21 Oct
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
Lambeth
Job description
Job overview
We are looking to appoint a Highly Specialist Psychological Therapist to work with our inpatient, community and psychological therapy services in Lambeth.
We will also consider applications from newly qualified and recently qualified Clinical Psychologists eligible to occupy the post at band 7 in a preceptorship role.
The post holder will work with multidisciplinary inpatient and community Mental Health Teams in Lambeth. Teams work with working age adults with complex mental health needs.
The postholder will specialise in work with a particular presentation (e.g. psychosis / bipolar / complex emotional needs / complex trauma) and offer evidence based interventions in group and individual formats.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will consolidate and further develop therapy skills by regularly assessing for and providing psychological therapy to adults known to the services with severe and complex mental health needs.
They will also provide clinical supervision and consultancy and contributing to teaching and research activity. This post provides a senior link psychology & psychotherapy role within the Lambeth services and is based within the Lambeth inpatient teams.
The postholder will also be expected to work within the community delivering psychological interventions.
We are looking for an enthusiastic psychologist with experience of and or interest in, working within mental health services for people with complex mental health needs as part of multi-disciplinary teams.
You will be expected to work autonomously to promote access to psychological interventions and to encourage psychologically informed care coordination.
We are looking for someone that can offer a dynamic and creative approach to service delivery.
Working for our organisation
Our Values :
We take pride in providing specialist care to our service users where our Trust values and our promise to be caring, kind, polite, prompt, honest, listen and do what I say I’m going to do is at the heart of everything we do.
About the location :
The posts will be based at our inpatient or community teams at the Maudsley Hospital, at 308-312 / 332 Brixton Road, or at 151 Blackfriars Road.
Career progression :
We are committed to get the very best out of our staff and support staff in their career aspirations. South London & Maudsley NHS Trust is a large Trust with a range of career as well as training and development opportunities.
Flexible working :
We are proud to offer flexible working as part of our new ways of working, and we are happy to talk flexible working during Monday Friday at the interview stage.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
- To provide a highly specialist psychological therapy service, as part of a multidisciplinary inpatient team, to service users, and where appropriate, their families and caregivers, including specialist assessment and intervention, multidisciplinary formulation, treatment support and planning, implementation and monitoring of outcomes according to relevant guidance and the evidence base.
- To be proactive in engaging individuals and their carers, who might express some ambivalence about engaging in psychological therapy.
- To support staff wellbeing and contribute to enabling other staff, service users and carers from diverse backgrounds to flourish by working to create a psychologically safe environment.
- To provide clinical supervision and consultation as appropriate, functioning as a specialist in complex and severe mental health presentations, with particular expertise in trauma, behavioural and development conditions, and psychosis / bipolar.
- To work flexibly across settings.
- To undertake service evaluation, audit and research, as appropriate.
- To work as an autonomous professional within BPS and HCPC guidelines and codes of conduct, or equivalent and guided by principles and policies or procedures of the service, taking responsibility for interpreting policies within defined parameters.
- To agree outcomes / results with clinical / professional lead and to decide how they are best achieved.
Person specification
Education and Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Relevant entry-level qualification in applied psychology / psychological therapy / psychotherapy and demonstrable practice in this field (eg Professional Doctorate, such as Clinical or Counselling Psychology or combination of MSc plus PG Diploma level / supervised practice / additional training such as CBT, Psychoanalytic, Arts or Systemic Psychotherapy) that has been accepted for the purposes of professional registration. (A / I)
- Additional training beyond entry-level qualification in a specialised area of psychological practice through formal post-qualification training (PG Diploma or equivalent), OR a combination of specialist short courses and / an evidenced portfolio of supervised practice based learning in a specialist area of clinical practice, assessed by a registered body and / or an experienced clinical supervisor to be of equal level to a Postgraduate Diploma or higher. (A / I / R)
- Completed training course in clinical supervision and / or accredited to supervised qualified psychological practitioners in relevant discipline. (A / I / R)
- Registered / accredited with professional or regulatory body as appropriate to discipline (A / I)
- Evidence of continuing professional development as required by the professional body. (A / I)
Desirable criteria
- Completed training course in clinical supervision.
- Additional training in a specialised area of psychological practice relating to complex mental health through formal post-qualification training (PG Diploma or equivalent), OR a combination of specialist short courses, OR an evidenced portfolio of supervised practice based learning in a specialist area of clinical practice, assessed by an experienced clinical supervisor to be of equal level to a Postgraduate Diploma.
Experience
Essential criteria
- Evidence of having worked as a psychologist psychotherapist under supervision.
- Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature.
- Post-qualification experience that supports working with, and addressing issues of,
diversity within local communities.
- Ability willingness to deliver short term psychotherapeutic interventions in inpatient setting
Desirable criteria
- Experience working with adults with complex mental health needs.
- Experience of carrying out post-doctoral research, audit or service evaluation projects.
- Experience of supervising assistant and trainee psychologists having completed the relevant training.
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological assessments and psychotherapeutic interventions relevant to complex mental health.
- Theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base relevant to the client group.
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health issues, child and adult safeguarding, and equalities.
- Knowledge of factors affecting acceptability and accessibility of mental health care.
Desirable criteria
Advanced knowledge of psychological assessment and clinical psychometrics
Skills and Abilities
Essential criteria
- Ability to deliver psychotherapy across cultural and other differences.
- Ability to select and administer specialist psychological assessments, interpreting and integrating complex data that require analysis, interpretation and comparison, drawn from several sources.
- Ability to communicate skilfully and sensitively complex and sensitive information with clients, carers and colleagues overcoming barriers to communication including sensory, and emotional difficulties, cultural differences and hostility to or rejection of information.
- Skills in providing teaching and training to other professional groups.
- Ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team, contributing to effective team functioning and holding team roles.
- Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate.
▶️ CAMHS Practitioner and CYP-PT Therapy Trainee
🖊️ South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
📍 Lambeth