[ref. l34610500] Consultant Lead Psychologist/Psychotherapist/Psychological Therapist
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 is a highly valued senior leadership role with the Psychological Medicine & Older Adults (PMOA) Directorate in South London & Maudsley NHS Trust. We are seeking to appoint a psychologist, psychotherapist or psychological therapist with strong leadership skills to the post of Consultant Lead.The post would particularly suit someone with Adult or Older Adult mental health experience, particularly those interested in Community Transformation but all those meeting the person specification are welcome and encouraged to apply.
The role is key to leading and implementing the roll out of Community Transformation in MHOA. The post holder will act as professional lead for the wide range of psychological professions in the MHOA ‘mental health’ pathway (cf the dementia pathway) and will support P&P staff in these services to maintain excellent standards of care and evidence-based service delivery at a time of transformation of mental health services.As a highly valued senior member of the MHOA service the post holder will also play a key part in developing services within the directorate alongside other clinical, professional and operational colleagues.
Main duties of the job
This person appointed to this post will provide professional leadership in relation to workforce development, professional development, implementation and development of local and national guidance and protocols, and professional regulation (including HCPC) for the service that they post oversees and will be well supported by the Head of P&P for Older Adults in these tasks.
In 0.4wte this post will professionally lead and oversee the Psychology & Psychotherapy (P&P) provision within the Mental Health for Older Adults (MHOA) CMHTs, two ‘mental health’ inpatient wards (AL1 and Hayworth wards) and the Older Adult Home Treatment Teams.Alongside this there would be 0.6wte clinical input to the HTT and CMHTs and applicants will be able to demonstrate appropriate consultant level clinical expertise. They would be well supported by the Head of P&P for Older Adults as well as an 8b lead for the CMHTs.
This is a temporary post to enable cover for existing staff promotion.
Working for our organisation
Benefits:
We are committed to ensuring our staff get the most out of their benefits package and understand the importance of a healthy work life balance. 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 and that are why we have a comprehensive benefits package on offer
Some of our benefits are highlighted here:
- Generous pay, pensions and leave, we offer a comprehensive pay, pensions and leave package 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 through a number of programmes such as mentoring, coaching, positive people management, collective leadership and other talent programmes
- 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 restaurants
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
We are looking for excellent emerging or consolidating leadership and communication skills. You will have experience inspiring and supporting psychologists and psychotherapists (including trainees and pre-qualified staff) to work effectively, compassionately and collaboratively.You will be able to deal with multiple competing demands and you will be able to maintain your governance role whilst simultaneously having the drive and enthusiasm to support a range of colleagues undertaking MHOA service and PMOA Directorate-wide projects, service delivery and performance responsibilities.
This post also offers opportunities for research and continuing professional development.
This role will have responsibilities within the MHOA service which is within the PMOA Directorate. There are opportunities for liaison with the Kings Health Partners Older Adult Clinical Academic Group (CAG) and the Trusts Corporate Professional Leadership. The Consultant Lead postholder will support the Deputy Director for MHOA and work alongside other professional leads including the two MHOA Medical Directors and the Head of P&P for Older Adults to:
- Implement and develop strategy for the services that they oversee as well as ensure operational targets and activities appropriately reflect clinical priorities and are in line with best practice within the resources available.
- provide visible clinical leadership to P&P staff amongst others working within the mental health pathway services for older people, ensuring that there are appropriate managerial structures in place to address the professional and developmental needs of staff.
- Ensure appropriate robust clinical governance structures for P&P provision within the services that the postholder oversees to support a safe and effective service which provides access and good experience to all in the local community.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria- Doctoral level qualification in clinical or counselling psychology or equivalent professional qualification in psychotherapy or psychological therapy (eg systemic psychotherapy, arts psychotherapy)
- Post doctoral training in an additional specialised area of psychological or psychotherapy practice directly relevant to MHOA services in field of secondary care (serious) mental health care
- Appropriate professional and/or statutory registration eg with the HCPC as Practitioner Psychologist, or with UKCP as a Psychotherapist
- Evidence of continuing training in a specialised area of psychological practice through formal post-doctoral training (diploma or equivalent), OR a combination of specialist short courses, OR an evidenced portfolio of supervised practice-based learning in a specialist area of clinical practice, assessed by an experienced clinical supervisor to be of equal level to a postgraduate diploma
Experience
Essential criteria- Experience in professional leadership of psychologists and/or psychotherapists such as in a directorate type structure
- Experience of leading and managing a psychology and/or psychotherapy staff in equivalent services
- Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for the psychological care and treatment with clients with complex needs
- Experience of providing consultation, teaching and training to psychological professions and/or other professional groups.
Knowledge/skills
Essential criteria- Skills in negotiating with management on strategic policies and implementing these
- Highly developed verbal and written communication skills including communicating complex, highly technical and sensitive information to colleagues, clients and families
- Ability to establish and communicate courses of action and targets to ensure achievement of objectives
- Advanced knowledge of psychological assessment and, where relevant, clinical psychometrics
- Advanced level knowledge of legislation and its implications for both clinical practice and professional management in relation to the client group, mental health issues and child protection
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’