Psychotherapist, Practitioner Psychologist & Psychological Therapist - London
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
Registered (HCPC) Highly Specialist Clinical/Counselling Psychologist
Band 7 or 8a (dependent on experience) 1 WTE fixed term for 1 year
PICuP (Psychological Interventions Clinic for outpatients with Psychosis)
We are looking to recruit a Highly Specialist Clinical/Counselling Psychologist to join our team. The Psychological Interventions Clinic for outpatients with Psychosis (PICuP) is an award winning specialist psychology service hosted by the Croydon Operational Directorate, providing psychological interventions (within a broad cognitive-behavioural approach) for individuals who experience distressing psychotic experiences, as well as additional or secondary mental health difficulties, trauma, and interventions for carers.
PICuP also provides specialist supervision and training to mental health professionals. It was founded by Professor Elizabeth Kuipers in 1999, is headed by Professor Emmanuelle Peters (Director), and operationally managed by Dr Nadine Keen (clinic co-ordinator).
Main duties of the job
We are looking for an enthusiastic clinical/counselling psychologist to join our team at Band 7 or 8a level (dependent on experience).
Key responsibilities include:
- To provide a highly specialist psychology service, cognitive behavioural therapy, trauma informed CBT, EMDR, and FIp to outpatients with ongoing distressing symptoms of psychosis, bipolar disorder and/or secondary emotional difficulties
- To provide specialist training in an area of expertise related to psychological interventions in psychosis
- To provide clinical supervision and consultation as appropriate, in CBT and/or FI for psychosis
- To provide specialist supervision and training to mental health professionals through close links with the Psychology Department at the IOPPN
- To work as an autonomous professional within BPS and HCPC guidelines and codes of conduct, 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
- To contribute to enabling other staff, service users and carers from diverse backgrounds to flourish by working to create a psychologically safe environment.
Working for our organisation
About the location:
PICuP is located at the Maudsley Hospital on Denmark Hill. The post-holder will be mostly based at the Maudsley but will be expected to see some clients at other SLaM team bases in Lambeth, Lewisham or Croydon as necessary. Some work may be conducted remotely where appropriate.
Benefits:There is an extensive range of excellent benefits for you and your family. We want you to feel like you are part of a close-knit team at SLaM. It’s important to us that you valued and appreciated.Some of our benefits are highlighted here:
- Generous pay, pensions and leave, we offer a comprehensive pay, pensions and leavepackage which is dependent on the role and length of service.
- Work life balance, flexible working and support a range of flexible options, such as: part-time working and job sharing.
- Career development, there are plenty of opportunities to progress your career and we support your development
- Car lease, our staff benefits from competitive deals to lease cars.
- Accommodation, our staff benefits from keyworker housing available which is available on selected sites.
- NHS discounts, with discounts up to 10% from a variety of well-known retail brands though Health Service Discounts website.
Other benefits include:
- Counselling services
- Wellbeing events
- Long service awards
- Cycle to work scheme
- Season ticket loan
- Childcare vouchers
- Staff restaurant
We look forward to receiving your application.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Job Purpose:- To provide a highly specialist psychology service, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), trauma informed CBT (TF-CBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and family
distressing symptoms of psychosis, bipolar disorder and/or secondary emotional difficulties and trauma, involving specialist assessment, treatment, planning, implementation and monitoring of
outcomes.
- To provide specialist training in an area of expertise related to psychological interventions in
(SlaM), other NHS trusts, and nationally.
- To provide clinical supervision and consultation as appropriate, in CBT and/or FI for psychosis.
- To provide specialist supervision and training to mental health professionals through close links
Doctorate in Clinical Psychology course, and Post-Graduate Diploma and Certificate in CBT for
psychosis courses.
- To work as an autonomous professional within BPS and HCPC guidelines and codes of conduct,
interpreting policies within defined parameters.
- To agree outcomes/results with clinical/professional lead and to decide how they are best
- To contribute to enabling other staff, service users and carers from diverse backgrounds to
flourish by working to create a psychologically safe environment
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria- Doctorate level qualification in clinical or counselling psychology or equivalent
- Registered with the HCPC as Practitioner Psychologist, and evidence of continuing professional development as required by the HCPC.
- Additional training and experience in cognitive behaviour therapy for psychosis either 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, assessed by an experienced clinical supervisor to be of equal level to a Postgraduate Diploma.
Experience
Essential criteria- At least one year experience of psychological assessment and treatment of clients with severe mental illness in adult mental health and particularly with clients with psychosis and bipolar disorder.
- Evidence of having worked as a clinical specialist under supervision in cognitive behaviour therapy for psychosis, complex PTSD, Family Intervention, and carers intervention in at least one setting (standalone service, community team, early intervention service).
- Experience of consulting with other staff.
- Experience of working with, and addressing issues of, diversity. This may have been gained through work, research, volunteering and/or lived experience.
- Commitment to continuing professional development, to partnership working and to reflective clinical practice.
- Experience of being a therapist in a randomised controlled trial (RCT) of CBT/FI for psychosis and/or having completed a post-qualification Postgraduate Diploma in CBT for psychosis/Severe Mental Illness.
- Specialist interest and experience in a ‘niche’ area related to psychosis, in terms of therapy and training provision (for example trauma).
Knowledge and Skills
Essential criteria- Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological assessments and interventions for people with psychosis and bipolar disorder
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological assessments and interventions for people experiencing complex PTSD.
- To select and administer specialist psychological assessments, interpreting and integrating complex data that require analysis, interpretation and comparison, drawn from several sources.
- To be skilled in the administration of psychometric and neuropsychological tests, including those that require complex manipulation of test materials.
- To be skilled in the administration of psychometric and neuropsychological tests, including those that require complex manipulation of test materials.
- Research background in a specialist area related to psychosis
- Record of publications in a specialist area related to psychosis or bipolar disorder in either peer reviewed, academic or professional journals/books
The Trust is committed to providing services which embrace diversity and that promote equality of opportunity. We are a Disability Confident Employer, we welcome applicants from all sections of the community and people of all protected characteristics. We provide reasonable adjustments for candidates with a disability and are committed to treating people fairly with compassion, respect and dignity and in promoting equality and human rights. We aim to put this commitment into practice by:
- Embedding our commitment to tackling inequality, eliminating discrimination and harassment; promoting equality of opportunity and fostering good relations in our everyday practice
- Ensuring that all our services and all staff understand and support our commitment
- We believe that people who use our services, their carers and our staff, should be treated with compassion, respect and dignity
Please note:
- That all applications for this post will need to be made online
- That you read and understand the Job Description and Personal Specification attached to the role. Your Statement in Support should reflect the requirements specified as your application will be judged against these criteria
- That the closing date listed is a guide only and that the vacancy may close earlier should sufficient number of applicants have been received. We advise that you submit your application as early as possible
- That once you have submitted your application you agree to your application being transferred to a 3rd party e-recruitment system. All subsequent information regarding your application will be generated from apps.trac.jobs
- That should you not have heard from us within three weeks from the closing date your application has not successful
- That priority consideration for applications may be given to at-risk NHS employees
- That should you be successful and appointed, you authorise South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust to confirm your previous NHS service via an Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) process
- That we are a smoke-free Trust
SLaM is a Stonewall Diversity Champion , Stonewall is the largest Lesbian, Gay, Bi and Trans (LGBT) rights charity in Europe’