face to face.

The Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner apprenticeship is a 12-15-month course, delivered by Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust Apprenticeship scheme & The Learning & Development Centre. The programme combines both academic and work-based learning through close collaboration between employers and education providers. This enables us to offer a supportive environment with high quality supervision giving you the best opportunity to build your skills.

This role offers a hybrid working pattern, to be discussed further at interview.

Main duties of the job
To train as a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner, you will:

• Attend the academic teaching days and complete all requirements of the apprenticeship including coursework and assessments.
• Carrying out telephone screening assessments and low intensity CBT-based treatment sessions.

The apprenticeship will primarily involve one day per week protected learning time, either in person in the classroom, online learning or self-study, followed by four days working in service putting learning into practice. On occasion you will attend block teaching weeks.

Training will also involve shadowing your peers, project work, or directed study.

On successful completion of the programme, you will be equipped with the knowledge, experience and skills relevant to continue as a qualified Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner within our service. We continue to offer ongoing training to further develop skills.

About us
Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust provides physical, mental health and social care for people of all ages across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Swindon, Wiltshire, Bath and Northeast Somerset.

Our services are delivered at community bases, hospitals, clinics and people's homes, delivering care as close to home as possible.

Our vision is that no matter who you are or where you are, you will tell us that you receive: "Outstanding care delivered by an outstanding team"

Our values are: "Caring, safe and excellent"

At Oxford Health we offer a wide range of benefits designed to support your career and wellbeing. These include:

• Excellent opportunities for career progression
• Access to tailored individual and Trust wide learning and development
• 27 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days with continuous service
• NHS Discount across a wide range of shops, restaurants and retailers
• Competitive pension scheme
• Lease car scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Mental Health First Aiders
• Staff accommodation (please note waiting lists may apply)
• Staff networking and support groups hosted by our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion team

Details
Date posted: 13 November 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 4
Salary: £28,392 to £31,157 a year per annum
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: 267-OA8411028
Job locations: Abell House / Entrance 1, Horspath Driftway / Manzil Way, Oxford, OX3 7JH, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities
Experience of working in a mental health setting or supporting service users in a similar setting will be a key part of what you could bring to the role. You may also have relevant life experience or transferable skills that would enable you to effectively support people with mental health challenges.

Eligibility for apprenticeship programme:
To apply for this role you must ensure that you meet the requirements for the accompanying apprenticeship programme.
The eligibility requirements for the apprenticeship programme are as follows:

• Right to work in the UK.
• Resident in the UK for the previous 3 years. If you are not a UK citizen, all of this 3 year period must not have been for full-time education.
• Level 2 maths & English qualifications (i.e. GCSE grade C or 4 and above, or Functional Skills level 2, or equivalent). Please note: if you do not hold these qualifications, you may be able to undertake these alongside the apprenticeship this will be reviewed on an individual basis during the recruitment process.
• Minimum level 5 qualification (or evidence of ability and commitment to study at level 6).
• Not undertaking any other courses/programmes during the period of the apprenticeship.
• Have not started an NHS-funded psychological professions training programme within the previous 2 years.

Please note, your eligibility will be checked during the shortlisting process.
You will be emailed with an eligibility checklist which you will need to complete and return, alongside accompanying documentation, within 3 working days so that your eligibility for the apprenticeship can be reviewed.
The interview date is due to be confirmed, but has provisionally been booked for w/c 11th January.

How to Apply:
Please apply directly via Trac, do not send in your application directly - they will be discounted.
Complete an online application form and refer to the job description/person specification when completing it. Please ensure you structure your statement by listing and answering the criteria on the personal specification as failure to do so may result in your application being rejected.
Please note, if you do not hold one of the qualifications listed in the Job Description/Person Specification, you must provide evidence, on the basis of prior experience and other educational achievement, that you have the ability to study at level 6 and have the potential to pass all skills-based assessments within the programme.
If shortlisted, you will be invited to a recruitment day. Please be prepared to attend for the whole day on the above date.
Please ensure you read and complete the pre-interview questionnaire attached as a document on this vacancy and get in contact with us if you have any queries.

Person Specification
Knowledge (Essential): Understanding of anxiety and depression and how it may present in Primary Care
Qualifications (Essential): Education to degree level / 'Level 5' qualification / evidence of equivalent experience
Skills (Essential): Able to manage the academic requirement of PWP training; Excellent verbal and written communication skills; Good IT skills
Experience (Essential): Evidence of direct clinical contact with patients who have experienced a mental health problem such as depression or anxiety disorders; Experience of working effectively in a team
Skills (Essential): Able to work under pressure; Able to be self-reflective
Desirable: Fluent in languages other than English
Skills (Essential): Able and willing to travel to locations throughout the organisation; To work flexibly within and outside of office hours

Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details
Employer name: Oxford Health NHS Trust
Address: Abell House / Entrance 1, Horspath Driftway / Manzil Way, Oxford, OX3 7JH, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk

For questions about the job, contact:
Step 2 Lead, Rachel Balster, 01865901222

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