Job summary
- Main area
- Applied Pyschology
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 8a
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 334-CLI-6912156-B
- Employer
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Lewisham Park
- Town
- Lewisham
- Salary
- per annum Incl. of HCAs
- Closing
- 06/04/2025 23:59
Employer heading
Highly Specialist Psychologist/Psychological Therapist
NHS AfC: Band 8a
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust has a rich history, well-established community links and an international reputation. We deliver specialist services in the London boroughs of Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark, Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich, Wandsworth and Richmond.
We are committed to provide a high quality and specialist care to our service users and we are recognised for our care and treatment we provide. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as ‘good’.
We launched our five-year strategy, Aiming High; Changing Lives in 2021 together with Our Care Improvement System as our quality management system methodology to make a positive impact on patient care, outcomes and staff experience. By joining SLaM, all staff will get the opportunity to be part of this exciting improvement journey supported with learning and development to harness everyone’s potential as change makers.
The trust recognises the unique and valuable contribution that people with lived experience of mental illness can bring to a role. We therefore welcome applications from people with lived experience and consider them as an asset to the Trust.
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. When you join us, you’ll be part of something special.
As a Trust we are happy to talk flexible working.
Job overview
The Adolescent Treatment Team (ATT) is a well-established arm of Lewisham CAMHS offering stabilisation, formulation, and treatment of young people with mental health problems that are severe, complex, and/or associated with high levels of risk We are a multi-disciplinary, dynamic, resourceful, caring and supportive team with a small, protected caseload of young people with the highest level of need, including severe depression and anxiety disorders, complex trauma, psychosis, bipolar disorder, and emotional instability. ATT use teamwork to offer the most effective service provision in a supportive and respectful environment whilst still being a fun base.
ATT is seeking to recruit an experienced practitioner psychologist to be take on the role of neurodevelopmental lead in the team. This role will provide specialist expertise in the assessment, formulation, and treatment of young people with neurodevelopmental disorders presenting with severe mental health issues and/or high risk. We have seen an increase in these vulnerable young people over the past few years, with approximately 60% of our caseload either have a diagnosis or suspected diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. As a new role, the post-holder will have the opportunity to lead the development of a clinical pathway for this population and improve overall service provision.
Main duties of the job
- To develop and lead the neurodevelopmental pathway within a highly specialist, multi-disciplinary team for adolescents with severe and complex mental health problems.
- Provide highly specialist psychology service for neurodiverse young people with severe mental health problems, including specialist assessment, formulation, treatment, consultation, planning, and monitoring of outcomes
- Conduct specialist assessments such as ADOS/ADI and neuropsychological assessments.
- To provide clinical supervision and consultation as appropriate, functioning as a lead specialist in neurodevelopmental conditions.
- To undertake service evaluation, audit, and research.
- To provide senior duty support to the MDT as a senior clinician and some other senior management duties, as appropriate.
- To work autonomously within professional guidelines and within the overall framework of the team’s policies and procedures.
Working for our organisation
SLAM is the largest mental health trust in the UK and offers a wide range of National Specialists and local provisions in South London. Working for Lewisham CAMHS gives access to many of the dynamic and innovative opportunities linked to the Trust. Lewisham is an inner-city borough in South London serving a population of almost 300,000 people, 23 % falling in the 0-19 age group. Lewisham is highly diverse and proudly represents many different cultures, needs and backgrounds. Lewisham CAMHS has several teams providing services to specific need; the ATT team has
been established over 20 years serving the most complex and high-risk children in Lewisham. There is close liaison with other CAMHS teams and the wider specialist services. Working within ATT can be challenging and demanding but there are resources in place such as supervision, case discussion, the MDT, joint work, training, clear referral criteria, systems management and workable caseloads to support functioning. There is a strong team identity and ethos, we strive to do our best for our young people.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The successful candidate would develop and lead the neurodevelopmental pathway within a highly specialist, multi-disciplinary team for adolescents with severe and complex mental health problems. This role will focus on providing specialist expertise in neurodiversity to support the MDT and provide a specialist psychology service for neurodiverse young people presenting with mental health problems that are severe, complex, and associated with high levels of risk. This will include high-quality assessment, formulation, and evidence-based therapy to young people and families. Consultation will be a large part of this role, supporting the team and the wider Lewisham CAMHS service. The candidate will also hold a small number of care coordination cases to support with stabilisation, risk management, and multi-agency care planning. The job also involves contributing to the effective working of the team and providing senior duty cover to support team members in managing risk. There will be opportunity to supervise assistant psychologists and/or trainee clinical psychologists. The candidate would also be supported to undertake training and develop skills to support professional development, in line with their appraisal.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Entry-level qualification in Applied Psychology (professional Doctorate, or combination of MSc plus PG Diploma level additional training) that has been accepted by the HCPC for purposes of professional registration.
- 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.
- Registered with professional body as appropriate to discipline e.g. HCPC/UKCP/ACP/BABCP
- Evidence of continuing professional development as required by the professional body.
Desirable criteria
- Qualification in supervision
- Post-doctoral training / accreditation in one or more additional specialist evidence-based practice relevant to complex CAMHS (e.g. Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, CBT for Psychosis, trauma-focused therapies).
- Training relevant to specialist neurodevelopmental assessment or treatment (e.g. ADOS/ADI, positive behaviour support).
Experience
Essential criteria
- Qualified experience working with people with neurodevelopmental disorders providing specialist assessment and evidence-based interventions.
- Experience working in CAMHS with children, young people, and families providing specialist assessment and evidence-based interventions.
- Experience administering neuropsychological assessments and structured neurodevelopmental assessments using tools such as the ADOS and ADI.
- Experience managing risk associated with mental health conditions.
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialist psychological assessment and interventions for neurodevelopmental conditions.
Desirable criteria
- Experience of providing clinical supervision
- Experience working in acute settings / with severe mental health problems such as psychosis, bipolar, complex PTSD, and emotional instability.
- Experience carrying out post-doctoral research, audit, or service evaluation.
Skills
Essential criteria
- 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.
- To plan and schedule assessment and interventions for individual clients and groups and carers (and for meetings such as CPA and case reviews where appropriate).
- The administration of psychometric and neuropsychological tests, including those that require complex manipulation of test materials).
- To plan allocation of tasks to assistants/trainees as appropriates.
- Well-developed IT skills including entry and analysis of research data.
Desirable criteria
- Skills in chairing complex multi-disciplinary meetings and recording and enacting outcomes
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialist psychological assessment and interventions for neurodevelopmental conditions.
- Theoretical knowledge of psychopathology in young people and the evidence base for relevant treatment.
- Advanced knowledge of psychological assessment and clinical psychometrics
- Knowledge of child protection and safeguarding issues in relation to mental health
- Knowledge of factors affecting acceptability and accessibility of mental health care
Desirable criteria
- Knowledge of legislation and policy in relation to people with autism and learning disabilities.
- Knowledge of the therapy and practice of specialised psychology therapies in specific complex mental health problems (e.g. complex PTSD or psychosis).
- Knowledge of research methodology in mental health.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Michelle Whiteside
- Job title
- Clinical Lead
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 07956656933
- Additional information
Jessica Bird, [email protected]
Alice Stroud, [email protected]
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