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Job summary

Main area
Psychiatry
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 7
Contract
Permanent: Flexibility to work a shift pattern of 8am - 8pm across a 7 day service
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
334-CLI-7030246
Employer
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Heather Close
Town
Lewisham
Salary
£54,320 - £60,981 per annum inclusive of HCAs
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
04/04/2025 23:59

Employer heading

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust logo

Psychotherapist, Practitioner Psychologist & Psychological Therapist

NHS AfC: Band 7

 

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

Are you passionate about reshaping mental health care? Do you believe in the power of community, collaboration with community partners and local voluntary care sector, inclusion, and peer support to transform lives? We’re launching an innovative community care centre inspired by world-class models like the Trieste Mental Health Community Network, Navigo in Grimsby, and Clubhouse models in New York and Brixton.

We have an incredibly exciting and rare opportunity to be part of a new community mental health pilot. This centre will hold a major national profile with NHS England who are hoping that the pilot will radically transform how we deliver mental health care in the UK.

We are looking for dedicated staff to help us pioneer this revolutionary approach to care.

What We Offer

  • A Unique Care Model: Join a programme focused on community, social inclusion, and holistic recovery.
  • Supportive Environment: Collaborate with peers, contribute to a recovery-oriented care system, and make a real difference.
  • Development Opportunities: Be part of a pioneering team shaping the future of mental health care, with training and career growth built-in.

Main duties of the job

To provide specialist psychological interventions - CBT for severe mental health problems - including specialist assessment, treatment, planning, implementation and monitoring of outcomes.
• To 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. 
• To promote service evaluation, audit and research.
• To work as an autonomous professional within registration body guidelines and codes of conduct, and guided by the policies and procedures of the service, taking responsibility for own 
work including treatment and discharge decisions with support of clinical supervisor.
• To be active in the provision of staff support within their area, including but not limited to Critical Incident Staff Support and Reflect-Support-Resolve. To participate, as a recipient, in staff support work when appropriate.

Working for our organisation

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) provide the widest range of NHS mental health services in the UK as well as substance misuse services for people who are addicted to drugs and alcohol.

We work closely with the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London and are part of King's Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre.

SLaM employ around 5000 staff  & serve a local population of 1.1 million people. With 230 services, we also provide inpatient care for approximately 5,300 people each year & treat more than 45,000 patients in the community in Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark; as well as substance misuse services for residents of Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich.


By coming to work at SLaM, you will gain experience of being part of an organisation with a rich history & international reputation in mental health care. You will have access to professional development & learning opportunities & have the chance to work alongside people who are world leaders in their field. SLaM delivered more than 14,000 training experiences in 2014; providing an extensive range of learning opportunities for staff at all levels. Our working 
relationship with King's Health Partners allows those working at the Trust to get involved in academic research.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

KR 1      Clinical and Client Care

·       To provide specialist CBT assessments, formulations and interventions for clients (individuals, couples, families and social networks where the identified client has complex mental health needs) within Lewisham CMHTs including

·       To provide culturally appropriate psychological or psychotherapeutic interventions with carers or families of referred clients when required.

·       To assess and monitor risk and draw up appropriate risk management plans.

·       To provide reports, including relevant formulation, opinion and interventions, in order to inform referrers and, where appropriate, service users and their families.

·       To select and deliver evidence-based specialist therapeutic interventions, drawing from a spectrum of ideas and models, monitoring outcome and modifying and adapting interventions as necessary, based on the highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, couple, family or group.

·       To promote psychological support for carers (or families as appropriate) of referred clients.

 

 

KR 2      Contributing to team or service clinical functioning

·       To contribute to the effective working of Lewisham CMHTs and to a psychologically/psychotherapeutically informed framework for the service.

·       To contribute to the team or service’s delivery of accessible and acceptable services to diverse local communities.

·       To be proactive in challenging discrimination and support the development of culturally competent services.

·       To liaise with referrers, GPs and other professionals concerned with clients in order to develop and review care plans.

·       To liaise with the service/s MDT and other professionals.

 

KR 3      Policy and service development

·       To implement policies and procedures in own area of work, and to propose improvements or beneficial changes.

·       To contribute to the consultation and engagement of service users in planning and delivering services which meet the needs of local communities.

·       To contribute to service development through undertaking and participating in appropriate projects.

 

KR 4      Care or management of resources

·       To take care of, and use carefully, the Trust’s equipment and physical resources.

·       To ensure that the post-holder has sufficient resources by estimating future needs and requesting or ordering supplies as needed.

·       To ensure the cleanliness and safe functioning and use of equipment that will be used by clients or other persons.

·       To monitor and advise clients on the safe use of materials and processes.

·       To ensure adequate confidential and safe storage for artefacts produced during the therapy process in line with professional guidelines.

·       To be responsible for obtaining, storing and maintaining all materials and equipment for the provision of therapy in work setting within budgetary constraints.

 

KR 5      Management and supervision

·       To be responsible for the allocation and/or clinical supervision of the work of a paid assistant if required, under supervision from a more senior therapist.

·       To supervise trainees within own area of specialism after completion of the relevant Supervision Training.

 

KR 6      Teaching and Training

·       To provide occasional specialist training in psychological/psychotherapeutic approaches to care to other professions as appropriate.

·       To disseminate research/service evaluation findings through presentations and published articles.

 

KR 7      Record-keeping and Information Governance

·       To ensure that all information generated by own work is recorded as required by Trust policies and local procedures.

