Counselling and Clinical Psychologist with BABCP accreditation

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

This post is not for someone who is a CBT therapist who has completed IAPT CBT training course. Please note, under a NHSE initiative, the post is not open to those already working in Talking Therapies. The post is Band 7 if BABCP Accredited, or would be paid at band 6 until the postholder attains their provisional BABCP accreditation.

We are looking for enthusiastic and passionate team players, committed to working for our Lambeth communities, offering patient-centred, responsive and high quality psychological health and wellbeing services.

We look forward to receiving your application.

It is sometimes necessary to close vacancies before the closing date due to an exceptional response. Therefore, we recommend that you apply for this vacancy as soon as possible.

Interviews will be held via Microsoft Teams.

Main duties of the job

The primary role is to provide a specialist psychological therapy service to clients of Lambeth Talking Therapies. This includes specialist assessment, treatment planning (mainly Cognitive Behaviour Therapy), and delivery, including monitoring of outcomes on a weekly basis.

Communications and Working Relationships:

• supervised weekly by an experienced Clinical/Counselling Psychologist/High Intensity CBT Therapist, and fortnightly group supervision by a clinician from the Centre for Anxiety Disorders and Trauma
• work with the Team Lead, Clinical Director and the other members of the team
• work with and liaise and consult with mental health organisations, GPs, practice teams, and counsellors

Working for our organisation

About the location:

The postholder will be based at our team bases in Lambeth (and possibly a day at a GP surgery), and required to work at least one late shift a week, from 12:00 to 20:00. There will be some remote working as well. Currently about 2 days is on site and 3 at home, but this may change according to service need.

Benefits:

It’s important to us that you valued and appreciated and that are why we have a comprehensive benefits package on offer.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

About the role

The primary role is to provide a specialist psychological therapy service to clients of Lambeth NHS Talking Therapies. This includes specialist assessment, treatment planning (mainly Cognitive Behaviour Therapy), and delivery, including monitoring of outcomes on a weekly basis.

Key Responsibilities:

1. CLINICAL
2. To deliver NICE recommended, formulation driven specialist psychological interventions for depression and anxiety disorders, adapting interventions for the specific needs and clinical setting, working with individual clients, groups and large workshops.
3. Assess and integrate issues surrounding social support, voluntary work and employment into therapy.
4. To collect and enter clinical outcome data on a sessional basis; select and interpret outcome measures to inform treatment planning.
5. To communicate skilfully and sensitively highly complex and sensitive information with clients, carers, colleagues and other professionals taking account of sensory and cultural barriers to communication.
6. To keep clear, accurate and up to date records of all clinical activity in line with service protocols.
7. To confidently assess and monitor risk and draw up appropriate risk management plans
8. To provide information and signposting for patients who do not meet the service’s eligibility criteria or refer people with more severe common mental health problems to the secondary care psychological therapies service.
9. Maintain a clinical caseload in line with activity targets agreed with line manager.
10. TEACHING, TRAINING AND SUPERVISION
11. To receive regular clinical and professional supervision from a more senior psychologist/psychotherapist according to BABCP/BPS/HCPC and Trust guidelines. This must include live supervision of your work (through recordings or observation).
12. To contribute to the development of the knowledge and skills base within Lambeth IAPT by maintaining an active awareness of current developments in psychology, CBT, IAPT and by implementing knowledge gained in practice.
13. To provide specialist training to other professionals as appropriate.
14. May involve providing professional managerial, and clinical supervision to HI CBT therapists, Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners, trainees, assistant psychologists and other junior staff members for all aspects of their work. This must include live supervision of therapist’s work.
15. TEAM MEMBER
16. To make a full contribution to the running of Lambeth Talking Therapies as a member of a team and the whole service.
17. To identify any aspects of the service which could be improved and contribute to the service development through undertaking and participating in appropriate projects.
18. To support, encourage and inspire other team members.
19. RESEARCH and SERVICE DEVELOPMENT
20. Assist in the development and maintenance of a strong research culture that values the use of outcome measures as a way of improving clinical practice. Encourage the critical evaluation of practice, and undertake, communicate and disseminate research
21. Use theory and literature to support evidence-based practice in clinical work, supervision, teaching and consultations
22. To contribute to the development of services through initiating, undertaking and supervising service evaluation and audit.
23. PROFESSIONAL
24. Work as an autonomous professional and maintain standards of practice adhering to HPC or BABCP guidelines and the policies and procedures of the service, taking responsibility for own work including treatment and discharge decisions.
25. To ensure Continuing Professional Development in line with BPS/BABCP/UKCP and Trust Personal Development Plan requirements.
26. To maintain HCPC registration and BABCP accreditation.
27. GENERAL
28. To participate in business and professional meetings within the IAPT service and PMIC CAG.
29. To regularly work one evening as required
30. Any private work must be agreed in advance in writing with the SLAM IAPT Service Director and the line manager. Private psychological therapy work or advice must always be clearly separate from IAPT or NHS work and not undertaken on NHS premises or premises used by IAPT. It cannot be undertaken with any current client of the service, or with a client within five years of the worker having seen that client in the service. Private services cannot be advertised through work locations. The post holder will not enter into personal relationships with clients they have met through IAPT or NHS work when outside of their IAPT or NHS setting.
31. To travel between the surgeries and bases as and when appropriate. To provide services at various locations in the borough of Lambeth. The post holder may be required to hot desk in busy open plan offices.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Doctoral level qualification in clinical or counselling psychology with substantial CBT experience (eligible for HCPC registration). Or CBT Therapist / CBT Therapist in training, from an IAPT High Intensity CBT course and with, or close to, BABCP accreditation (to be accredited within 12 months).
• Eligibility for HCPC registration. Or High intensity (HI) therapist, having completed an IAPT CBT course, with or close to BABCP accreditation. The postholder will be expected to become accredited within 12 months. The post is offered conditional on achieving this accreditation, or the contract will be terminated. The post will be at Band 6 in this period until provisional accreditation is achieved.

• Relevant experience in Primary Care treating anxiety and depression.

Experience

• Experience of the psychological assessment and treatment of adult clients presenting with common mental health problems in an IAPT or specialist service, using CBT
• Experience of receiving clinical supervision across a range of client needs
• Experience of meeting activity and outcome targets in a psychological service
• Experience of collecting and recording generic and disorder specific outcome measures to monitor patient progress
• Experience of contributing to the running or development of a service, for example through audit or leading a project or service area

• Experience in working in another modality – group CBT, IPT, BCT, LTC.
• Experience of delivering CBT in a specialist CBT service e.g. CADAT .
• Experience of giving clinical supervision.
• Experience of formal psychological treatment of psychiatric disorders.
• Experience of formal psychological assessment and treatment of adult clients with serious mental illness in psychiatric settings with a range of psychological needs.

Knowledge

• Knowledge and experience of CBT formulations and treatment for all the common mental health problems.
• Knowledge of psychological assessment
• Theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base for the relevant treatment.
• Knowledge of key legislation in relation to mental health issues, offenders, and child protection.

• Masters level knowledge of psychological research methodology and complex statistical analysis.

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’