8b Principal Adult Psychotherapist- part time
Would you like to work in an organisation that sits in the top 10 best NHS Mental Health, Learning Disability and Community Services Trust to work for. This ranking is based on staff feedback in the 2023 NHS Staff Survey.
Job overview
My job makes better lives by working to deliver on our aspiration to ensure that we provide outstanding quality care and support. We have an exciting opportunity to recruit to a Principal Psychotherapist post, for 6 sessions in the NorthWest Surrey Psychotherapy Service in Chertsey which is one of 3 psychotherapy services in the Trust that offers psychoanalytic psychotherapy to its patients.
We strongly encourage applicants to visit/ contact the department prior to interview. Please contact Carol Hunter on 01483 443683 who will direct your call.
Please note that the interview will be held the morning of Wednesday 20th August 2025 at Unither House, Chertsey, KT16 9FG.
We look forward to receiving your application!
Main duties of the job
The post holder will take a lead in the management of referrals to the service and apply appropriate criteria in assessing suitability and ensuring effective communication and consultation with all referrers.
The postholder will supervise and manage qualified staff members in the team, Band 8a and below and undertake their appraisals to ensure that a high standard of service provision is monitored and maintained.
The postholder will be responsible for the recruitment, interviewing and selection of trainee psychotherapists & trainee counselling psychologists in this modality across the Trust for all 3 psychotherapy services. The role will provide supervision to a range of psychoanalytic psychotherapy trainees and counselling psychologists who work as honorary therapists in the service.This will include liaison with the training institutions as needed.
This postholder will have an opportunity to provide Reflective Practice for teams in the Trust as required.
The postholder will take on specific audits, quality improvement projects and delegated areas of management as well as deputising for the Head of Service when required.
Please refer the attached job description for full details.
Working for our organisation
Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is the leading provider of mental health, learning disability, neurodevelopmental and drug and alcohol services in Surrey and North East Hampshire. We support people of all ages and are passionate about providing high quality care that is delivered at the right time as close to home as possible to help people recover and stay well.
We are one of the top 10 mental Health, Learning Disability and Community Trust to work for nationwide. Our Trust is an inclusive and supportive employer that offers a wide range of staff networks, flexible working, free parking and excellent health and wellbeing support.We also provide a wide range of opportunities to help staff develop and progress.
Surrey is a beautiful county lying just 30 minutes away from Central London and from the South Coast. Our historic market towns and bustling districts are enveloped in wonderful countryside, and our excellent road and rail networks bring the rest of the country within easy reach.For international travel, both Gatwick and Heathrow airports are nearby.
Please note that we reserve the right to close posts as soon as sufficient applications are received.
Regrettably, due to UK Home Office requirements we cannot offer sponsorship for all our job roles. If you apply for a role that we cannot offer sponsorship for, unfortunately, your application form will be rejected from the process.
We look forward to receiving your application!
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please check the job description and personal specification document for more information on the requirement for this job.
Person specification
Experience
Essential criteria- Substantial experience as an Adult Psychotherapist in a specialist psychotherapy service, or its equivalent including experience in specialist assessment and treatment, individual, group and MBT psychotherapy, and long-term work with severe and enduring presentations
- Substantial experience in working and managing risk with regards to clinical presentations
- Comprehensive knowledge of psychoanalytic theories of intervention and technique equivalent to the level of a clinical doctorate with comprehensive knowledge of psychiatric diagnosis and treatment
- Extensive experience of supervising trainees, qualified psychoanalytic psychotherapists and other professional providing psychological therapies in group or individual psychotherapy
Qualifications
Essential criteria- Post graduate level training/qualification or equivalent in psychoanalytic psychotherapy to meet the standards and registration with BPC or UKCP, CPJA section. Certificate in MBT training through the Anna Freud Centre.
- BCP or UKCP accreditation in Psychoanalytic psychotherapy
- Qualification/training in psychoanalytic psychotherapy supervision
Please note that you are not restricted from applying for this role if you do not identify with these characteristics and all applicants will be considered fairly against the job description.
As a flexible working and friendly organisation, we want to ensure that you can work in a way that is best for us, our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement whether that’s job share, part time or any other flexible working patterns.
Gender Pay Gap Action
Women in our Trust are under-represented in some senior grades. We are therefore encouraging women to apply for posts at 8A and above.
Sponsorship
Regrettably, due to UK Home Office requirements we cannot offer sponsorship for all our job roles. If you apply for a role that we cannot offer sponsorship for, unfortunately, your application form will be rejected from the process.