·       To maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping and report writing, according to professional and Trust guidelines, including electronic data entry.

 

KR 8      Research and development

·       To undertake regular complex service evaluation, audits or research relevant to service needs.

 

KR 9      Maintaining professional standards and continuing professional development

·       To receive regular clinical and professional supervision from a more senior therapist according to discipline, professional body and Trust guidelines.

·       To maintain own Continuing Professional Development in line with professional body and Trust Personal Development Plan requirements and professional Standards for Continuing Professional Development. 

·       To maintain an up-to-date knowledge of current developments in professional and clinical practice and of relevant legislation and policies.

·       To comply with professional body Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics/Standards of Proficiency.

 

KR10     General

·       To travel to meetings as appropriate and across the Trust when required.

·       To be aware of risk relating to aggressive and challenging behaviour amongst the client group, and follow trust policies relating to its management.

·       To work flexibly which may include offering some regular commitment to late clinics, within the overall Job Plan.

·       To respond appropriately and professionally to emotionally distressing situations (such as challenging behaviour, abuse etc) and to support others involved in such situations through Trust-wide approaches including Critical Incident Staff Support and Reflect-Support-Resolve.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • To have undertaken a recognised qualification in one of the core mental health professions, e.g. psychiatric nursing, clinical psychology, medicine, social work and occupational therapy OR to have equivalent relevant experience and demonstrable competence to work in the mental health field in the NHS.
  • Entry-level qualification in applied psychological therapy/mental health/social welfare profession or equivalent and demonstrable practice in this field (professional Doctorate, or combination of MSc plus PG Diploma level/supervised practice/additional training) that has been accepted for the purposes of professional registration. (A/I) (for a job requiring specific professional qualification(s), change this point to specify the required qualification(s)).
  • For Psychologists: · 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. (A/I) (for a job requiring specific professional qualification(s), change this point to specify the required qualification(s): Clinical psychologist: Doctorate in Clinical Psychology or equivalent; Counselling psychologist: MSc and PG Diploma in Counselling Psychology; Forensic psychologist: MSc in Forensic Psychology plus completion of the British Psychological Society’s Qualification in Forensic Psychology Stage 2)
  • For Family / Systemic Psychotherapists: Post-graduate qualification in relevant mental health/social welfare profession and demonstrable practice in this field (A/I) PLUS Masters level qualification in Family and Systemic Psychotherapy or equivalent qualification, accredited by UKCP (A/I)
  • For Psychotherapists: Entry-level qualification in Psychotherapy that has been accepted by the UKCP/BABCP (specify which, according to nature of post) for purposes of professional registration. (A/I)
  • For Arts Therapists: Masters Degree (or equivalent) in Arts Therapy or Dance Movement Therapy. (or specify Art Therapy, Music Therapy, Dramatherapy or Dance Movement Therapy)
  • • Registered with professional body as appropriate to discipline HCPC/UKCP/BABCP.

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Experience of receiving clinical supervision across a range of client needs. (A/I)
  • Experience of assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature (A/I)
  • Experience that supports working with, and addressing issues of, diversity within local communities. This may have been gained through work, research, volunteering and / or lived experience. (A/I)
  • Experience of developing and carrying out audit/research projects. (A/I)
  • Significant post-qualification/graduation experience including experience of individual and group therapy with people with complex mental health needs.
Desirable criteria
  • Experience of group work and support of stepped care

Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • Theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base for the relevant treatment (specify for the post if necessary). (A/I/R)
  • Knowledge of the theory of psychological therapy and it’s therapeutic application. Associated awareness of assessment and clinical psychometrics. (A/I/R)
  • Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health issues, child and adult protection, and equalities. (A/I/R)
  • Knowledge of factors affecting acceptability and accessibility of mental health care. (A/I/R)
  • To deliver psychological/psychotherapeutic therapy across cultural and other differences. (A/I/R)
Desirable criteria
  • Knowledge of culturally adapted CBT and psychological therapies

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. (A/I/R)
  • 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).
  • To plan allocation of tasks to assistants/trainees as appropriates. (A/I/R)
  • Well-developed IT skills including entry and analysis of research data. (A/I/R)
  • Skills in providing teaching and training to other professional groups. (A/I/R)
Desirable criteria
  • Ability to support case formulation and care planning meetings

Abilities

Essential criteria
  • Ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team, contributing to effective team functioning and holding team roles. (A/I/R)
  • Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate. (A/I/R)
  • Ability to develop and use complex multi-media materials for presentations in public, professional and academic meetings (A/I/R)
  • Ability to maintain concentration and to remain in restricted positions for long periods during observations, assessments and psychological interventions, and to deal with unexpected interruptions or changes during these. (A/I)
  • Ability to manage emotionally stressful situations such as working with victims of abuse or trauma, or with people who engage in severe self-harming or aggressive behaviour. (A/I)
Desirable criteria
  • Ability to support MDT colleagues with psychologically informed care planning

Employer certification / accreditation badges

London Healthy workplaceCapital Nurse, LondonNo smoking policyLondon Living Wage is a voluntary commitment made by employers, who can become accredited with the Living Wage FoundationImproving working livesMindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Stonewall Silver 2022Disability confident employerStonewall equality policy. Equality and justice for lesbians, gay men, bisexual and trans people.Armed Forces Covenant Bronze AwardHappy to Talk Flexible WorkingArmed Forces Covenant

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

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Dr Inga Boellinghaus
Job title
Principal Clinical Psychologist
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
07546 56 09 57
Additional information

Please be advised that my working days are Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday.

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