Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners (PWPs)
We connect NHS Talking Therapies services and independent providers with experienced, registered PWPs across the UK – and offer locum and permanent opportunities for practitioners looking for their next step-two role.
Welcome to Hunter Gatherer Mental Health, your specialist partner for PWP recruitment across the UK.
We place Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners into NHS Talking Therapies for Anxiety and Depression services, independent providers and specialist commissioned services on both a locum and permanent basis. Whether you’re a service that needs to expand step-two capacity or a qualified PWP looking for your next role, we offer well-matched placements and a responsive service.
Why Services Choose Hunter Gatherer for PWP Recruitment:
- Qualification and registration confirmed Qualified PWPs must hold a BPS-accredited PGCert in Low Intensity Interventions (or equivalent) and register with the BPS or BABCP. We confirm both qualification and current registration during compliance, alongside relevant supervised practice experience.
- Matched to your service model Telephone, face-to-face, remote, group-based, long-term conditions specialism, perinatal – PWP services vary significantly in how they’re delivered. We match on delivery model experience as well as qualification.
- Locum and permanent placements Short-term cover for a busy step-two team or a permanent hire – we support both.
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What is a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner?
A Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP) is a trained mental health professional who works within NHS Talking Therapies for Anxiety and Depression (formerly known as IAPT) to deliver low-intensity, evidence-based interventions for adults experiencing anxiety and depression. PWPs are the step-two practitioners within the stepped care model – the first clinical contact for most people entering NHS talking therapies.
PWPs deliver brief, structured, CBT-informed interventions including guided self-help, behavioural activation, worry management, sleep hygiene programmes, and computerised CBT support. Sessions are typically 20–30 minutes and a qualified PWP may support over 250 patients per year. Where a patient’s needs exceed step-two, the PWP makes decisions about stepping up to high-intensity therapy or onward referral to other services.
The PWP qualification is a BPS-accredited postgraduate certificate in Low Intensity Interventions, completed while employed by an NHS Talking Therapies service. Qualified PWPs must register with either the British Psychological Society (BPS) or the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP).
PWP Settings and Delivery Models We Recruit For:
PWPs work across a range of settings and delivery formats:
- NHS Talking Therapies Services – core step-two provision within NHS-commissioned psychological therapies services
- GP Practices and Primary Care Settings – PWPs embedded in surgeries and PCNs
- Community Venues – libraries, leisure centres, community centres – making services more accessible
- Telephone and Remote Services – a significant and growing proportion of PWP work is delivered by phone or video; remote locum roles available nationally
- Long-Term Conditions (LTC) Specialism – PWPs trained in LTC-adapted CBT-based interventions supporting patients with diabetes, chronic pain, COPD, cardiac conditions and other physical health comorbidities
- Perinatal Mental Health – PWPs supporting women experiencing anxiety or depression during pregnancy and the postnatal period
- Older Adults – services working specifically with older adult populations
- Prison and Custodial Settings – PWPs delivering talking therapies within HM Prison Service
- Independent and Third-Sector Providers – charities and independent organisations commissioned by the NHS to deliver talking therapies
What PWPs Do:
PWPs working within NHS Talking Therapies and commissioned services typically:
- Conduct telephone or face-to-face assessments of new referrals, establishing severity and suitability for step-two intervention
- Deliver low-intensity CBT-based interventions – guided self-help (bibliotherapy), behavioural activation, worry management, sleep hygiene, panic management
- Support computerised CBT (cCBT) programmes
- Facilitate group psychoeducational workshops
- Manage a high-volume caseload with regular, brief contacts
- Make clinical decisions about continuing at step two, stepping up to high-intensity therapy, or signposting to other services
- Liaise with GPs, social services, employment advisers and community organisations
- Work within clinical governance frameworks with regular clinical supervision
Qualifications We Look For:
Every PWP we place holds:
- A BPS-accredited Postgraduate Certificate in Low Intensity Interventions (or equivalent recognised qualification)
- Current registration with the British Psychological Society (BPS) or BABCP – a mandatory professional requirement for qualified PWPs
- Relevant post-qualification experience delivering low-intensity interventions within a structured stepped care service
- Valid DBS and current mandatory training
- For LTC roles: additional training or demonstrable experience with the LTC-adapted CBT-based interventions used in the service
Locum PWP Opportunities:
Locum PWP work offers flexible sessions across different services and delivery models, with a significant proportion of roles available remotely or in hybrid formats. Whether you want to pick up additional sessions alongside a permanent role, cover a block of work during a colleague’s absence, or explore different service models, we’ll match you to opportunities that fit your qualification, experience and availability.
We have active PWP requirements across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – including fully remote roles available nationally.
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PWP Pay Rates (2025/26):
Qualified PWPs at Band 5 level typically earn £22–£28 per hour as a locum. Senior PWPs with supervisory responsibilities, a clinical specialism or management duties typically sit at Band 6, earning £28–£36 per hour.
Remote and telephone delivery roles tend to sit at Band 5 rates. Specialist roles – LTC, perinatal, older adults, prison – and those with senior or supervisory responsibilities attract the higher end of the Band 6 range.
For permanent salaried roles, Band 5 runs from £31,049 to £37,796 (2025/26) and Band 6 from £38,682 to £46,580.
Our consultants can advise on current going rates for your experience, delivery model and region.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- What’s the difference between IAPT and NHS Talking Therapies? In 2023, the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme was officially renamed NHS Talking Therapies for Anxiety and Depression. The clinical structure – including the step-two PWP role – is broadly unchanged.
- Do all PWP locum roles require BPS or BABCP registration? Yes. Registration with the BPS or BABCP is a mandatory professional requirement for qualified PWPs. We verify registration during compliance alongside the qualification itself.
- Do you place PWPs for remote and telephone delivery roles? Yes – remote and hybrid PWP roles are a significant part of the locum market, particularly with independent and NHS-commissioned providers. We have active remote roles available nationally.
- Do you place Children’s Wellbeing Practitioners (CWPs) as well as PWPs? Yes. CWPs are the CYP equivalent and we place both. Let us know if you are a CWP or your service needs CWP rather than adult PWP cover when you make contact.
- What areas do you cover? We place PWPs across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – including remote roles available throughout the UK.
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