Counsellors at mental health charity Mind are to stop providing patients with advanced-level care to patients, says UNISON.

The union says the therapists at Norfolk & Waveney Mind have been forced to act because managers won’t recognise their specialist role.

UNISON Eastern regional organiser, Jamie Smith said: “All the staff want to do is go back to doing the job they love and helping the people locally.

“But Norfolk and Waveney Mind has landed itself in a completely nonsensical position admitting it has a contract to provide services it claims it doesn’t have to pay anyone to deliver.

“The charity must put an end to this circus, recognise the therapists’ specialist role, and pay them the NHS rate for the job.”

Staff have stopped delivering high-intensity sessions for new patients with depression and other conditions.

The action represents an escalation in a dispute that has already resulted in the counsellors staging walkouts last year.

Mind has been contracted by Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust to deliver “step 3” high-intensity therapy using staff paid at NHS rates.

National guidance sets out how the service should be run and the pay levels staff should receive.

But Mind has now claimed the rules don’t apply as it doesn’t deliver high-intensity therapy. The local integrated care board which is ultimately responsible has continued to report on numbers of patients treated under step 3 to NHS England.

UNISON says counsellors are on trainee rates despite being fully qualified.

“After years of talks, Mind still refuses to recognise our professional status as high-intensity therapists. We’ve done the extra NHS-funded training and received the appropriate accreditation,” said a counsellor.

“The profession cannot continue to be undermined like this. The NHS should stop contracting out services to a charity that only pays trainee rates.”

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