Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (Fixed-term contract)

The Challenge

More than 1 in 4 adults in the UK are living with obesity; a chronic condition that often negatively impacts their physical and mental health, and therefore quality of life. Access to specialist weight management services for the treatment of obesity remains limited and varies geographically due to a lack of funding. Existing services face long waiting lists, resulting in treatment delays which can adversely affect patient outcomes.

Enter Second Nature...

By bringing together the latest behavioural science, psychology, technology, and the talents of our incredible team, our mission is to eradicate obesity and type 2 diabetes for all, and as part of that mission, we are aiming to increase access to effective treatment for people living with obesity.

Second Nature provides specialist weight management services to support people living with obesity. We are looking for a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP) to join our psychology and multi-disciplinary teams (MDT). This is an exciting opportunity to be involved in growth of specialist weight management services in a fast-pace, startup environment.

About us:

• We've positively changed the lives of over 250,000 people
• We're rated 'Excellent' by over 7k of our members on Trustpilot
• We're growing extremely quickly & are now a profitable business
• We’re one of the few consumer health brands that are commissioned by the NHS and leading health insurer, Vitality Health
• We're a leading B2C provider of GLP-1 medication-assisted weight loss programmes, and 1 of 5 NICE-approved providers to deliver these services within the NHS in the future
• Our team members stay with us for an average of 4.3 years

You can find out more about working with us here and here.

The role:

We’re looking for a dynamic Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP) who is passionate about making a positive difference to those living with obesity to grow our current psychology team. You will be part of an innovative Specialist Weight Management Service (SWMS) that uses a multi-disciplinary team (MDT) approach to obesity treatment and technology to optimise patient engagement and outcomes. Our MDT includes doctors, dietitians, psychologists and physical activity specialists, all with special interests in obesity.

You will provide psychological therapy to people living with obesity to support them to make sustainable lifestyle and dietary changes, in collaboration with the MDT. You'll be using a range of theoretical approaches, such as CBT and DBT. Whilst it is important to be able to work autonomously, you will receive comprehensive training. You will also have access to clinical supervision and support from a Practitioner Psychologist.

This post is full time and fixed-term for 9 months, with flexible hours to support evening work.

What you'll do:

• Independently implement appropriate initial assessment methods to allocate patients to the most suitable treatment.
• Deliver group-based and one-to-one psychological interventions remotely via video calls to support changes in eating behaviours and physical activity behaviours.
• Attend regular MDT meetings to monitor the care of our patients.
• Attend clinical supervision with a Practitioner Psychologist to discuss complex cases.
• Appropriately manage clinical risk (e.g. safeguarding concerns) when it arises during clinical practice.
• Maintain adequate CPD, receive regular clinical supervision in accordance with good practice guidelines and continue to meet BABCP registration requirements.
• Maintain confidentiality of information in line with the requirements of the Data Protection Act and ensuring that participant confidentiality is protected at all times.

Requirements

You have experience working in a weight management/bariatric/eating disorder setting

• A qualified Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP) with experience of weight management and/or bariatric experience within a mental health setting, or working with patients in an eating disorder setting.
• A solid understanding of obesity as a condition and the issues many people living with obesity face including weight stigma.
• Experience related to offering weight management support.
• Able to provide supportive, empathetic patient-centred care to patients who may have complex physical and mental health needs.

You can work autonomously and collaboratively with a doctor-led disciplinary team (MDT) to oversee patient care

• You'll confidently and independently manage a caseload of patients, delivering psychological interventions via video calls and working collaboratively with our MDT.

You have experience of supporting the coordination of a healthcare service

• You have experience in monitoring and supporting patients' journeys through a service in line with an organisation's protocols, including scheduling assessments and appointments, monitoring attendance rates and following up with patients, writing GP letters, and revising protocols.
• You have experience using Excel or Google Sheets (or other similar programmes) to monitor patients' journeys.

You are dynamic and have a strong drive to work in healthcare tech

• Excited by a fast-paced startup environment which requires you to be dynamic and hands on, adapting your role to the needs of the service.
• You're confident in using technology to provide patient care, including record and review patient notes.
• Excited by digital initiatives that increase access to healthcare.

Education/Qualifications:

• BABCP registration
• Postgraduate Diploma as a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner

Benefits

• Work from home with flexible hours
• Joining a culture of intelligent, friendly, and highly-motivated individuals who are passionate about what they do
• A competitive market salary
• 25 days of holiday plus national holidays