CBT Therapist, Clinical / Counselling Psychologist (Croydon OA CMHT) - NHS
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
We are looking to appoint a full-time CBT Therapist / Clinical or Counselling Psychologist to join Older Adult Psychology and Psychotherapy (P&P) and work within the Croydon Older Adults Community Mental Health Team.
SLaM Older Adult mental health services provide assessment and intervention for people aged over 65 with mental health difficulties. Around one third of the multi-disciplinary team’s caseload has a diagnosis of dementia. Our Older Adult P&P community workforce provides a range of NICE recommended Step 1, 2 and 3 interventions for depression, anxiety, personality disorder, psychosis and trauma.We have expanded our Older Adult P&P workforce to include new roles to support the development of a stepped model of care in our CMHTs and this post is crucial in this regard.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will consolidate and further develop therapy skills by regularly assessing for and providing psychological therapy to older adults known to the CMHTs with severe and complex mental health needs. The postholder will be expected to work as part of the CMHT delivering CBT and supporting older adults to receive the right care.The postholder will also contribute to the MDT by care coordinating/key-working and contributing to initial assessments, risk assessment and the duty system.
We are looking for an enthusiastic Cognitive Behavioural Therapist / Clinical or Counselling Psychologist with experience of and/or interest in, working within mental health services for older people as part of multi-disciplinary teams. You will be expected to work autonomously to promote access to psychological interventions and to encourage psychologically informed care coordination.We are looking for someone that can offer a dynamic and creative approach to service delivery.
Working for our organisation
Our Values:
We take pride in providing specialist care to our service users within our Trust values of Kindness, Respect and Together.
About the location:
The post is based at Heavers Resource Centre, 122-124 Selhurst Road, London, SE25 6LL. The postholder will be expected to do home visits across the borough of Croydon and to travel to other Trust sites for some meetings.
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.
Career progression:
We are committed to get the very best out of our staff and support staff in their career aspirations. South London & Maudsley NHS Trust is a large Trust with a range of career as well as training and development opportunities.
Flexible working:
We are proud to offer flexible working as part of our new ways of working, and we are happy to talk flexible working during Monday – Friday at the interview stage.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
This role is essential in providing a quality service to people seen by the Older Adults Community Mental Health Teams. Older Adults present with a wide range of mental health problems and benefit from psychosocial approaches that this post will be supported to deliver.
Job Purpose:
- To provide specialist CBT to Older Adults with complex mental health needs 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.
Main Responsibilities:
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 in the Older Adult CMHT.
- To provide culturally appropriate 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 deliver evidence-based specialist CBT, 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.
- To act as care co-ordinator taking responsibility for initiating planning and reviewing care plans, CPA co-ordination and meetings.
- To contribute to the generic duties of the CMHT including initial assessments and duty.
- To contribute to the effective working of the Older Adult CMHT 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- To undertake regular complex service evaluation, audits or research relevant to service needs.
- 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.
- To travel to home visits if required and 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 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- A recognised post graduate qualification in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (or postgraduate level training conferring equivalent competences) OR Doctorate in counselling/Clinical Psychology
- Accreditation with the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy (BABCP) or working towards it.
- A recognised qualification in one of the core mental health professions recognised by BABCP, e.g. mental health nursing, practitioner psychology, medicine, social work, occupational therapy or counselling AND current registration/accreditation with the core professional body, OR Evidence of having achieved the Knowledge Skills and Attitudes (KSA) route to BABCP accreditation. OR HCPC Registered Practitioner/Clinical/Counselling Psychologist
- Evidence of relevant continuing professional development.
- Evidence of post qualification training in clinical supervision
Experience
Essential criteria- Experience of receiving clinical supervision across a range of client needs
- Experience of assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature
- 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
- Experience of developing and carrying out audit/research projects.
- Significant post-qualification/graduation experience including experience of individual and group therapy with people with complex mental health needs
- Experience of working with Older Adults
- Experience of working in Secondary Care/CMHTs
- Experience of providing supervision to junior colleagues
Knowledge
Essential criteria- Theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base for the relevant treatment
- Knowledge of the theory of CBT and it’s therapeutic application
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health issues, child and adult protection, and equalities
- Knowledge of factors affecting acceptability and accessibility of mental health care to deliver CBT across cultural and other differences
- Knowledge of racial and other diversity issues and factors affecting access to mental health care
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
- 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
- Well-developed IT skills including entry and analysis of research data
- Skills in providing teaching and training to other professional groups
Abilites
Essential criteria- Ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team, contributing to effective team functioning and holding team roles
- Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate
- Ability to develop and use complex multi-media materials for presentations in public, professional and academic meetings
- 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
- 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
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’